Chipotle Salmon Tacos with Fresh Peach Salsa

SO, listen up. This might just be the BEST taco recipe I’ve ever created. And that’s saying a lot because my amazing turkey tacos have been #1 in my heart (and yours) since about 2013.

As you may know, I have a lovely peach salsa on the blog that I just so happened to make a NEW YouTube video for it. I wanted to get the salsa involved with a delicious dinner situation. And WOW did it get involved. The team and I tested these chipotle salmon tacos a couple of summers ago and seriously couldn’t stop raving about them or munching on those incredible salmon bites. In fact, this recipe is so good that it’s Episode 1 of Season 2 of my YouTube series, Good Mood Comfort Food!

The salmon is marinated in a sweet and spicy chipotle brown sugar lime mixture and baked to crispy, caramelized perfection. You’ll then add that perfect corn avocado peach salsa for hints of freshness and sweetness, and finally, top everything with my brand new creamy cilantro yogurt sauce.

ARE WE KIDDING? So good.

This is truly a summer dinner you’ll want to make again and again, plus I included more fun sauce options and even ways to serve the taco mix-ins. Enjoy!

Everything you’ll need to make chipotle salmon tacos

I know it seems like there are a lot of ingredients BUT they all boil down to fresh produce, spices, and things you likely already have in your kitchen. Plus, each component in these chipotle salmon tacos makes them unique and irresistibly delicious. Here’s what you’ll need:

• For the salmon: we’re using a pound of salmon and marinating it with a little avocado oil, lime juice & zest, brown sugar, and spices like chipotle chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, salt & pepper. Sweet, spicy and amazing.
• For the salsa: practice those knife skills by chopping and mixing a peach, avocado, ear of corn, red onion, jalapeño & cilantro. My avocado peach salsa is famous for a reason and adds a lovely freshness to the tacos.
• For the sauce: the ultimate spicy cilantro yogurt sauce that I just posted as a little teaser to these tacos! It adds a wonderful creaminess and kick of heat to the tacos.
• For serving: load everything up onto corn tortillas and top with some extra sliced jalapeño, cilantro, and red cabbage for crunch.

What’s the best type of salmon to use?

Feel free to use wild or farmed salmon in this taco recipe. Farm-raised salmon tends to be milder in flavor and more fatty/buttery in texture, while on the other hand, wild salmon can be a little more spendy, but is leaner, pinker, and higher in minerals such as zinc and iron. Both are delicious!

Customize your tacos

Because there are multiple components to these amazing chipotle salmon tacos, there are plenty of ways that you can customize them to your taste preferences. Here’s what I can recommend:

• Choose your protein: yes, these are salmon tacos (and the salmon is amazing) but you could also use chicken or tofu! Feel free to marinate either in the same marinade and then learn how to grill perfect chicken here and tofu here.
• Keep them gluten free: be sure to use gluten free corn tortillas or grain free tortillas like these.
• Try a low carb option: feel free to serve all of the toppings over mixed greens, in lettuce cups, or cauliflower rice!

How to make the best chipotle salmon tacos

1. Make your sauce. Start by making that creamy cilantro yogurt sauce in a blender or food processor. Set it aside in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the tacos.
2. Cook your salmon. Toss your salmon with all of those delicious spices so that each bite is coated, then bake it on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 400 degrees F.
3. Make the salsa. While your salmon is baking you can mix all of the ingredients for the peach avocado salsa together. Place the salsa in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the tacos.
4. Assemble & devour. Char your corn tortillas if you’d like (see below for how to do so!) then top each with the salmon cubes, cabbage, salsa, extra jalapeño slices, cilantro, and the cilantro yogurt sauce. Then devour!

Don’t forget to char your tortillas

Who doesn’t love a warm, slightly toasty charred corn tortilla for tacos? To char them before assembling simply:

1. Turn on your stovetop burner to the lowest setting.
2. Place one tortilla on the burner and let it heat up for about 45 seconds – checking frequently to make sure it’s not burning.
3. Once it has the desired char, carefully flip the tortilla with tongs and char on the other side.
4. The tortilla might puff up a bit once you flip, which is okay!
5. Cover your tortillas with a dishtowel as you finish them so that they stay warm.

Can I grill the salmon?

Absolutely! I would suggest using the foil pack method so that the salmon bites don’t fall through the grill grates. Alternatively, you could thread the bites onto sticks and grill salmon kabobs before adding them to your tacos! Get all of my tips for grilling salmon here. As always, it’s best to slightly undercook your salmon rather than overcook it and risk it being dry.

More delicious sauce ideas

The cilantro yogurt sauce adds the perfect creamy, spicy, savory element to the tacos, but these sauces would also be delicious on these chipotle salmon tacos:

Get all of my sauce recipes here!

Storing tips

If you have any leftovers, I recommend storing each component (salmon, salsa, and yogurt sauce) separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days so that you can easily assemble your tacos and the ingredients stay fresh.

More peach recipes you’ll love

Get all of my peach recipes here!

Good Mood Comfort Food

I hope you love these chipotle salmon tacos. If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats

This post was originally published on July 28th, 2022, republished on July 24th, 2023, and republished on August 10th, 2024.