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    Home » Recipes » Grilled Salmon Tacos with Chipotle Mayo

    October 8, 2023 Dinners

    Grilled Salmon Tacos with Chipotle Mayo

    Jump to Recipe

    Grilled Alaskan Coho salmon tacos with a spicy chipotle mayo and a creamy salsa verde. Just like the salmon tacos I had in Cordova, Alaska, at Baja Taco. I wanted to recreate these to share with you all and I have to say these are pretty spot on.

    Made with wild Copper River Alaskan Coho salmon.

    salmon tacos on several plates platter of grilled salmon fillets bowl of rice bowl of cabbage bowl of salsa bottle of hot sauce

    When my kids asked me if I was eating salmon every meal of the day during my trip to Cordova with Copper River Salmon, the answer was "Yes. Yes I am." Salmon bagels for breakfast, salmon tacos for lunch, and whatever salmon dish was served at the Orca Adventure Lodge for dinner.

    We had salmon tacos for lunch daily sat Baja Taco - a school bus turned food truck that later had a house boat added on to have inside seating for more people. The offered their salmon ( an halibut) tacos with either fried or grilled fish. I tried the tacos both fried and grilled - both equally amazing.

    baja tacos restaurant in cordova alaska red school bus blue roof building various chairs around tables

    I decided to recreate the grilled salmon for these tacos instead of the fried. Quicker and no messy deep frying for me.

    The salmon tacos at Baja Tacos were served with rice ,beans and red salsa. They had a green salsa in the tacos so I made a creamy salsa verde to go with them

    You could also use my avocado crema as well. And these would go so well with my guava margaritas.

    grilled salmon tacos with salmon shredded green cabbage red rice lime halves
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Prepare the salmon for grilling:
    • Salmon grilling tip
    • Shred the cabbage
    • Char the tortillas:
    • Assemble the salmon tacos:
    • Variations
    • Storage
    • Top tip
    • Related
    • Make it a whole meal:
    • Grilled Salmon Tacos with Chipotle Mayo

    Ingredients

    • Wild Alaskan salmon - Coho, Sockeye or King
    • Oil - high heat oil such as avocado or sunflower
    • Kosher Salt
    • Ground black pepper
    whole salmon fillet on platter plate of tortillas bowl of salt bowl of pepper bowl of oil whole lime bowl of shredded cabbage half a cabbage bowl of green salsa bowl of chipotle mayo sauce
    • Tortillas - corn or flour ( I used flour)
    • Green cabbage -shredded
    • Mayonnaise
    • Sour cream
    • Limes - zest and juice
    • Chipotle chilies in adobo
    • Hot sauce - optional. I used Barnacle Foods Bullwhip Kelp hot sauce.

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    I usually make the chipotle mayo ahead of making the tacos. Even a day ahead if I really want to save time but it is such a fast recipe - just add it all into a small blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Chill until ready to use.

    Prepare the salmon for grilling:

    Cut the salmon into 3-4 ounce fillets. Brush with oil then season with salt and pepper. I only use salt and pepper here since there is a lot of flavor in the salsa and the chipotle mayo and I love the fresh taste of the salmon here without any other seasonings.
    If you wish to add more seasonings please do so.

    oil being brushed on salmon fillets

    Brush the fillets with oil

    salt being sprinkled on salmon fillets

    Season with kosher salt

    salt and pepper on salmon fillets

    Season with ground black pepper

    salmon fillets on grill with skin side up

    Place onto a well oiled grill that has been heated to 400 Deg F. You can start either skin side up or down.

    salmon fillets on grill

    Flip only once during grilling. (as you can see here mine did stick a little - should have added more oil before grilling).

    grilled coho salmon fillets on platter with lime slices

    Transfer to a serving platter, squeeze a little lime juice over the grilled salmon.

    I love grilling salmon for tacos, salads, to serve along side any side dish. Its easy to grill either smaller fillets or whole salmon.

    Hint: Preheat the grill, clean it well and oil it well. Salmon will stick ( skin or flesh side down) and you have to have it well oiled so it doesn't stick. The oil may burn off so make sure to oil again a few seconds before adding the salmon.

    Salmon grills very quickly - just a few minutes a side.

    Salmon grilling tip

    You can place the salmon on the grill with tongs but flip with a very thin spatula or fish spatula since the salmon is so delicate you don't want to tear it apart trying to flip it.

    Shred the cabbage

    The tacos we got at Baja Tacos were covered in shredded cabbage. Almost too much. I love cabbage on fish tacos and instead of slicing like I normally do, I went with shredding like Baja Tacos had on their tacos. I just didn't add quite as much to these tacos. Feel free to add as much as you like.

    green cabbage being shredded with box grater

    Remove any bruised outer leaves, quarter and shred one quarter at a time.

    shredded green cabbage on cutting board

    Use the larger holes of a box grater to shred the cabbage.

    Char the tortillas:

    You can do this either on the grill at the same time you are grilling your salmon or over open flame if you have a gas stove. You can also place on a baking sheet and pop under the broiler in your oven for a few min - keep a close eye. so they don't burn.

    salmon tacos on several plates platter of grilled salmon fillets bowl of rice bowl of cabbage bowl of salsa bottle of hot sauce

    Assemble the salmon tacos:

    green salsa being spread over a tortilla on a light blue plate

    Spread some salsa verde over the charred tortilla

    salmon on top of green salsa on a tortilla on a light blue plate

    Remove the skin then place one of the fillets ( or less depending on size of tortilla) on top of the salsa, flaking the salmon if desired

    salmon green salsa and green shredded cabbage on a tortilla on a light blue plate

    Add shredded cabbage. However much you like

    sauce being spooned over salmon green salsa and green shredded cabbage on a tortilla on a light blue plate

    Drizzle over some of the chipotle mayo and some hot sauce too if you like.

    Variations

    • Spices - add chipotle or cayenne pepper to the salmon before grilling for a spicier salmon. Smoked Paprika, garlic or onion would work too. Same seasonings as my pan seared Sockeye salmon that also makes excellent tacos.
    • Hot Sauce - You can add some Cholula, Tapatio or my new absolute fave Barnacle Foods Bullwhip Kelp hot sauce
    • Tortillas - corn or any favorite tortilla can be used if needing something grain free, lower carb etc.

    See these Smoked Salmon Tacos on my website! Another amazing version of salmon tacos. They would also go well with my cilantro lime rice.

    two plates of salmon tacos on light blue plates bowl of rice bowl of shredded green cabbage platter of grilled salmon

    Storage

    Store the salmon in an airtight container up to 4 days.

    Store the shredded cabbage in an airtight container up to a week.

    Top tip

    Don't over grill the salmon - you want juicy, easily flakes with a fork salmon. If you see white stuff oozing out of the salmon when grilling (that is the albumin) its starting to overcook. If the middle isn't quite done yet - turn off the heat or place on a lower heat section of your grill to finish cooking.

    Related

    Here are more taco recipes you may also enjoy:

    • Hot Smoked Salmon Tacos with Avocado Crema
    • Mango Coconut Chicken Tacos with Pale Ale Tortillas
    • Lamb Carnitas Tacos with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
      Lamb Carnitas Tacos with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
    • Roasted Pepper, Zucchini and Corn Rajas Shrimp Tacos www.pineappleandcoconut.com #WolfGourmet
      Roasted Pepper, Zucchini and Corn Rajas Shrimp Tacos

    Make it a whole meal:

    These are my favorite dishes to serve with these tacos:

    • Spicy Chili Pepper Mango Margarita www.pineappleandcoconut.com
      Spicy Chili Pepper Mango Margarita
    • Vanilla Pineapple Margaritas #vanillaweek
    • Creamy Salsa Verde Recipe
    • Creamy Purple Tomatillo Guacamole Recipe
    salmon tacos on several plates platter of grilled salmon fillets bowl of rice bowl of cabbage bowl of salsa bottle of hot sauce

    Grilled Salmon Tacos with Chipotle Mayo

    Shanna
    Wild alaskan salmon is grilled and made into tacos with a creamy salsa verde, spicy chipotle mayo, shredded green cabbage and lightly charred tortillas.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 8 minutes mins
    Blending, charring, assembly 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 38 minutes mins
    Servings 8 tacos

    Ingredients
      

    • For the salmon
    • 1.5-2 lbs wild Alaskan salmon, Coho, Sockeye or King
    • 1 Tablespoon Oil,, high heat such as avocado or sunflower
    • 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
    • 2 teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
    • For the Chipotle Mayo:
    • ½ Cup Mayo, (115 G)
    • 3 Tablespoons sour cream
    • Zest and Juice of one lime, - about a tablespoon or so of juice
    • 1-2 Tablespoons chipotle chiles in adobo, -use whole chili as well as sauce
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • For the tacos:
    • Tortillas - 6 inch flour or corn
    • 1 Green cabbage,, Quartered and shredded
    • Creamy Salsa Verde
    • Hot Sauce,, optional
    • 1-2 Limes,, sliced

    Instructions
     

    • Heat grill to 400 Deg. Clean well and oil well. You will oil again right before you add the salmon.
    • Cut the salmon fillet into 3-4 ounce sized fillets. Brush with oil, season with salt and pepper.
    • Make the chipotle mayo: - combine everything in a small blender ( bullet type blender) or food processor and blend until very smooth. Transfer to a container or jar with a lid and chill in refrigerator until ready to use.
    • Grill the salmon:
    • Brush the grates with oil again and place the salmon on the grill either skin side down or skin side up. Grill for 2-3 minutes then carefully flip and grill for another 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter to rest before assembling the tables. Squeeze a little lime over the fillets.
    • Shred the green cabbage. Peel off any outer leave with bruises, then cut the cabbage into quarters. Using a box grater shred one quarter at a time using the side with the larger holes. Transfer to a bowl.
    • Char the tortillas either on the grill, over open flame if you have a gas stove or on a baking sheet under a broiler. Keep a close eye on them making sure they only char and don’t burn
    • Assemble the tacos
    • Spread a little green salsa on the tortilla, add one of the grilled salmon fillets ( as much or as little as you want - removing and discarding the skin if you want). Top with shredded cabbage, a drizzle of the chipotle mayo and some optional hot sauce. Another squeeze of lime too if you want.
    • Serve with rice, beans, guacamole and chips and a margarita if you like!

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    Hi, I'm Shanna. Welcome! 16 + years food blogging. I am a self taught baker, cook and mixologist and longtime photographer. I love making healthy meals, sweet treats and fun cocktails. Hope you enjoy my recipes!

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