Jumpstart your day with these breakfast tacos with Alaska salmon and scrambled eggs! Make them for a weekend brunch to fuel your day, or cook the salmon ahead of time and enjoy easy breakfast tacos all week long.
This post is brought to you in partnership with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.
For a quick high-protein breakfast, these tacos will jump start your day in the most delicious way!
Start by roasting some Alaska salmon in the oven – it only takes about 20 minutes. While it is roasting, warm some tortillas and make a small batch of scrambled eggs.
COOKING WITH ALASKA SALMON
Alaska sockeye salmon has a rich red color and firm texture, and it’s ideal for roasting in the oven. When cooked, it comes apart in lovely chunks, just right for tacos.
This is a true feast of a breakfast with soft pieces of salmon, scrambled eggs, avocados, tomato, cilantro, onion and queso fresco, all packed inside a corn tortilla!
SALMON TACOS ANY DAY OF THE WEEK
These tacos make a good choice for a special weekend brunch when you have the extra time to prep and roast the salmon. You’ll be pleasantly fueled for your weekend hike or bike ride. (Or for lounging around with the newspaper.)
But if you’re looking for an easy weekday breakfast, just roast the salmon the day before and look forward to quick breakfasts for the next few days. The cooked salmon will keep for three to four days refrigerated, according to the FDA.
WARM THE TORTILLAS ON THE STOVETOP
When you’re ready to assemble your tacos, warm the tortillas directly on a gas burner, or in a hot, dry skillet. As it heats, the tortilla forms little air pockets, and the outside develops some pleasant charred bits.
Fold the tortillas in half as soon as you heat them; they’ll bend more easily and therefore are easier to fill a few minutes later. Stack the folded tortillas inside a tea towel to stay warm while you cook the eggs.
LOW HEAT FOR CREAMIER SCRAMBLED EGGS
If you like eggs with soft creamy curds, then try this little trick: Instead of throwing the whisked eggs into a hot pan, set them over low or medium-low heat.
Whisk constantly, moving the eggs in small circles as they cook and taking the pan on and off the heat to slow down the cooking so the eggs cook gently. Your skillet holds quite a bit of heat, even when it is not on the burner, so this method allows the eggs to continue to cook with the residual heat from the pan.
Eggs are delicate and should be treated tenderly! (And by the way, we are only talking about one to two minutes longer than the hot-pan method.)
ASSEMBLE YOUR TACOS
Once you have all your ingredients assembled, it’s time to go to town and fill the tacos. Top with any combination you like of sliced avocado, tomatoes, chopped red onion, cilantro, or queso fresco. Enjoy this tasty kick-start to your day!
RECOMMENDED WINE PAIRING
Wine with your brunch? Why not! Try these breakfast tacos with a glass of Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc.
MORE GREAT ALASKA SEAFOOD RECIPES
Breakfast Tacos with Wild Alaska Salmon, Eggs, and Avocado Recipe
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
The salmon for these tacos can be cooked and served immediately, or cooled, stored, and served another day. Cooked salmon can be served cool, room temperature, or briefly warmed before serving.
This recipe fits within the American Institute for Cancer Research‘s recommendations for a cancer preventative diet.
Ingredients
For the tacos:
- Avocado oil or olive oil, for the baking sheet
- 1 pound center-cut piece wild Alaska salmon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder (optional)
- 8 (5- to 6-inch) corn tortillas
- 1 tablespoon butter or ghee
- 6 large eggs, lightly beaten in a bowl with a pinch of salt
Optional toppings:
- 1 lime, cut into quarters
- 1 medium avocado, pitted, sliced, and scooped
- 1 medium ripe tomato, chopped or sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco
- Jalapeno slices, fresh or from a jar
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and brush with oil.
2 Prepare and bake the salmon: On the baking sheet, place the salmon fillet. Brush all over with the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and chili powder (if using). Top with lemon slices.
Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and opaque.
Remove from the oven and rest for a few minutes. With a large spoon, break the salmon into large chunks, leaving the skin behind.
At this point, the salmon can be served immediately while warm, or you can cool, store, and serve the tacos another day.
3 Meanwhile warm the tortillas: Turn a gas burner to medium-low. When the burner grate is hot, place a tortilla directly on the grate for about 20 seconds, or until it starts to puff slightly. With tongs, turn it over and let it heat for a few more seconds on the other side. A little charring at the edges adds flavor.
Remove and immediately fold each tortilla in half. Tuck them inside a tea a tea towel or cloth napkin to keep them hot.
Alternatively: Set a dry skillet over medium heat and heat until hot. Lay one tortilla at a time on the hot pan and warm, fold, and cover as above.
4 Scramble the eggs: In a skillet over medium low heat, melt the butter or ghee. Add the eggs and whisk in small circles, moving constantly, all around the bottom of the pan. Do not stop stirring. The eggs will begin to thicken fairly quickly and then mysteriously thin out. Don’t panic; they will begin to thicken again.
If you see the eggs at the bottom of the pan begin to cook faster than the rest, move the pan off the heat. Keep stirring in small circles until the cooked eggs in the bottom of the pan are incorporated. Return the pan to the heat. Continue to cook, moving the pan on and off the heat as needed, until the eggs scramble into soft, small curds. (This only takes a minute or two.)
When the eggs are almost fully cooked, but still a little wet, take the pan off the heat and stir just until they are cooked enough for your liking.
5 Assemble the tacos: In each folded tortilla, place a few chunks of salmon and squeeze a few drops of lime juice over them. Add a spoonful of eggs. Top with whatever toppings you like and serve immediately.
