18
May

Blackened Grilled Salmon with Mango-Avocado Salsa

blackened grilled salmon on a white plate with a mango-avocado salad on top

We tend to have a lot of people in and out of our house and I regularly serve an extra 3-4 mouths outside of my family for dinner, so I love to grab a large piece of wild salmon to throw on the grill when I am in need of something quick. I think grilled salmon is easily my favorite fish. Even poached or smoked. You name it, I love it. Do you have a favorite way to prepare or marinate salmon? If so, let us know in the comments!

One of the easiest ways to prepare grilled salmon is rubbing it with this pungent blackened spice mix and simply grilling it. I also rub the same mixture on chicken drumsticks and thighs for the occasional guest that doesn't like fish. It's a simple meal to prepare and cleanup, which is always important in my book!

When recipes say blackened, it is mostly referring to the Cajun spices, not the cooking method. While some chefs do really char their fish on the outside, I prefer to gently sear it to create a crust and keep the inside moist and flaky. I also go easy on the spices and pair it with a cooling mango-avocado salsa because I am a self-proclaimed spice wuss. You can bump up the heat if you'd like with extra cayenne though! This dish is colorful and vibrant and besides the dried seasonings, takes very minimal ingredients. It will undoubtably light up your dinner table! Speaking of dinner tables, isn't the grain of that wood under the food gorgeous?! I used extra stikwood to create a tabletop and I just love the way the surface looks. I need to do a wall in my house with this stuff.

Not a fan of mango? Sub in stone fruit for the mango and tomatoes in this recipe for an equally delicious salsa!

Blackened Salmon with Mango-Avocado Salsa from Against All Grain #paleo #glutenfree

 

 

Blackened Grilled Salmon with Mango-Avocado Salsa



AUTHOR:

SERVES: 4-6

Cuisine: American

Category: Dinner

PREP TIME: 20 mins

COOK TIME: 20 mins TOTAL TIME: 40 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1½ to 2 pounds wild salmon fillets, boneless and skin on
  • 3 teaspoons melted grassfed butter
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1½ tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp cracked pepper
  • ¼ tsp thyme
  • ¼ tsp cayenne

Mango Salsa

  • 1 large ripe mango, seeded, peeled and diced
  • 1 large avocado, seeded and diced
  • ¼ cup diced grape tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons diced red onion
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt

*Salsa Variation: Sub out the mango and tomatoes for diced stone fruits! Use 1 pluot, 1 nectarine, and 1 peach and add 1 diced jalapeño! 

Instructions:

  1. Slice the salmon evenly into 4 to 6 smaller fillets.
  2. Combine the butter and all of the spices in a bowl. Rub all over both sides of the salmon. Leave at room temperature while the grill heats.
  3. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
  4. Meanwhile, combine the salsa ingredients together in a bowl and store in the refrigerator while the fish cooks.
  5. Sear the salmon, skinless side down first. Close the grill lid. Cook 1-3 minutes on the first side, depending on how thick the fillets are. (Try not to move them until you are going to flip them over to help keep them in one piece.)
  6. Using tongs and a metal spatula in the other hand, carefully turn the fish over, so that the skin side is down, and reduce the heat to medium. For charcoal grills, finish cooking over indirect heat furthest from the coals.
  7. Close the grill lid and finish cooking for another 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.
  8. Salmon should be just barely opaque and will start to flake along the center of the fillet when done.
  9. Serve hot with the mango-avocado salsa spooned over it.

 



Keywords: dairy free, egg free, gluten free, main dish, nut free, paleo, scd, whole30, summer, spring, grilling, grill, fish