Salmon BLT Tacos with Garden Herb Sauce
July 7, 2020 by Nicole Collins
I'm thinking about my school days today.
Do you guys remember in elementary school that game when you'd tell someone to ask you what your favorite food was?
And then you'd open your mouth full of food and say “See food!”
Haha...
In highschool, my friends and I used to play this vicious game with each other. It was so painful! There's this really sensitive spot in between your collarbone and shoulder blade that hurts like a mother bleeper if you jab it with two fingers. Don't ask me who figured this out or why. But, we'd sneak attack each other at all times of day with a jab to that spot. I'm talking in the stairwell, in class, at the lunch table, just casually walking down the halls...if we saw (or didn't see) someone from our group heading our way, we knew what was going to happen. AND IT HURT. It was the kind of hurt that reverberated through your entire body.
That was our form of entertainment for a few years, at least. That, and knocking each other in the back of the knees while walking up the stairs.
I swear, they were really great friends!
Man, I don't know how childhood shenanigans evolved from disgusting chewed up food to torturous physical pain, but these were the moments that were the foundation of who I am today.
I'm not sure what that says about me, and I'm actually a little concerned for myself now. So, let's just move on and get on into today's recipe. K? K...
Today, we're leveling up from the elementary kind of “see-food” and working with the real thing. (Thank goodness!) So today, we're making Salmon BLT Tacos with Garden Herb Sauce!
And I just made everyone's mouths stretch wide open as a result of seafood again. But this time, it's totally appropriate!
Let's talk salmon. We're going to keep the salmon super simple by seasoning it with a little salt and pepper then pan frying it in a little olive oil. I like to buy a large salmon filet and portion it out myself. I find it's a little cheaper that way. So, this is a great time to use the less attractive pieces of salmon, because we're just going to shred them up for our tacos anyway.
For the BLT fillings, we're not taking any liberties. We're keeping it super simple with some thinly shredded lettuce (I used romaine, because it's my fav), some thinly sliced roma tomatoes, and some perfectly crisp bacon. I tend to get a little creative with my interpretation of “BLT”, but not for this one folks.
You can't have a taco without a sauce, and the garden herb sauce that gets drizzled on top of these tacos is out of this world. And, I really did use garden herbs straight from my garden that I grew ALL BY MYSELF from just a few seed packets! Basil, chives, dill, and a squeeze of lemon juice get blended together with some mayo, and our sauce is finished. It's herbaceous and tangy and the absolute perfect fresh component help to cut through the rich salmon and bacon.
Throw everything in a perfectly charred taco shell, and get ready for your eyes to roll to the back of your heads in ecstasy. These tacos are rich and creamy and fatty and tangy and colorful and out of this world incredible. And, they're really so easy to put together!
Ok, everyone! I hope you guys were as excited to see this food as I was! ;-)
Enjoy, and let's eat!
Salmon BLT Tacos with Garden Herb Sauce
Serves: 4 Print
Ingredients:
For the Garden Herb Sauce:
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp basil, chopped
1 tbsp chives, chopped
1 tbsp dill, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp pepper
For the Salmon BLT Tacos:
1 lb salmon filet, skin removed and cut into 4 pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups lettuce, thinly shredded
2 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
8 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
8 6-inch flour tortillas
Directions:
Make the Garden Herb Sauce: In a small food processor, add mayo, basil, chives, dill, lemon juice, and ¼ tsp pepper. Process until combined and smooth. Set aside.
Make the Salmon: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large non stick skillet over medium high heat. Pat salmon pieces with a paper towel to remove excess moisture, and season both sides with salt and pepper, to taste. When oil starts to shimmer, add salmon to the pan. Cook for 4-6 minutes per side, until the internal temp of the salmon reaches 145 degrees. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil. Break apart salmon into chunks with a fork.
Assemble the tacos: Divide lettuce, tomato slices, bacon, and salmon between taco shells. Drizzle with Garden Herb Sauce. Serve!
Recipe notes:
*I recommend buying a larger salmon filet instead of pre-portioned salmon so that you can cut it down yourself. It's a little cheaper to do it that way. The salmon pieces don't need to look perfect, because we're just going to break them apart anyway.
*I HIGHLY recommend charring your taco shells on the stovetop before you assemble your tacos. The char adds so much flavor! For a gas stovetop, place the tortillas right on top of the burner for a few seconds on each side. For an electric stovetop, heat a dry non stick skillet over high heat until you see white smoke. Place the tortillas in the skillet, one at a time, for 20-30 seconds per side.
*If you're not serving all of these right away, store the components separately in the fridge, and wait to char the shells and assemble when you're ready to eat.
