No matter how you slice it, you can’t really go wrong with tacos. If you have fresh ingredients and a tasty salsa, you’re pretty much good to go. The one kind of taco I feel iffy about is the notorious fried fish taco — beer battered white fish that is fried, then lathered in fattening aioli, topped with slaw and sandwiched in a tortilla. Now, these are delicious, but why un-healthify something that’s already so perfect and simple? Don’t get me wrong, I love the taste of fish tacos, but I never see the point in ordering them due to how heavy they are compared to the average chicken taco.
That’s why I came up with this air-fried salmon taco recipe, that’s packed with omega-3’s! You know I love my healthy fats because they are great for almost everything. So, for this recipe, I first create a chipotle corn “aioli,” which is essentially puréed corn with cashew milk and seasonings. Then, I coat my salmon with crushed tortilla chips (I chose cauliflower tortilla chips because #health, but you can choose whatever you want) and then I air-fried the salmon until it was perfectly crispy. Throw the aioli and salmon onto a sprouted corn tortilla with guacamole and salsa, and this is my fried fish taco dream without the guilt.
Air-Fried Salmon Tacos with a Chipotle Corn “Aioli”
Ingredients
Air-Fried Salmon Tacos
- 1 1/4 lbs fresh salmon
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 2 tsp chipotle powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- Salt to have on hand, you'll need 2 pinches of salt
- 1 cup tortilla chips (I used cauliflower chips, you can also use corn or any kind that you prefer) finely crushed
- Corn tortillas
- Guacamole store bought, or homemade
- Pico de gallo store bought, or homemade
- Red onion slices to taste
Equipment
- air fryer (or you can use a traditional oven)
Directions
- Pat your salmon dry and slice the salmon into smaller filets. Carefully remove the skin with a knife.
- In a bowl, combine the avocado oil, lime juice, chipotle powder, garlic powder, onion powder and a generous pinch of salt and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Set the salmon into a bowl AND pour this marinade mixture onto the salmon, making sure they are fully coated. Let the salmon sit for 10 minutes, while you create your tortilla chip “bread crumbs," if using.
- In a food processor, finely crush the tortilla chips. If the chips aren't salted, add a pinch of salt and pulse until fully blended. Make sure you like the levels of salt because this is going to flavor your salmon! If it doesn't taste salty enough, add more.
- Dip the salmon into the crushed tortilla chips, and rotate the fillet until it's fully coated in the "bread crumbs." Repeat with the other fillets and then put them into the air-fryer basket. Air fry for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, or until crispy. If you are not using an air-fryer, broil your salmon for 10-12 minutes on high, until golden brown. If you have a gas broiler, keep an extra close eye on your salmon and use the second highest rack.
- While the salmon is cooking, char the corn tortillas on the stovetop. If you don't have a gas stove, feel free to heat them under a broiler until lightly charred, but still soft.
- Place the salmon onto a tortilla and add red onion, guacamole and pico de Gallo. Serve immediately!
Rate & Review
WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THIS RECIPE?
There’s certainly a great deal to learn about this issue. I like all of the points you made.