Make these tasty Trout Tacos with Mango Salsa in about 15 minutes! Dinner couldn't be easier or more delicious. This recipe has instructions for cooking the trout in a pan or in an air fryer, and has the tastiest mango salsa!
Use gluten-free tortillas for an easy gluten-free trout dinner idea!
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Trout tacos
I bet you've never had trout tacos before, and I bet you are going to fall in LOVE with these tacos after trying them!! Trout is a great fish to use for tacos because it is flavorful and pairs really well with taco seasoning and a sweet & spicy mango salsa.
To be honest, trout is very similar to salmon, so if you can't find trout you can absolutely use salmon for these tacos following the same instructions! These air fryer salmon bites would also work great in these tacos!
I top these trout tacos with mango salsa and shredded red cabbage to add some crunch and more nutrients. They would also be fantastic with this pineapple pico de gallo on top, or with chopped roasted jalapeños.
In the end, it ends up being a pretty healthy meal, especially if you load up your tortilla with trout, salsa, and cabbage so you can end up eating fewer tortillas and more healthy protein and fresh veggies in your meal.
I love making trout in the air fryer because it always comes out so juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. But you can also pan-fry or even bake the trout for these tacos, if you prefer.
Related recipe: Chili Lime Swai (these are also great for fish tacos!)
Budget-friendly trout dinner
Making trout tacos is a great way to stretch the budget but still get healthy omega-3's from fish because each taco uses just a little bit of trout but is packed with flavor. So if you're looking for trout dinner ideas and you're on a budget, definitely start with this one!
I used 2 of these packs to make 8 overstuffed trout tacos! Definitely much cheaper than dining out and getting fish tacos, and so much fresher and more flavorful!
Related: How to Stretch the Meat Budget
Mango salsa for trout tacos
Trout, like most seafood, pairs really well with a fruity flavor and a hint of sweetness. That's why I made a salsa from mango, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, and onion to put on the trout tacos. I season the salsa with a little sea salt, lime juice, ground cumin, and a little bit of finely diced spicy pepper. The combination of sweet juicy mango, crunchy cucumbers, smoky cumin, and lime juice is so good.
If you're skeptical about fruit on fish, I really hope you give it a try!! Not only is this mango salsa so delicious, but it's practically a salad!! It's all healthy ingredients.
And if you're looking for more fruity salsas to try, try this black bean pineapple salsa that I put on my ground pork tacos!
Related recipe: Blackened Salmon with Mango Black Bean Relish
Ingredients
For the trout:
- 1.5 lb of trout fillet (mine was 2 pieces, try to get the thin fillets so they cook faster and more evenly)
- 1 tablespoon taco or fajita seasoning (see below for making your own mix)
- ½ tablespoon olive oil (optional for air frying)
For the mango salsa:
- 1 cup diced mango (from 1 mango)
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- ½ cup diced cucumber (from 1 Israeli cucumber or ½ small cucumber)
- ½ Hass avocado, diced
- ½ small yellow onion, finely diced
- ½ - 1 jalapeño, seeds and pith removed and finely minced (optional, omit for no spice)
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves, diced
- ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon sea salt, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ - 1 tablespoon lime juice, to taste
For the tacos:
- 6 taco size tortillas, toasted right before serving (flour tortillas or corn tortillas work fine!)
- 1 cup shredded or finely sliced purple cabbage
- Optional: sour cream
- Lime wedges
- Cilantro leaves for garnish
Related recipe: Sous Vide Chicken Tacos
Make your own taco seasoning
Combine equal parts (1 teaspoon each) onion powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, dried oregano, smoked paprika, chili powder, and sea salt. Mix together and add ground cayenne pepper to taste for a spicy taco seasoning.
Instructions
This recipe is super simple! Pop the seasoned trout in the air fryer (or put it in a pan), then prepare the salsa (step 4) while the trout is cooking.
Step 1: Sprinkle the top of the trout with taco seasoning. Leave the skin on if the skin the trout has skin. It will come off easily after the trout is cooked.
Step 2: Air fryer instructions: Preheat the air fryer to 400F. Place the seasoned trout skin side down in the air fryer tray. If you want, brush or spray with oil, but it's not necessary. Air fry the trout for 8-10 minutes, or until fully cooked.
Pan-frying instructions: Preheat a large nonstick pan. Add ½ tablespoon olive oil, then add the trout skin side down. Cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until the trout is fully cooked and flakes easily with a fork.
Step 3: Use a fork to roughly "chop" the trout into long pieces about 1 inch wide. The trout should come right off the skin easily. You can use the skin to make crispy trout "bacon," like I do with salmon skin.
Step 4: Prepare the mango salsa while the trout is cooking: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Start with ⅛ teaspoon salt and ½ tablespoon lime juice, mix together, then add more if needed.
Step 5: Toast or microwave the tortillas until just warmed. Keep the tortillas covered under a clean towel or by covering with a lid or container.
Step 6: Assemble the tacos: Add 2-3 trout pieces to each tortilla, enough to cover the length of the taco. Top with a few tablespoons of the mango salsa and a few pieces of finely shredded cabbage. Garnish with cilantro leaves, add a dollop of sour cream, or squeeze some lime juice on top. Eat immediately, then assemble your next trout taco to enjoy!
Related recipe: Pan Fried Salmon with Apricot Relish
Make ahead tacos
This trout dinner only takes 15 minutes to make from scratch, but if you want to prepare everything ahead of time, just cook the trout and refrigerate the trout and mango salsa separately until ready to eat, or for up to 24 hours.
When it's time to eat, microwave the trout, warm up your tortillas, and assemble your tacos!!
Related recipe: Crab Cakes with Mango Relish
More trout taco topping ideas
If you're not sold on the mango salsa, or want to try something a little different, try any of these toppings on your tacos:
- Roasted tomatillo salsa
- Blender tomato salsa
- Cabbage salsa
- Pico de gallo
- Coleslaw (yes, good old coleslaw!)
- Diced raw onion and cilantro
- Hot sauce
- Drizzle of sour cream
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Trout Tacos with Mango Salsa
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb trout fillet pieces - (mine was 2 pieces, try to get the thin fillets so they cook faster and more evenly)
- 1 tablespoon taco or fajita seasoning - (see notes for making your own mix)
- ½ tablespoon olive oil - (optional for air frying)
- 1 cup diced mango - (from 1 mango)
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- ½ cup diced cucumber - (from 1 Israeli cucumber or ½ small cucumber)
- ½ Hass avocado - diced
- ½ small yellow onion - finely diced
- ½ - 1 jalapeño pepper - seeds and pith removed and finely minced (optional, omit for no spice)
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves - diced
- ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon sea salt - to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ - 1 tablespoon lime juice - to taste
- 6 taco tortillas - toasted right before serving
- 1 cup shredded or finely sliced purple cabbage
- Optional: sour cream
- Lime wedges
- Cilantro leaves for garnish
Special equipment
- Large non-stick skillet
Instructions
- Sprinkle the top of the trout with taco seasoning. Leave the skin on if the skin the trout has skin. It will come off easily after the trout is cooked.
- Air fryer instructions: Preheat the air fryer to 400F. Place the seasoned trout skin side down in the air fryer tray. If you want, brush or spray with oil, but it's not necessary. Air fry the trout for 8-10 minutes, or until fully cooked.
- Pan-frying instructions: Preheat a large nonstick pan. Add ½ tablespoon olive oil, then add the trout skin side down. Cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until the trout is fully cooked and flakes easily with a fork.
- Use a fork to roughly "chop" the trout into long pieces about 1 inch wide. The trout should come right off the skin easily. Y
- Combine all the salsa ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Start with ⅛ teaspoon salt and ½ tablespoon lime juice, mix together, then add more if needed.
- Toast or microwave the tortillas until just warmed. Keep the tortillas covered under a clean towel or by covering with a lid or container.
- Assemble the tacos: Add 2-3 trout pieces to each tortilla, enough to cover the length of the taco. Top with a few tablespoons of the mango salsa and a few pieces of finely shredded cabbage. Garnish with cilantro leaves, add a dollop of sour cream, or squeeze some lime juice on top. Eat immediately, then assemble your next trout taco to enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.