KFC Style Salmon Wraps

This is one of those recipes that takes a familiar favourite and gives it a really fun twist. Inspired by that famous takeaway flavour, this version swaps chicken for salmon, and it works brilliantly. Salmon is a fantastic fish for carrying bold seasoning, so once it’s coated in that smoky, punchy spice mix and fried until crisp and golden, it becomes something really special. Tucked into warm tortillas with cool sour cream, peppery pea shoots, and sharp pickled red onions, it’s got that perfect balance of crunch, freshness, and richness in every bite. It’s a great midweek dinner, a brilliant sharing supper, and a really good way to get the kids excited about fish in a way that feels familiar and full of flavour.

Timings:

Prep time: 20 minutes

Pickling time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 10–15 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 x 6oz salmon fillets

• 8 small soft tortilla wraps

• 100ml sour cream

• 2 limes

• 1 red onion, thinly sliced

• 200g pea shoots or rocket leaves

  
  

For the salmon coating:

• 50g plain flour

• 100g panko breadcrumbs

• 2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 2 tbsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp celery salt

• 2 tsp garlic powder

• 2 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp ground black pepper

• 1 tsp mustard powder

• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

  
  

Method:

1. Start by pickling the onions. Place the thinly sliced red onion into a bowl and squeeze over the juice of 1 lime.

2. Leave the onions to pickle for 20 minutes while you prepare the salmon.

3. In a bowl, mix together the plain flour, panko breadcrumbs, salt, dried thyme, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, celery salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, mustard powder, and ground ginger.

4. Coat each salmon fillet well in the seasoning mixture, making sure the fish is evenly covered.

5. Lift the salmon out and place it onto a plate, giving it a little shake to remove any excess.

6. Pour about 1cm of vegetable oil into a frying pan and heat gently until hot.

7. Carefully place the salmon into the pan and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side, until golden and crisp.

8. If the salmon is colouring too quickly, transfer it to the oven at 170°C for 5–10 minutes to finish cooking through.

9. Warm the soft tortilla wraps.

10. Spread each wrap with a spoonful of sour cream.

11. Add the cooked salmon, then top with pea shoots or rocket and the pickled onions.

12. Finish with a squeeze of the remaining lime juice and serve straight away.

    
    

Chef’s Tip:

Make a double batch of the seasoning mix and keep the extra in a clearly labelled bag or jar. It’s brilliant to have on hand for chicken, fish, or even roasted potatoes when you want that same bold, smoky flavour in a hurry.