These Blackened Salmon Tostadas with Cilantro Pepita Sauce are a flavor packed easy meal with the most delicious green sauce! The salmon gets rubbed in cajun seasoning, then pan fried, and the sauce gets slathered on crisped tortillas! A handful of crunchy red cabbage, a sprinkle of queso fresco, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime make these tostadas next level!
These tostadas are the most delicious things I’ve eaten in AWHILE. I rarely make tostadas and I have no idea why, because it’s basically like eating a huge tortilla chip topped with all the things. Which is pretty much my dream. These are sooooo insanely good.
In my world, a super delicious sauce is always needed for tacos & tostadas, and basically all foods ever. This cilantro pepita sauce is sooo good and different. I make so many sauces with avocado (it’s my favorite thing ever, obviously), but I wanted to go a different route this time!
In the cilantro pepita sauce, we’ve got toasted pepitas, jalapeño, lots of cilantro, garlic, lime juice, a little olive oil, salt, and honey for a touch of sweetness. It’s soooo good and really unique. I love it!
It’s super nutty from the toasted pepitas, bright from the cilantro and lime, and just slightly sweet from the honey! Soooo so good.
It would be a great dip for chips, on a taco salad, swirled into hummus, tacos, or anything that sounds good to you! You cannot go wrong with this sauce.
I like to crisp up my tortillas in a nonstick skillet with a little avocado oil, and then generously sprinkle them with sea salt while they’re hot! It’s like a huge freshly fried chip!
What could be better?
The salmon is sooooo good. It’s pretty much identical to the salmon from these tacos, and I just can’t get enough of it. The best part is, it’s only 2 ingredients, because I like to buy the Cajun/blackening seasoning from the store! You could definitely make it at home, but I love some of the blends out there. Super easy!
You just cover it in blackening seasoning, then sear it in a pan until it has a perfect, crispy crust, and a buttery, flaky inside. I usually broil all of my fish, but sometimes I really enjoy searing salmon and getting that incredible crust! It’s super quick too!
For a little freshness and crunch, I like to add a handful of shredded red cabbage, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and a sprinkle of queso fresco on top for a little creaminess.
And extra cilantro pepita sauce of course!
Blackened Salmon Tostadas with Cilantro Pepita Sauce
These Blackened Salmon Tostadas with Cilantro Pepita Sauce are a flavor packed easy meal with the most delicious green sauce! The salmon gets rubbed in cajun seasoning, then pan fried, and the sauce gets slathered on crisped tortillas! A handful of crunchy red cabbage, a sprinkle of queso fresco, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime make these tostadas next level!
Ingredients
For the cilantro pepita sauce
- 1/3 cup pepitas, toasted*
- 1/2 of a jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed
- 1 cup packed cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic
- juice of 2 limes
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
For the tostadas
- 4 corn tortillas
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- salt to taste
For the salmon
- 1 pound salmon filet
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning*
- 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
For serving
- shredded red cabbage
- cilantro leaves
- crumbled queso fresco
- lime wedges
- cilantro pepita sauce
Instructions
Begin by making the cilantro pepita sauce. Combine the pepitas, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, honey, olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into a food processor. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with the additional 1/4 teaspoon of salt if desired and blend again to combine. Set aside.
For the tostadas, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the avocado oil. Once hot, add a tortilla and fry for 1-2 minutes per side, or until golden and crispy. Remove from pan and let drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with sea salt immediately on both sides while it's hot. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
For the salmon, rub the filet evenly on all sides with the Cajun seasoning. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Once hot, sear the salmon for 3-4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your filet, until cooked through.
To serve, generously spread a few spoonfuls of the cilantro pepita sauce on the tostada, top with the salmon, a handful of red cabbage, a handful of cilantro, a sprinkle of queso fresco, a squeeze of lime, and another spoonful of cilantro pepita sauce. Serve immediately!
Recipe Notes
*To toast pepitas, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat, and toast them until they're golden brown and begin to "pop". Watch carefully, they can burn quickly!
*I find my Cajun seasoning at Whole Foods, but it is pretty readily available at all supermarkets. It might be labeled as blackening seasoning too!
Wow! These look incredible. What awesome flavors!
Thank you so much Ashley! They’re so delicious!!
These are so going on our weekly menu plan! What a beautiful recipe!
Oh yay!!! Thank you so much Kasey! Let me know what you think!