These salmon taco bowls feature everything you love about a fish taco in rice bowl form! Loaded with lots of spicy blackened salmon, hearty rice, a creamy tahini cilantro sauce, and all your favorite toppings.
Possibly my favorite thing to do ever is to break a classic dish down into bowl form and today is fish tacos time to shine.
The end result is a simply GLORIOUS bowl that you will possibly want to live in forever.
These bowls arrived just in time for Cinco de Mayo at the end of this week if you’re looking to shake your menu up a bit! Look, I’ll always stan tacos, but if we’re talking about tacos in easy bowl form I will always choose that.
The best part about these bowls is that you can meal prep nearly EVERY single component ahead of time and I don’t know about you but I really think that makes lunch or dinner taste even better.
These Blackened Salmon Taco Rice Bowls feature…
- Spicy, flavorful blackened salmon with a homemade spice rub
- Fluffy steamed rice, fresh cabbage, avocado, tomato, and black beans
- A creamy tahini cilantro sauce
- Less than an hour to make and a fun alternative to fish tacos
Making the Blackened Salmon Taco Rice Bowls
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Cilantro
- Tahini
- Sour cream
- Lime juice
- Jalapeno
- Paprika
- Cumin
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Chili powder
- Salmon fillets
- Vegetable oil
- Cooked rice
- Shredded cabbage
- Black beans
- Avocado
- Tomatoes
- Cojita cheese
Choosing Your Salmon
You will need about 1 lb of salmon for this recipe. We recommend buying a side of salmon and cutting into 3-4 uniform fillets.
We strongly recommend using skinless salmon for this recipe, but if you’re nervous about removing the skin from the delicate salmon fillets yourself, feel free to leave it on and rub the seasoning directly on skin.
Can I use another meat? Yes, absolutely! The blackened rub for this recipe works well with boneless skinless chicken breasts, steak, or another fish such as cod or mahi-mahi. Be aware that cook time will vary depending on the meat you use.
Tips for Perfect Fish Taco Rice Bowls
- Make homemade blackened seasoning mix – it takes only a minute to throw together with a few common spices and is honestly a game-changer flavoring the salmon.
- Don’t overcook salmon – ideally, you want the salmon to register about 125F-130F on a kitchen thermometer. The salmon will continue cooking a bit once you remove it from the pan, so we found taking it off the heat in this temperature range makes for the best cook.
- Use fresh lime juice in sauce – this adds an unmatchable flavor to the cilantro tahini sauce.
- Use leftover rice – if you’ve got leftover rice on hand, these bowls are the perfect use for it! Just pop it in the microwave for a minute or two to reheat and you’re good to go.
Recipe Variations
Want to put your own twist on these bowls? Try these ideas!
- Try a different grain – steamed brown rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice, couscous, or farro would be fantastic grains to use as the base of your bowls.
- Cut down on the spice – you can use less jalapeno or skip it all together in the cilantro tahini sauce.
- Add more veggies to bowls – try adding sweet pepper, shredded lettuce, cucumber, or whatever other fresh veggie you have on hand!
- Try a different cheese – crumbled feta, goat cheese, or sharp cheddar would be great additions.
Make Ahead Instructions
Follow these instructions for time-saving make ahead options.
- Blackened seasoning mix – this can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature up to 1 month.
- Cilantro tahini sauce – this sauce can be stored in refrigerator up to 6 days.
- Prep bowl components – chop the veggies, cook the rice, and store in refrigerator up to 4 days.
- Assemble bowls – arrange the blackened salmon, rice, and beans alongside each other in meal prep containers and store in refrigerator up to 4 days. When ready to serve, reheat in microwave then top with sauce and recommended toppings.
Seriously, everything you love about a classic fish taco you’ll find in these bowls plus a MASSIVE amount of fresh flavors! The secret is in the blackened salmon and lots of creamy + spicy cilantro tahini sauce drizzled on top.
Bowl goals. You know what to do.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Watch these bowls made step-by-step on Google web stories.
More of our favorite salmon recipes you definitely need to try next!
Blackened Salmon Taco Bowls
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Ingredients
Cilantro Lime Tahini Sauce
- 1 cup firmly-packed cilantro
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Blackened Salmon
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 lb skinless salmon fillets, about 3-4 pieces
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Bowls
- 3 cups hot cooked rice (brown, white, or even quinoa work)
- 2 cups shredded purple or green cabbage
- 1-1/2 cups canned black beans, drained
- 1 medium avocado, pitted and diced into 1/4-in cubes
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced into 1/4-in cubes
- Additional cilantro, cotija cheese, and lime wedges for serving
Instructions
Cilantro Lime Tahini Sauce
- In a blender or food processor, blend all sauce ingredients until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and store in refrigerator until ready to use.
Blackened Salmon
- In a small bowl, combine all spices. Rub spice mixture evenly all over salmon fillets.
- In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat vegetable oil until shimmery. Add salmon to pan and sear 3-4 minutes on each side, flipping once until salmon registers 125-130F.
- Transfer salmon to a cutting board and use a fork to pull salmon into bite-sized pieces.
Bowls
- Divide rice, blackened salmon, cabbage, beans, avocado, and tomato between 4 serving bowls. Top each bowl with a drizzle of sauce and serve with additional cilantro, cotija cheese, and lime wedges squeezed over top. Enjoy!
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