I seriously can’t believe I never thought of this mini taco hack before! Cutting regular tortillas into tiny circles and baking them upside down on a muffin pan is SO simple, but the result is amazing. The shells came out perfectly crispy and crunchy, and now I want to turn everything into mini tacos.

I filled these with a creamy, spicy salmon tartare mixture, avocado, green onions, and sesame seeds, and they were SO good. You get that super crunchy shell with the creamy salmon and avocado in every bite.

Just make sure you have a muffin pan and a cookie cutter and you are all set to make these mini tacos!

They’re cute, easy to grab, and honestly such a fun appetizer for a party.

Simple salmon tacos recipe — simple salmon tacos recipe

Why Salmon Works so Well in These Mini Tacos

Salmon isn’t the obvious fish for tacos because it’s richer and stronger than the white fish normally used – like cod or mahi mahi. But I think that’s exactly why it works so well in these mini tacos. You only need a small spoonful of the salmon tartare, and the super crispy shell balances out the creamy, rich filling. I wouldn’t pile on too many extra toppings either. The salmon, avocado, and spicy mayo already give you plenty of flavor.

Here is what you’ll need to make these simple salmon tacos:

Ingredients

Servings: 12 · Prep: 15 · Cook: 15

Mini Taco Shells

4 small corn tortillas (corn tortillas will give you the crispiest shells, but flour tortillas can work too)
Olive oil spray
2 pinches salt

Salmon Filling

4 oz (120g) sashimi-grade salmon, diced small
1 tablespoon green onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Kewpie mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons sriracha
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon black sesame seeds
1/8 teaspoon salt

For Assembling the Tacos

1/4 avocado, diced small
1/4 teaspoon black sesame seeds
2-3 fresh lime wedges for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), or 320°F (160°C) fan-forced. Cut the corn tortillas into small 2 1/2-inch circles. Microwave them for about 30 seconds to soften.
Spray one side of each tortilla circle with olive oil and lightly season with salt. Turn a muffin pan upside down and gently shape the tortilla circles between the muffin cups to form mini taco shells. Spray the tops lightly with olive oil.

Bake the mini tacos for 13 minutes — bake the mini tacos for 13 minutes

3. Bake for 12–13 minutes, until golden and crispy. Let the taco shells cool completely in the pan so they hold their shape.

4. Add the diced salmon, green onion, Kewpie mayo, sriracha, sesame oil, black sesame seeds, and salt to a bowl. Gently mix until the salmon is evenly coated. Keep refrigerated until you’re ready to assemble the tacos.

Salmon tartare salad — salmon tartare salad

5. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the salmon mixture into each crispy taco shell.

6. Top each taco with a few pieces of diced avocado and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds. Serve right away while the shells are still crispy.

Simple salmon tacos appetizer — mini salmon tacos recipe

How to Serve and Make These Mini Salmon Tacos Ahead

These tacos are definitely best served right after you fill them, that super crispy shell with the cold, creamy salmon is what makes them so good.

I like serving them as a party appetizer with fresh lime wedges on the side, and they’d be really good alongside edamame, cucumber salad, seaweed salad, or a simple Asian slaw. If you want to turn them into more of a meal, serve them with sushi rice or a fresh mango salad.

If I’m making them for a party, I like to prep everything separately ahead of time.

Make the taco shells up to a day ahead and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature, then make the salmon mixture earlier the same day and keep it covered in the fridge. Dice the avocado closer to serving so it stays fresh and green.

When everyone is ready to eat, just fill the shells, add the avocado and sesame seeds, and serve them right away. I wouldn’t assemble them ahead of time because the salmon mixture will eventually soften those crispy shells.

How to serve these mini salmon tacos — serve your mini salmon tacos with fresh lime wedges

Substitutions and Variations

You can easily change these up depending on what you have. Regular mayonnaise works instead of Kewpie, although I really like the slightly sweeter, richer flavor of Kewpie here. If you don’t have sriracha, use your favorite chili sauce and adjust the amount depending on how spicy you want them.

You can also swap the avocado for finely diced cucumber if you want something a little lighter and crunchier. And if you don’t want to use raw salmon, I’d skip trying to recreate the tartare and use small pieces of cooked or seared salmon instead, it’ll be a different taco, but still really good. I would keep the corn tortillas, though, because they get especially crispy and work really well with the creamy filling.

MORE RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE:

No-Bake Apple Pie Cheesecake Cups Recipe

Easy Mini Baked Chicken Tacos Appetizer

Salmon Crostini with Tomatoes and Balsamic

Final Thoughts

This simple salmon tacos recipe is such a fun little appetizer, and I’m still obsessed with how easy that muffin pan taco hack is. The shells come out super crispy and crunchy, and they’re so good with the creamy spicy salmon, avocado, and sesame seeds. They look impressive enough for a party, but once you know the trick, they’re actually really easy to make.

Print Recipe