Here is a big Salmon Fajita spread that looks like you worked way harder than you actually did. 😎 Fajita seasoned salmon, vegetables and warmed tortillas all happen in the oven at the same time in 12 minutes flat. Dinner! Done!
12 Minute Baked Salmon Fajita Spread
This is a quick Mexican dinner inspired by the Baked Cajun Salmon Bites I shared last year that I’ve seen quite a few of you become quite fond of. 🙂 And what’s not to love? Quick to cook (12 minutes!). Excellent seasoning-to-flesh ratio (cutting into cubes is key). No stove splatter. And no need to turn a gazillion cubes of salmon midway through cooking thanks to my mum’s nifty wrinkled foil fish-baking trick that keeps the underside from going soggy while helping the salmon caramelise beautifully!
Today, I’m taking that same salmon baking method, switching the seasoning to a Fajita mix, adding a pile of colourful fajita vegetables, then popping them both in the oven at the same time. I throw foil packets with tortillas in at the same time to warm through too.
The oven is full which means a big spread comes out! How great is it that??!
Ingredients in Salmon Fajita Spread
Here’s what you need to make this Salmon Fajita spread.
1. For the fajita seasoned salmon
I make this with salmon (the natural oiliness makes it so great for baking) but you can use any pretty much any firm white fish fillets at least 2cm/0.8″ thick. Flathead, barramundi, snapper, cod, mahi mahi, tilapia, and halibut come to mind. Or trout!
Salmon – I prefer using skinless salmon fillets here, but if you like salmon skin even when it’s not cooked crispy or charred, go ahead and use skin on!
Fajita seasoning – Pantry spices! Smoked paprika, garlic, onion, cumin and dried oregano. I like using smoked paprika for the lovely smokey flavour, but feel free to substitute with regular paprika.
1 teaspoon brown sugar – As mentioned above, just a smidge of sugar helps to get some lovely tasty caramelisation on the surface of the salmon. It doesn’t make this salmon sweet though! Not at all. 🙂
Cayenne pepper for a hint of spiciness. Entirely optional.
2. fajita vegetables and tortillas
The tortillas get wrapped in foil and warmed in the oven while the vegetables and salmon are cooking. I just pop them on the floor of the oven because there’s no space on the shelves!
Capsicum (bell peppers) – Go for red, green and yellow for a kaleidoscope of fajita colours! Otherwise, stick with red and/or yellow, I think all-green would be a little too bitter (green capsicums are simply unripe capsicums, after all).
Red onion – A fajita staple that softens and sweetens as it cooks, and adds another pop of colour into the fajita vegetables.
Tortillas – Corn or flour tortillas will work here. Use 3 or 4 per serving, depending on size.
Avocado – Creamy avocado is a classic fajita add-in that adds a lovely cooling contrast to the boldly flavoured salmon.
3. Sauce options
Just use sour cream for a no-effort option that is popular with fajitas – it’s what I use for my chicken and steak fajitas). Though if you can, I highly recommend sparkling new Jalapeno Taco Sauce (zingy! tangy! fast!) or my most used sauce for tacos! This is what’s pictured throughout this post and in the video.
Then there is always this 2 ingredient Pink Taco Sauce. I use this pink sauce a lot, including in my marinated Fish Tacos, because it’s everything I want in a taco sauce – creamy, cooling, with a bit of zippiness – and it takes 90 seconds to make. 😊
How to make 12 Minute Salmon Fajitas
As mentioned earlier, a neat trick in today’s recipe is to line the salmon roasting tray with wrinkled foil. Not the first time I’ve shared it and won’t be the last!
Wrinkled foil – Lightly scrunch the foil in your hands, then unfold it without smoothing out the wrinkles and use it to cover the tray. You want lots of little crinkles, ridges and bumps all over the surface, these act like tiny “prongs” that keep the salmon slightly elevated off the tray. This stops the underside from going soggy (which makes the seasoning sweat off) and also helps prevents the salmon from sticking. A nifty little Japanese fish cooking trick I picked up from my mother!
Fold the foil over the edge of a second tray to hold it in place, then repeat with another sheet if needed until the whole tray is covered in wrinkly crinkly foil.
Vegetables first – Toss the capsicum and onion with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper on a large tray. Spread them out and set aside.
Cut the salmon into bite size pieces – 2.5cm / 1″ is a good size that will cook through just perfectly inside by the time it’s been in the oven long enough to caramelise the surface slightly. Cutting salmon into cubes also means a higher ratio of tasty seasoned surface area to flesh.
Fajita seasoning – Mix the Fajita seasoning ingredients in a bowl. It should be like a wet paste.
Coat salmon – Add the salmon into the bowl and toss to coat in the seasoning.
Spread the salmon across the tray. The more space between each piece, the better they will colour!
Bake 12 minutes – Place the salmon (top shelf), vegetables (2nd shelf) and foil wrapped tortillas (floor of oven) in a hot 240°C/465°F (220°C fan-forced) oven and bake for 12 minutes, or until the salmon pieces are lightly caramelised on the outside and easily flake.
Fajita spread – Lay out the salmon, vegetables and warmed tortillas out with slices of avocado on the side, some roughly chopped coriander/cilantro leaves and a quick fish taco sauce you made while the salmon was in the oven (Jalapeño Taco Sauce – pictured, my most-used 2 ingredient Pink Taco Sauce or plain sour cream). Then let everybody dive in and make their own fajitas!
I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the bold flavour you get on the salmon with such a short bake time. Baked fish can sometimes cop a bad rap for tasting a bit bland because you miss out on golden crust and caramelisation from pan frying. And I get it. If I bake, it’s either crumbed or sauced or smothered or heavily seasoned. Today’s salmon is heavy handed with the Fajita spice mix and uses fierce oven heat to get lovey colour and flavour. It really works, and even though I have talked up the handiness of baking an entire dinner in the oven, the salmon really is the star of today’s recipe. 🙂
Love to know what you think if you get a chance to try this! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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12 Minute Baked Salmon Fajitas
Ingredients
- 600g / 1.2lb skinless salmon fillets , cut into 2.5cm/1" cubes (Note 1)
Fajita seasoning:
- 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
- 1 tsp EACH garlic, onion, cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve for cooking salt, double for flakes)
- 1 tsp (tightly packed) brown sugar (helps the salmon brown!)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional), for small spiciness
Fajita Vegetables:
- 3 capsicums (1 each red, yellow, green) , deseeded, cut into 0.75cm / 1/3" strips
- 1 red onion , cut into 0.75cm / 1/3"wedges
- 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove , minced using garlic press or knife
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
CHOOSE a fajita sauce:
- Creamy Jalapeno Sauce
- Pink Taco Sauce (2 ingredients!)
- Sour cream
Serving:
- 12 – 16 taco-size tortillas , corn or flour (3 to 4 per person, depending on size), wrapped in foil (make 2 parcels)
- 1 avocado , sliced
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander (cilantro), optional but recommended
- Lime wedges , optional
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE
- Toss Vegetable ingredients on a tray. Toss salmon with Fajita Seasoning, spread on separate tray lined with wrinkled foil. Bake 12 minutes at 240°C/465°F (220°C fan) along with foil wrapped tortillas. Make sauce. Serve!
FULL RECIPE
- Preheat oven to 240°C/465°F (220°C fan-forced).
- Crinkled foil trick for baking fish – Lightly scrunch up foil, then gently unfold it so it stays wrinkled. Lots of little pointing bits = good! The wrinkles lift the fish slightly, preventing sticking and soggy undersides – clever Japanese fish-cooking trick (thanks mum!). Place on one side of the tray and fold the edges over the rim to secure. Repeat with another sheet to cover the whole tray.
- Fajita flavour fish – Mix the Fajita seasoning ingredients in a bowl, it should be like a thin paste. Add fish and toss to coat. Spread out on the foil so the salmon is not touching each other.
- Toss veg – On a separate large tray, toss capsicum and onion with the oil, garlic and salt. Spread it out in a single layer.
- Wrap stack of tortillas in foil (make 2 parcels).
- Bake everything – Put the salmon on the top shelf, vegetables on the middle shelf and tortillas into the oven (I put them on the floor of the oven but don’t do this if your heat element is there, mine comes from the back). Bake 12 minutes, or until the salmon flakes (don't turn or toss).
- Sauce – Meanwhile, put the sauce ingredients in a small jug and blitz with stick blender until smooth.
SERVING
- Lay everything out – Transfer the salmon and vegetable onto a serving platter, pour all tray juices over. Place warmed tortillas, sauce, avocado, lime wedges and coriander on the side.
- Making a fajita – Take a warm tortilla. Stuff with a little vegetables, place 2 pieces of salmon on then flake into large chucks. Tuck in avocado, drizzle with sauce, lime juice, sprinkle with coriander, devour!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Remembering Dozer
** A very special thank you message for the first Dozer art **
This is a special thank you to Cindy from Pawtrait Pups for a watercolour she did of Dozer. I previously did a special thank you to readers who made beautiful portraits to honour the memory of Dozer (see here ❤️) but Cindy was inadvertently omitted.
She was actually the very first artist who reached out just days after I said goodby to Dozer. She emailed saying she had done a picture and asked if I’d like it. I wasn’t thinking straight in those early days and her email was missed, so I’m thankful that she reached out again recently.
As with the other Dozer art, I’m going to frame this and put it up at home. Thank you Cindy. I love it so much, there’s something about this that captures Dozer’s spirit so perfectly! ❤️
Dearest Dozer,
I am enjoying keeping memories of you alive in this Remembering Dozer section, having an excuse to scour through 14 years of photos and sharing some of my favourite moments, some funny, some I just love because it was every day life with you. The photo below is one such example, remember how we’d walk along that small sandy stretch along the river nearby? Nothing remarkable, just everyday life with you. But I would give anything to step back in time for just a minute.
I still miss you every single day. I feel like it’s taking me longer than it probably should to get back to my normal happy self, but I’m not going to put a timer on it and I’m not going to apologise for still being sad over losing you. Work, life, RTM, everything is just less joyful without you here, you were such a huge part of it all.
I hope you’re up in the Big Sky Kitchen being generously paid in salmon for your quality control services. You really were so fast at your job, it was truly amazing how a piece of fish could hit the floor and vanish before I’d even registered what had happened. 😆❤️
I love you so very much. Love, your mum xx
I always come to your site when I’m looking for something new to do with salmon and you never disappoint. This receipe was SENSATIONAL. My daughter said it was the best thing she had eaten all year *****
Loved this simple recipe, came out really good
So glad you enjoyed it Anita! 🙂 – N x
N, you do not have to ever apologize, ask permission, or answer to Anyone for how you feel about Dozer. You did Not “lose” Dozer! If I came to your house and took off my coat, I do not cease to exist nor is my ability to be present impeded in the slightest. Humans can be a little…slow…to grasp that we live in worlds within worlds. Doesn’t alter it one iota; just causes unnecessary suffering. Go to a dark place in Australia and watch the sky til you see the Milky Way’s spiral arm, thrown casually over our world. It’s always “there,” but are WE aware? In a movie, the protagonist comments that we have been put into a mind-prison of sorts, so we forget just how profound and magnificent existence actually is. It works! Most are oblivious on the daily. Yet, we DO live (and love) in a world of unrecognized wonders. We just need to tune out what we “think” we know and allow Truth to fill us without censorship or mental flinching. We must “make the Journey” to the fountain of wonders, and then things will begin to be revealed when we Stop imposing our indoctrinated limitations on it. Then we begin to see clearly how limited those beliefs and understandings were…and the magic of the limitless begins to become our new normal. You say you would “give anything”…but, would you? Would you give up false notions and rigid beliefs to have what you wanted, no matter what anybody else thinks about it? We are not here “not” to go higher. We were not created to be limited beings suffering in mind-keeps of error. Who told you that you can’t have what you want? You can choose suffering…or having. But most won’t tell you that. More later…prob via your biz mail/private.
(Made Carnitas til 5:am. SO good. Lived in the food-mecca of San Diego during college. A foodie wonderland. Wish I had the apples to make JB’s mom’s Apple Cake tonight, but I’m 3 baked recipes deep in the overnight hours already! Still, I may need to go to the market!! It looks so good.)
Just had this for our dinner and it was a 12/10, We made the creamy jalapeño sauce to go with it which added a nice bit of heat. Highly recommend this to anyone to make, quick and handy for a midweek meal
Will frozen salmon portions work OK with this? Wasn’t sure whether to thaw them first or cook them a little longer. Thanks!
Thaw fully first and pat them dry well 🙂 Frozen tend to leech a lot of water when they thaw which will affect how well than caramelise on the edges. I’ll pop this tip in the recipe card! – N x
Made this tonight, it has been declared a keeper. The seasoning on the salmon was perfect.
cg
Made this last night, so good, quick and easy recipe! Great Saturday night family meal!
Perfect salmon dish. The salmon, capsicums, avocado and pink taco sauce together were delicious.
Made this dish the other night and it was delicious! Thanks Nagi for another great recipe.!
I think this is your best ever recipe. I did cook the vegetables a little longer, about 5 minutes more on the top shelf though
Oh wow what a compliment!! 🙂 glad you enjoyed this so much Meredith – N x
Thankyou! This is the first recipe I have made of yours and it was delicious. As most people find themselves doing at some point or another in a recipe, I went rogue on the jalepeno sauce as I didnt have any sour cream or mayo. Greek yoghurt sub it was! Still turned out very tasty on the fajitas.
I’ll have to warm my tortillas on a rack next time, however. Putting them on the oven floor turned the bottom one into a fully black burnt crisp (I wondered why I smelled burning! 😅 ). My oven must roll a bit differently … or i should go back and see if i read the instructions wrong 😊😇
5⭐️
I’m so glad you enjoyed this! I’m sorry your bottom tortilla burnt, your element isn’t in the floor of the oven is it?? I should add a precaution about this 🙂 – N x
It must be?, although its not visible 🤷♀️ Its a brand new fancy 900mm Electrolux, so im still learning it. Was a good lesson 🤭
Nagi, I’m making this tonight cause I need something fast and my family loves tacos! Thanks for making the chore of daily dinners so much easier!
As it relates to Dozer, I lost my soulmate dog 6 1/2 years ago and still can’t look at her pics without crying. Sometimes you just get a dog like that. Keep remembering Dozer! We (your fans) love it AND it will definitely help in your healing process. What a sweet boy he was ❤️!!!! How blessed you both were to have found each other!
Thank you for the lovely message Tracey, it’s nice to hear I’m not alone 🙂 – N xx
This was great! We were fasting and it was such a low effort, speedy supper. Delicious, well balanced and looks pretty too. Thanks Nagi
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this Zeenat!
Made this for supper tonite. Fantastic flavor. Made the jalapeño sauce also. Really good. Hubby loved it. And so quick.
After removing the salmon from the oven I slid the veggies under the broiler for a bit of char. Another awesome recipe !! Can’t wait to serve it to company.
That’s so great to hear Rebecca! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know 🙂 – N xx
Looks awesome Nagi and I’ll be giving this a crack.
Now on an entirely different tangent and seeing as you have JB on the Recipetineats team now….
…is there any chance you guys can do a failsafe recipe for pain au chocolat for us home cooks? It’s my favourite sweet treat.
How about it eh Nagi? Pretty please 😉
I’ve just asked him to put this on his list!! It’s a bit of a tricky but I’m expecting him to be up to the challenge!! 🙂
Many thanks Nagi!
Thanks Nagi for another great recipe, and for the memories of Dozer. Just a note about the bottom tray. Most manufacturers warn against putting anything directly on the floor of the oven, even foil lining. I think it can cause the element to overheat. I hope this is helpful.
Thanks for the tip Susan, my heat source is at the back of the stove. I’ll caution if the heat element is on the base. Thank you! – N x
Dear Nagi grief is like a wave goes up goes down, never predictable sweeps you up, unexplained. Big hug to you he definitely wiggled into lots of hearts a beautiful boy much loved. xx
Thanks so much Lucy, appreciate your lovely message ❤️
Is it possible to provide an air fryer version of your recipes
That’s been on my mind for so long!
This looks like so much fun, and it is so beautifully explained and pictured, that I can already taste it by just looking at it. I normally don’t give stars before trying the recipe, but in this case, I will make an exception. Salmon Fajitas…are up my alley. I have to use gf-tortillas, but it will taste great. I love salmon in every form known to man. I think in a former life I was a bear and lived in Canada. 🙂
Dear Nagi, normal is what you define as normal. It must be hard to deal with grief when you get reminders from people you know and don’t know. Grief and sadness have no time limit. Just make sure you don’t get swallowed up by it. If this happens, book a vacation somewhere without internet, without friends, families, readers, and followers, and pamper your soul.
Thanks for the supportive message Alexandra, really appreciate it.❤️ Hope you get a chance to try this recipe one day! – N x
Dear Nagi life never feels like it will go back to how it was becauae he was your love. Like your doing one day at a time.Always in your heart.With love Lucy xxx
Thanks for the lovely message Lucy, really appreciate it 🙂 – N xx