Description
Okay, so I stumbled upon this combo totally by accident. I had some salmon in the fridge that needed to be cooked ASAP, and this super ripe mango that was basically begging to be used. One thing led to another, and boom – this became my go-to “impressive but not stressful” dinner. The sweet, tropical mango salsa is like summer vacation on a plate, and it perfectly balances out the rich, flaky salmon. Plus, it looks fancy enough that people think you actually know what you’re doing in the kitchen.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Salmon:
- 4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each – skin on or off, whatever you prefer)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (the good stuff makes a difference here)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (regular paprika works too, but smoked is where it’s at)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (fresh garlic burns too easily for this method)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin (adds that warm, earthy thing)
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (just a hint of heat)
- Salt and pepper (obviously)
- Juice of 1 lime (save some wedges for serving)
For the Mango Salsa:
- 2 ripe mangoes, diced (if they’re not ripe, this whole thing falls flat)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced small (adds crunch and color)
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced (rinse it under cold water if you’re sensitive to raw onion)
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (leave seeds in if you like it spicy)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (or parsley if you’re team “cilantro tastes like soap”)
- Juice of 2 limes (plus zest of 1 lime for extra zing)
- 1 tablespoon honey (balances the acidity)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
- Optional: 1/4 cup diced avocado (added right before serving so it doesn’t get mushy)