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    Home » Seafood

    BBQ (Grilled) Salmon Tacos with Slaw

    Published: Sep 26, 2022 by Sula · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Fish tacos are a favorite of mine and I’ve wanted to create my own recipe for a while. Possibly a healthier version. When I order a fish taco at a restaurant, the fish is often breaded and fried, which makes me unhappy that I looked closely enough to check it out. LOL

    Since I regularly eat salmon, making a salmon taco was a logical choice. And I love to grill. So, making a simple marinade and using it to BBQ some salmon for tacos was the perfect choice for me.

    And I made a delicious mango slaw which brought it all together.

    This salmon is easy to make in your own backyard, and you’ll feel like you’re having a restaurant quality meal in every bite!

    3 tortillas filled with flacked bbq salmon and mango slaw.

    Why I love this recipe

    This recipe ticks all the boxes: delicious, special, different, healthy, and easy.

    By spicing the salmon with taco flavors and making it on the grill, it pairs beautifully with the mango slaw. Layer them in a small tortilla and you’ll enjoy the flavors in every bite.

    I also like this as a bowl meal. Just skip the tortilla and place the BBQ salmon and slaw in a bowl. So yummy to mix them as you are eating, plus you get to enjoy the beautiful bright colors in your bowl.

    Ingredients

    ingredients: agave syrup, olive oil, taco seasoning, lime, and salmon.

    How to make BBQ grilled salmon for tacos

    It starts with a simple marinade. Mix lime juice and zest with olive oil, agave syrup and taco seasoning. Brush this all over the salmon before cooking.

    There are 2 approaches to grilling. If you buy salmon fillets with the skin on, you have the option of grilling the fillets directly on the (well-oiled) grill grates. To do this, start by grilling skin side up for about 4 minutes, then turn and finish cooking for another 4-5 minutes, until the salmon is cooked through. This method has the advantage of leaving some grill marks on your salmon.

    I prefer to remove the skin from my fillets and grill them in a foil “basket”. I do this because the salmon I get is wild-caught, and therefore much leaner than most farmed salmon. When I try to grill wild fillets directly on the grates, they are going to stick, no matter how much I oil those grates!

    To grill on foil, simply tear off a large piece of heavy-duty foil and roll up all four edges to make an open basket. The interior needs to be large enough to hold the salmon. You can always make 2 baskets if you prefer to have less salmon in each.

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    salmon on bbq grill in a basket made of foil.

    Cook the salmon in the foil basket over medium heat for about 4 minutes, turn and continue cooking until done. When done, the salmon will flake easily with a fork (or spatula).

    spatula pushing on cooked salmon, causing it to flake apart.

    Assembling the Salmon Tacos with Mango Slaw

    Flake the cooked salmon into chunks. Assemble with mango slaw into warm tortillas, if using. Or, add the salmon and slaw to a bowl and enjoy.

    I have a separate post that describes how to make the Mango Slaw, but I have also included the recipe card below, for your convenience.

    Expert Tips

    If you don’t have heavy-duty foil, use a double layer of regular foil for more strength. You don’t want your basket to tear!

    Wild salmon is leaner and will therefore cook faster than farmed. When in doubt, use a meat thermometer and cook the salmon to 145F. Alternatively, cook to 130F, remove the salmon from heat, cover with foil and rest 10 minutes. The salmon will continue to heat during that resting time and removing it from direct heat helps prevent over cooking.

    If you’d like to try a sauce on your BBQ salmon tacos, I recommend cilantro-lime sauce. It was a delightful addition!

    pin for bbq salmon tacos.

    More Recipe Ideas

    If you love salmon like I do, take a peek at Pineapple Baked Salmon, Salmon with Whole Lemon Dressing, or Salmon Kabobs. They’ll help put variety in your seafood diet!

    If you like tacos with a twist, try some Cauliflower Tacos. The cashew crema is a surprisingly great alternative to cheese!

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    bbq salmon tacos with mango slaw on a small plate
    5 from 79 votes
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    BBQ Salmon Tacos with Slaw

    Fish tacos get elevated by using salmon. The BBQ taste is perfectly complemented by mango slaw!
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time10 minutes mins
    Total Time15 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 188kcal
    Author: Sula

    Ingredients

    • 16 ounces salmon fillets
    • 2 tablespoons lime juice
    • ½ teaspoon lime zest
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon agave nectar
    • 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
    • Salt + pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Make mango slaw per instructions below and refrigerate for one hour before serving.
    • Preheat the grill to medium heat.
    • Prepare salmon by removing skin, if desired. Make a “basket” from heavy duty foil by cutting a large piece and rolling the sides to make edges. Place the salmon in the middle.
      16 ounces salmon fillets
    • Mix all other ingredients in a small bowl. Brush all over the salmon.
      2 tablespoons lime juice, ½ teaspoon lime zest, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon agave nectar, 1 teaspoon taco seasoning, Salt + pepper
    • Place the foil basket of salmon on the grill and cook for about 4 minutes. Salmon will start to look a little charred on the edges.
    • Flip the salmon and cook about 4 minutes more, until done. Salmon will flake easily when cooked through. If using a meat thermometer, cook to at least 130F, then cover and rest before serving. Final temperature after resting should be 145F.
    • Flake the salmon and layer with mango slaw in warm tortillas.

    Notes

    Nutrition estimates are for salmon only, without tortillas or slaw.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 52mg | Potassium: 565mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 52IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.

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    3soft shell fish tacos with mango slaw on top.
    5 from 56 votes
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    Mango Slaw for Fish Tacos

    This slaw provides the perfect punch of flavor and crunch to your fish tacos. Try it with salmon!
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time0 minutes mins
    Chilling time1 hour hr
    Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 33kcal
    Author: Sula

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage
    • 1 mango peeled, pitted and sliced thin (about 1 cup)
    • ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
    • 1 tablespoon lime juice
    • 1 teaspoon agave syrup
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground celery
    • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
    • Dash salt – optional

    Instructions

    • Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and toss well to combine.
      2 cups coleslaw mix, 1 mango, ¼ cup fresh cilantro, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon agave syrup, ⅛ teaspoon ground celery, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, Dash salt – optional
    • Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
    • Serve with fish, salmon, etc.

    Notes

    You can substitute celery salt for the ground celery. If so, skip the dash of salt.
    2 cups coleslaw mix is about ½ an 8-ounce bag.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 33kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.04g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 105mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 443IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.2mg

    Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.

    « Mango Slaw for Fish Tacos
    Dragon Fruit Chia Seed Pudding »

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    Comments

    1. Brooke

      June 22, 2024 at 12:07 pm

      5 stars
      My family loved this! Adding it to our dinner rotation.

      Reply
      • Sula

        June 22, 2024 at 4:54 pm

        Fantastic! Thank you for the kind review!

        Reply
    2. Isabella

      September 29, 2023 at 8:22 am

      5 stars
      The whole family loved these salmon tacos! It was the first time I cooked salmon on the bbq. The mango slaw was a delicious on top, too.

      Reply
      • Sula

        September 29, 2023 at 12:15 pm

        Aren't they yummy with the mango slaw? So healthy too!

        Reply
    3. Mona

      September 27, 2023 at 6:49 pm

      5 stars
      Fish tacos are my fave, but I can rarely eat them because they’re usually battered and fried (and I’m GF). These salmon tacos were perfect in satisfying my cravings!!

      Reply
      • Sula

        September 29, 2023 at 6:07 am

        I'm so glad these tacos can meet your gluten-free diet!

        Reply
    5 from 79 votes (76 ratings without comment)

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