When you rub salmon fillets with a slightly spicy Cajun rub and grill them briefly (just 3 minutes per side), the results are succulent, moist fish with a zippy crust. Served with a creamy avocado, mango and kiwi fruit salsa, it’s like a tropical vacation on a plate. Serve by itself or alongside quinoa or steamed green beans for a complete meal.
Incorporating salmon into your diet once a week can help reduce your risk of heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. Try this recipe to get your salmon intake for the week without getting tired of the same old flavors. If you have a lower calorie goal, you can reduce the size of the salmon fillet to 3–4 ounces and still get adequate protein.
Active time: 15 minutes Total time: 25 minutes
Grilled Salmon With Spicy Mango Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons salt-free Cajun seasoning
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
- 4 5-ounce (142g) skin-on salmon fillets
- 1 mango, flesh chopped, skin and pit discarded
- 1 small avocado, flesh diced, skin and pit discarded
- 1 kiwi, peeled and finely diced
- 1 small shallot, finely diced (about 2 tablespoons, chopped)
- 1/2 small jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 4 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon safflower oil
Directions
Combine the olive oil and Cajun seasoning in a large bowl. Add the salmon and carefully turn the salmon in the spice paste to coat. Place fillets on a plate, skin side down, and season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt with the mango, avocado, kiwi, shallot, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice; set aside.
Rub outdoor grill grates or grill pan with a paper towel moistened with the safflower oil. Preheat grill or grill pan over medium-high until hot. Turn on the kitchen fan if cooking on a stove. Put the fillets on the grill/grill pan skin side up and cook for 3–4 minutes. (Don’t move the fillets during this time or they may stick.) Flip the fillets and cook skin side down until the fish is medium in the center, about 3 minutes. (To test for doneness: Insert a steak knife into the center of a fillet, count to 3, remove knife and touch it. A cool knife means the fish is rare, a warm knife means the fish is medium, a hot knife indicates the fish is well done.)
Transfer the fish to plates and serve with the salsa spooned over the top.
Tip: Choose fillet pieces from the thicker, collar end of the salmon. Thinner pieces from the tail tend to dry out quickly on the grill. Though, you don’t eat the skin, leave it on to help keep the fish moist.
Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1 salmon portion and 3/4 cup/128g salsa
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 464; Total Fat: 25g; Saturated Fat: 5g; Monounsaturated Fat: 13g; Cholesterol: 107mg; Sodium: 534mg; Carbohydrate: 14g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugar: 7g; Protein: 41g
Discover hundreds of healthy recipes — from high protein to low carb — via “Recipe Discovery” in the MyFitnessPal app.
