Salmon Sushi Tacos with Pickled Veggies

by Sonja | Apr 20, 2024 | Dinner, Mains, Protein, Recipes

Salmon Sushi Tacos with Pickled Veggies are perfect when you want both: Sushi and Tacos and just can’t decide which one. You get a deliciously crunchy shell made from Nori sheets fried in tempura batter and can fill it with anything you desire. I went for Sushi rice, marinated fresh salmon, lots of quick pickled vegetables and a creamy Sweet Chili mayo that comes together in minutes.
Surprise your friends or family with this one, it’ll sure be a hit!

Why You Will Love This

Customizable

Fill these light and crispy shells with anything your sushi loving heart desires. Sushi rice or any other grain, seasoned with sushi seasoning (essentially rice vinegar with salt and sugar), any sort of raw or marinated seafood or even watermelon tuna.

You can use the same combinations I had in my Sushi Poke bowls 4 ways or make up your own. A great option for those not keen on raw fish would be to use surimi sticks, avocado and cucumber, for some California roll style Sushi Tacos.

Impressive

Did you know Sushi Tacos are a thing? I sure didn’t when the thought of wanting some popped into my head. But…if you can think of it, someone has made it. Low and behold, there are even food trucks offering it already. Not in Ireland mind you. We just got to the stage of having Sushi restaurant. So obviously I had to make these myself.

While the process is fairly easy and much less hassle than making rolls, the look of them will certainly impress your loved ones at any gathering. Or just on a rather unusual Taco Tuesday.

Healthy

Despite the fried shell, Sushi Tacos make a fairly balanced meal if you include enough vegetables. I did so in form my Quick Pickled Vegetables, but you could just use fresh ones if you prefer.

The rice gets you carbs and the salmon is a fantastic source of protein and healthy fats plus omega 3.

The Ingredients

Quick Pickled Vegetables – Try my Quick Pickled Vegetables for filling the tacos. You’ll be amazed at how fast it is and the millions things you can do once you have a few jars of freshly pickled veggies in your fridge.
For this particular recipe I used cucumbers, carrots, and red cabbage which I had pickled the day before.

Salmon – I’m using very fresh, raw salmon filets here, that gets marinated briefly in soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil and ginger. The lime juice “cooks” it ever so slightly but keeps it very tender and juicy.
Alternatively you could use smoked salmon, fresh tuna, watermelon tuna or prawns.

Sushi rice – You’ll need sticky rice for the tacos to be reasonably easy to eat.

Nori Sheets – The dried seaweed sheets usually used for rolling sushi make the base for the taco shell. Briefly dipped on one side into tempura batter, then fried, they can easily be shaped into surprisingly shells, perfect to hold the fillings.

Tempura batter – A very quick and light tempura batter transforms the nori sheets into crunchy taco shells, keeping the classic sushi flavours, but adding and addictively crunchy element to this dish.

Sauce – While you can use an easy Sriracha mayo if you prefer, I opted for a sort of Asian vinaigrette that doubles as marinade for the salmon. Mixing rice vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil with some ginger and garlic gives you a super flavourful dressing to drizzle over the filling.

Toppings – You can go wild here and top the Sushi Tacos with anything you love on Sushi (or Tacos for that matter). I used avocado, sliced spring onions, pickled ginger and sesame.

The Process

Vegetables

If you are opting for using quick pickled vegetables, follow this recipe. A few hours in the fridge is enough to use them, but they are best when you give them at least a day to develop their flavour. They keep happily for at least a week in the fridge, so you can make more than you need for the Sushi Tacos and use them in other dishes or just as snack.

If you prefer fresh vegetables, slice and julienne them and store them in lidded containers in the fridge until ready to serve.

Salmon

For the marinated salmon, wash and pat dry your salmon. If it still has the skin attached, carefully run a sharp knife between the flesh and skin, to remove it.
Check for bones and remove any you might find. This works best with tweezers.

Chop the filets into about ½ -1 inch cubes, depending on your preference. Transfer to a lidded container.

Mix all ingredients for the marinade and pour half of it over your salmon cubes. Keep the rest for drizzling over the Tacos later. Cover the container with the marinated salmon cubes and sto9re in the fridge until ready to serve. I like to leave it for at least 1h, so the favours have a chance to marry and develop.
Since this recipe uses mostly raw fish, which is just very slightly “cooked” by the acids in the dressing, it’s best eaten on the same day.

Sushi Rice

To prepare the sushi rice for filling the tacos, rinse the rice under cold running water. Transfer to a saucepan. Add the water and salt, then bring to a boil. Stir, cover, lower the heat to the minimum, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the water is fully absorbed. Remove from the heat and let rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
Stir in sushi seasoning until well distributed. The rice is best at room temperature or just slightly warm, so you can prepare it ahead of time.

Optional Toppings

If you’d like to make the optional Sriracha Mayo, mix all ingredients together and keep it in the fridge until ready to serve.

For different dressing ideas, check my Poke Sushi Bowls 4 ways. https://forthepleasureofeating.com/poke-sushi-bowls-4-ways/

Nori Taco Shells

To prepare the Taco shells cut your nori sheets into rounds using kitchen scissors and just trimming off the edges, so you have the largest possible taco shell later.

For the tempura batter, gently fold the egg whites, flour, ice cold water and salt in a bowl. Do not overmix, to not develop the gluten in the flour, which would make the batter tough.

Fill a cast iron pan or large pot about 1in (2cm) with vegetable or sunflower oil for frying. Heat to 350°F/175°C.

While your oil is heating up, get a wooden cooking spoon or, as I did, a rolling pin and 2 about equally high containers with a pour spouts, to rest the cooking spoon/rolling pin on. Line a large plate with some kitchen towel and place between the 2 containers. Rest the wooden spoon on the spouts above the plate.
This will help you shape the fried nori sheets into taco shells.

Pre-heat your oven to 50°F/100°C and place the rack in the middle. If you have a large sheet pan for your oven, line it with baking parchment and place it 2 rows below the rack.
This will keep the fried taco shells warm and in shape while you fry the rest.

Once your oil is hot, dip one side of a nori sheet into the tempura batter, then place it with the batter side down gently in the hot oil. Fry for 1-2 minutes, then flip and fry the other side for about 30 seconds until crispy, but not brittle.

Using chopsticks or tongues, carefully fish the now crispy Sushi Taco shell out of the hot oil. Drape over the wooden spoon with the tempura batter to the outside and carefully shape into a shell shape. Leave for a minute or so, while you dip the next nori sheet and glide it into the hot oil.

While the next one is frying, take the now firming up taco shell and hang it over the bars of your oven rack to keep warm and crisp up. Any excessive oil will drip onto the baking parchment below, which makes cleaning up later very easy.

Continue until all your shells are fried.

Serve

When you are ready to serve, assemble your Salmon Sushi Tacos with Pickled Veggies by adding about 1 handful of rice to each taco shell, top with some quick pickled veggies, salmon cubes, a bit of dressing and any additional toppings you like.

Or put all the ingredients on the table and let everyone build their own Tacos.

Enjoy your Salmon Sushi Tacos with Pickled Veggies. Messy eating encouraged.

If you enjoyed this, you might also like:

Vegan Satay Noodles

Asian Bowl with Cauliflower and Tofu

Vegan Tom Kha Soup

Pork Banh Mi

Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please rate, share and/or comment. It helps me a lot!

Salmon Sushi Tacos with Pickled Veggies

Salmon Sushi Tacos with Pickled Veggies are perfect when you want both: Sushi and Tacos and just can’t decide which one. You get a deliciously crunchy shell made from Nori sheets fried in tempura batter and can fill it with anything you desire. I went for Sushi rice, marinated fresh salmon, lots of quick pickled vegetables and a creamy Sweet Chili mayo that comes together in minutes. Surprise your friends or family with this one, it’ll sure be a hit!

5 from 22 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Marinating 1 hour hr

Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Fusion

Servings 4

Calories 940 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Nori Tempura Taco shells:

• 8 sheets nori seaweed
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ cup ice cold water
• ½ tsp salt

Filling:

• Mixed Quick Pickled Veggies of your choice https://forthepleasureofeating.com/quick-pickled-vegetables/

I used

• 2 carrots
• ¼ head red cabbage this makes more than you will need for the tacos and is perfect for salads and snacks
• ½ cucumber
• Alternatively use the same vegetables fresh and thinly sliced/julienned
• 3 cups salmon filet very fresh, chopped into ½- 1in cubes

Marinade/Dressing

• 6 tbsp rice vinegar
• 4 tbsp lime juice
• 6 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp peanut oil
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp sweet chili sauce or more to taste
• 2 tsp ginger minced
• 2 cloves garlic minced

Sushi Rice:

• 1 cup sushi rice
• 3 tbsp sushi seasoning or a mix of 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 3 tsp sugar and salt to taste

Optional toppings

• 2 avocados
• 3 spring onions thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds I used black and white

Optional Sriracha Mayo:

• 3 tbsp Mayo
• 3 tbsp 0% fat Greek yoghurt
• 1 tsp Sriracha
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp Honey

Instructions

 

• If using quick pickled vegetables, prepare them according to the linked recipe. If using fresh vegetables, slice/julienne them thinly and store them in the fridge until ready to serve.
• For the marinated salmon, chop the salmon filets into ½-1 inch cubes and remove any bones. Place the cubes in a lidded container.
• In a bowl, mix together rice vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, peanut oil, sesame oil, sugar, sweet chili sauce, ginger, and garlic. Pour half of the marinade over the salmon cubes, reserving the rest for later. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
• Rinse the sushi rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Cook the rice according to package instructions. Once cooked, let it cool slightly and then mix in the sushi seasoning until well combined.
• If making the optional Sriracha Mayo, mix together mayo, Greek yogurt, Sriracha, lime juice, and honey. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Cut the nori sheets into rounds using kitchen scissors, trimming off the edges to create taco shells.
• Prepare the tempura batter by gently folding together egg whites, flour, ice-cold water, and salt in a bowl. Be careful not to overmix.
• Heat vegetable or sunflower oil in a cast iron pan or large pot to 350°F/175°C.
• Dip one side of a nori sheet into the tempura batter and place it, batter side down, into the hot oil. Fry for 1-2 minutes, then flip and fry the other side for about 30 seconds until crispy. Remove and shape into a taco shell using a wooden spoon.
• Keep the taco shells warm in the oven while frying the remaining shells.
• To assemble, fill each taco shell with a handful of sushi rice, quick pickled veggies, marinated salmon cubes, and any desired toppings. Drizzle with the reserved marinade or Sriracha Mayo.
• Serve immediately and enjoy your Salmon Sushi Tacos with Pickled Veggies!

Notes

While you could heat up the tempura shells in the oven the next day, these are best eaten on the day you fry them, to have the super fresh and crispy tempura experience.

If you have filling leftovers, make a Poke Sushi Bowl with them.

Nutrition

Calories: 940kcalCarbohydrates: 98gProtein: 37gFat: 46gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 15gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 2060mgPotassium: 1523mgFiber: 12gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 6274IUVitamin C: 54mgCalcium: 137mgIron: 6mg

Nutrition Facts

Salmon Sushi Tacos with Pickled Veggies

Amount per Serving

Calories

940

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

46

g

71

%

Saturated Fat

 

7

g

44

%

Trans Fat

 

0.02

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

15

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

21

g

Cholesterol

 

61

mg

20

%

Sodium

 

2060

mg

90

%

Potassium

 

1523

mg

44

%

Carbohydrates

 

98

g

33

%

Fiber

 

12

g

50

%

Sugar

 

20

g

22

%

Protein

 

37

g

74

%

Vitamin A

 

6274

IU

125

%

Vitamin C

 

54

mg

65

%

Calcium

 

137

mg

14

%

Iron

 

6

mg

33

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword For Guests, Healthy, High Fibre, High Protein, vegetables, versatile

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