This Ruddell’s Smoked Salmon Tacos recipe is going to become one of your favorite ways to enjoy smoked salmon! It’s wrapped in a grilled flour tortilla and topped with creamy mustard-cumin sauce, tomatoes, red leaf lettuce, and an apple-celery-carrot slaw!

We enjoyed “Smoker Jim” Ruddell’s delicious smoked seafood specialties during our summer trips to Cayucos, a little surf town just north of Morro Bay.

During one of our last visits, Jim was kind enough to take us on a tour behind the scenes. Huge vertical smokers filled the back of the restaurant, stacked high with fresh ahi, salmon and albacore. Jim shared that the secret to his deliciously sweet salmon was a glaze of apricot jam.

The menu at Ruddell’s Smokehouse is short and simple, allowing the freshness of his ingredients to shine.

In addition to salmon, the menu includes smoked albacore, ahi, chicken, shrimp and pork loin. All are available as tacos, sandwiches, or salads.

Watch my Smoked Salmon video!

Ruddell’s Smoked Salmon Tacos are something of a legend here in California. In fact, they’ve appeared on many “Best Of” lists, including Sunset Magazine and Coastal Living Magazine.

Jim describes his tacos on the menu as “smoked salmon, wrapped in a flour tortilla and grilled to perfection with subtle gourmet sauce, tomatoes, red leaf lettuce, mixed with apples, celery, carrots, a hint of green onion and a touch of love.”

For something more hearty, the same mixture is available on a huge deli roll. It’s grilled and served with a crunchy dill pickle on the side. Soooo good!

Update: We were saddened to learn that Smoker Jim passed away in 2018 and the restaurant is no longer operating.

More easy salmon recipes

• Smoked Salmon Dip
• Salmon Sandwich with Spinach & Feta
• Big Green Egg Smoked Salmon

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Chef Tips with Jason Hill | CookingSessions.com

Ruddell’s Smoked Salmon Tacos

4.80 from 10 votes

This recipe for Ruddell’s Smoked Salmon Tacos is one of the most unique and delicious ways to use smoked salmon.

We enjoyed Smoker Jim Ruddell’s delicious smoked salmon and other seafood specialties during summer trips to Cayucos, a little surf town just north of Morro Bay. For a more hearty meal, serve on a grilled hoagie roll!

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Brining Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 5 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  

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Brine:

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Kosher salt
• 2 pound skin-on salmon fillet cut into four equal pieces

Apricot Glaze:

• 2 tablespoons Smuckers apricot preserves

Gourmet Sauce:

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup Guldens spicy brown mustard
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin

Apple Slaw:

• 1 Granny Smith apple peeled and diced
• 1 celery rib diced
• 1 carrot shredded
• 1 green onion diced

To Assemble:

• 12 flour tortillas warmed
• 3 red leaf lettuce chopped
• 2 tomatoes sliced
• Cayucos Hot Sauce optional

Method

 

Prepare the Salmon:

1. Combine sugar and salt in a bowl. Place salmon on a casserole dish and top with the sugar-salt mixture evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 4 hours in the refrigerator.

Make Gourmet Sauce:

1. Whisk gourmet sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and chill until ready to use.

Make the Slaw:

1. Combine apple, celery, carrot and green onion in a bowl and chill.

Smoke the Salmon:

1. Set smoker to 250 F.
2. Remove salmon from brine and rinse under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels.
3. Brush tops and sides of salmon fillets evenly with apricot mixture. Place fillets, skin side down, on cooler side of grill, with thicker ends facing fire.
4. Smoke, skin side down, about 30-35 minutes.
5. Transfer salmon to a serving platter.

Assemble Tacos:

1. Remove skin from salmon and discard. Cut salmon into bite-sized pieces.
2. Warm the tortillas on a grill or over the stove.
3. Spread with gourmet sauce, topped with the apple slaw, salmon, red leaf lettuce and tomatoes. Enjoy with Tapatio hot sauce, if desired.

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