Salmon with Mango Salsa - One-Pan, 30-Minute Dinner

Salmon is baked to perfection until flaky and then combined with the fresh mango salsa with bell peppers, green onions, and cilantro. This is a weeknight dinner recipe that belongs in your dinner rotation. It's healthy, packed with protein and fresh ingredients!

One-pan, 30-minute dinner

Making salmon at home doesn't get any easier than this. This one has become a proven hit with my family and friends. All you need is one cooking pan and 30 minutes of your time (plus the ingredients). Try it for yourself and this restaurant-quality dish might become one of your favorite quick meals - a must-have in the weekly dinner rotation.  It's a fool-proof recipe for cooking salmon that always comes out moist and tender!  You'll love the sweet, savory, and tangy combo of flavors!

• Salmon fillets are baked in buttery garlic sauce until super tender and flaky.
• Then, they are topped with the most amazing sweet and savory glaze and served alongside the homemade mango salsa.
• This easy and quick recipe packs so much flavor yet takes only 30 minutes to make.

For more salmon dinner inspiration, don't miss these 2 delicious recipes: salmon with spinach, sun-dried, tomatoes, and artichokes and garlic parmesan crusted salmon with asparagus.

Why you should make salmon with mango salsa

• This recipe is highly nutritious. Salmon is high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. The mango salsa is packed with nutrients and antioxidants. It's high in fiber and a good source of many vitamins and minerals. Combining salmon and mango salsa together in one delicious dinner is a great way to add healthy foods to your diet!
• The recipe takes only 30 minutes and requires one cooking pan (cast-iron skillet or an oven-safe baking dish). The cleanup is minimal. It is one of my go-to recipes when I am short on time yet want to have a delicious and fantastic-looking meal.
• The salmon is always moist, tender, and super tasty.  Baked flaky salmon is covered with the sticky sweet and savory honey glaze and then combined with the fresh fruit salsa!
• Even if you don't like fish, you'll love this recipe! Why? Because the fish flavor is so masterfully disguised here by honey garlic glaze and sweet and savory mango salsa.

Is it better to bake or pan-sear the salmon?

Either method is good, and it's ultimately up to you how you like to cook your salmon. I prefer to bake the salmon in this recipe as it is a more fool-proof way for salmon to keep its shape and not fall apart into pieces. But here is a quick overview of these 2 cooking methods:

• How to pan-sear the salmon. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Season salmon fillets with salt. When the oil is hot, add salmon fillets flesh side down (skin side up) and sear for about 4 minutes on medium-high heat, undisturbed. Then, flip the salmon fillets to the other side (skin side down) and sear for another 4 or 5 minutes on medium heat until the salmon is flaky and cooked through.
• How to bake the salmon. Bake the seasoned salmon in a baking dish in a preheated oven at 375 F for around 10 or 20 minutes or until it is cooked through.

How do you know when salmon is cooked through?

The salmon is cooked when it's no longer raw in the middle and flakes easily with the fork. But the best and sure way to know is to use an instant meat thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the fish. When it reads 145 F, the salmon is cooked! When baking the salmon, make sure to pull it out of the oven a little bit earlier (at about 130 F or 135 F), as the salmon will continue to cook in the residual heat once it's out of the oven.

What about the salmon skin?

This is the question that divides a lot of people. Personally, I am a fan of salmon skin, especially if it is super crispy. It also protects the fish from overcooking. The skin will help the salmon fillet retain its shape while you sear it or bake it. Also, it’s much easier to remove the skin once the salmon is cooked!  Slide the spatula between the cooked salmon fillet and the skin to remove the skin.

But, I totally understand why you don't want to eat soft and soggy salmon skin. It can often happen when you bake the salmon. In this case, simply discard the skin but only after you cooked the fish.

How to make salmon with mango salsa

1. First, you will bake the salmon together with minced garlic in the preheated oven at 375 F for about 10 or 15 minutes until it's cooked through.
2. While the salmon is in the oven, prepare the honey glaze by combining 3 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce, 3 tablespoons of honey, 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, and ¼ cup of fig spread, red pepper flakes (if using) in a medium bowl.
3. Also, while the salmon is in the oven, prepare the mango salsa by combining diced and peeled mangos, diced and peeled kiwi, diced bell pepper, and chopped green onions in a large mixing bowl. Add freshly squeezed lime juice, chopped fresh cilantro, and chili powder.
4. Spoon the honey glaze over the baked salmon and return it briefly to the oven.
5. Finally, spoon the mango salsa next to the honey-glazed salmon or over it.

Variations

• Pan-seared or baked salmon.  Cook the salmon any way you like for this recipe!  Pan sear salmon in a skillet or roast it in the oven.  It's up to you!
• What other fish can you use? Trout is very similar to salmon so it's your next best choice. This recipe will also work well with cod, halibut, and mahi-mahi.
• Honey can be replaced with an equal amount of brown sugar or maple syrup. You can also try agave nectar.
• Use either low-sodium soy sauce or tamari sauce.
• Fruit salsa. While mango salsa is a delicious choice, when fresh peaches are in season, make peach salsa instead!

Cooking tips

• Pat dry salmon with paper towels before cooking to get rid of excess moisture.
• Use skin-on salmon fillets.  Do not remove the skin.  It's much easier to cook salmon with skin still on.   It also helps prevent salmon from drying out during cooking. And, it's much easier to remove the skin, once the salmon is cooked.  Just slide the spatula between the skin and the flesh of cooked salmon to remove the skin.
• Spice it up. Add a spice of your choice, such as cayenne pepper, to mango salsa to add some heat!

Storage and reheating tips

• Refrigerate the leftover salmon and mango salsa in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• How to reheat. First separate mango salsa from the fish. Because nobody wants to eat a hot or warmed-up mango salsa. Then, reheat the salmon in the microwave in 30 seconds increments until completely heated through. Or, reheat it in the preheated oven at 350 F for about 20 minutes or until heated through. Add back the mango salsa and serve!

What to serve with it?

Salmon with mango salsa is a well-balanced meal that can be served all on its own. If you want to make it a more substantial dinner, try these ideas:

• Pasta. Serve the fish over simple pasta tossed in butter or olive oil.  Any kind of pasta will work - short pasta, long pasta.
• Ravioli or tortellini.  Store-bought pre-made ravioli and tortellini make a quick and tasty addition.
• Quinoa is a delicious and healthy side dish.  Use a 2:1 water to grain ratio by cooking 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water until nice and flaky.
• Make a rice bowl by combining honey-glazed salmon and salsa with rice.
• Flavored rice is another tasty idea.  My favorites include cilantro-lime and black bean rice and sun-dried tomato basil rice.
• Spaghetti squash.  Roast spaghetti squash in the oven and scrape out the spaghetti squash strands with the fork.  Roasted spaghetti squash is a great gluten-free side dish for salmon.
• Roasted vegetables. Make a side of roasted veggies, such as asparagus, green beans, broccoli, or Brussels sprouts.

Other salmon recipes you might like

This delicious fish is a great source of protein. It's always handy to have a good salmon recipe to make for a family dinner. Here are some of my favorites:

• Salmon Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce and Spinach
• Cilantro Lime Honey Garlic Salmon
• Garlic Parmesan Crusted Salmon and Asparagus
• Mediterranean Pan-Seared Salmon with Spinach
• Pan-Seared Creamy Tuscan Salmon with Garlic, Spinach, Artichokes, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Capers

4.85 from 26 votes

Salmon with Mango Salsa - One-Pan, 30-Minute Dinner

Salmon is baked to perfection until flaky and then combined with the fresh mango salsa with bell peppers, green onions, and cilantro. This is a weeknight dinner recipe that belongs in your dinner rotation. It's healthy, packed with protein and fresh ingredients!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Calories per serving 449 kcal

Author: Julia

Ingredients

Salmon

• 24 oz salmon fillets (about 3 or 4 salmon fillets)
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter

Honey Glaze for salmon

• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari sauce
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon lime juice freshly squeezed (or use lemon juice)
• ¼ cup fig spread (I prefer to use Divina brand)
• red pepper flakes to taste

Mango salsa

• 2 mangos ripe, peeled, pitted, and diced
• 1 sweet red bell pepper small, diced
• 1 kiwi fruit peeled and diced
• 3 green onions finely chopped
• ½ bunch fresh cilantro chopped
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder  or more
• salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions 

Cook the salmon

• Preheat the oven to 375 F.
• Grease the bottom of the baking dish with butter. Add salmon fillets skin side down.
• Sprinkle the salmon with salt and minced garlic on top and around. Add thin slices of butter on top of each salmon fillet.
• Bake for about 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven. Note: you will continue cooking the salmon after adding glaze.
• Note: if you would like to pan-sear the salmon on the stovetop instead, see instructions in the Recipe Notes below.

How to make the glaze

• While the salmon is baking, prepare the glaze.
• In a medium, high-sided bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce, 3 tablespoons of honey, 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lime juice, and ¼ cup of fig spread (I like to use Divina brand). Mix everything well. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes to taste. Note: You can skip the red pepper flakes if you use Chili Fig Spread (Divina brand).
• Spread the glaze over each salmon fillet. Reserve ⅓ of the glaze for later use.
• Return the salmon to the oven for about 2 or 5 minutes or until the salmon is cooked to your likeness.
• Note: Salmon is done when it flakes easily with the fork and the internal temperature measures 145 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.

Make mango salsa

• Prepare the mango salsa while the salmon is baking.
• Note about mangos. Wash them thoroughly to get rid of any debris. Use ripe mangos. Always peel the mangos. Pit the mangos and dice them into cubes.
• In a large mixing bowl combine diced mangos, diced red bell pepper, diced kiwi fruit, finely chopped green onions, and chopped fresh cilantro. Toss to combine.
• Add freshly squeezed lime juice and chili powder. Toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Add more lime juice and chili powder, if you like.

Assembly

• Spoon mango salsa next to or over the baked salmon. Spoon the reserved honey glaze over the salmon.

Notes

In this recipe, you can cook the salmon in 2 ways - pan-seared or baked.

• Should you bake or pan-sear the salmon? Honey glazed salmon can be prepared in 2 ways: pan-seared on the stovetop or baked in the oven. It's up to you which method to use. I personally prefer the baked version - it's less messy and much more fool-proof to ensure your salmon doesn't fall apart.  I use the baking method in this recipe.  If you would like to pan-sear the salmon on the stovetop, see the instructions below:  ⬇️
• How to pan-sear the salmon. Heat a large high-sided cast-iron skillet (10-inch diameter) over medium heat on the stovetop for 2 minutes to heat through. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add seasoned salmon fillets skin side up and cook, undisturbed, for about 5 or 7 minutes. Flip the salmon over to the other side, and cook for several minutes more until it's cooked through.

Other helpful cooking tips

• Make sure salmon does not have extra moisture. If using frozen salmon, defrost it completely and get rid of any extra moisture. Prepare salmon by patting it dry with paper towels.
• How to make sure the honey garlic glaze doesn't get watery?  In this recipe, it's unlikely that you will end up with a watery glaze. Why? Because the glaze is thickened with the fig spread which provides a sticky texture, volume, and amazing flavor that goes well with the rest of the glaze ingredients (soy sauce, honey, lime juice).
• Fig spread is a must-have ingredient that adds texture, flavor, and a "sticky" quality to the glaze. It's a fool-proof way to have a thick glaze that doesn't get watery. I used the fig spread by the Divina brand.  It has a nice thick texture.  It is usually sold in most grocery stores. This brand also has Chili Fig Spread that I highly recommend - in this case, you can skip the red chili flakes.
• Use other fruit spreads and preserves that have a nice thick texture similar to the fig spread.  It can be peach or apricot spread, for example. Or a different brand of the fig spread.  The most important thing is to pay attention to the texture of the spread - it should be thick.
• Add fresh herbs for presentation purposes. Top the salmon with finely chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, fresh basil, fresh thyme, or chives. 

Nutrition

Nutrition Information

Salmon with Mango Salsa - One-Pan, 30-Minute Dinner

Amount per Serving

Calories

449

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

17

g

26

%

Saturated Fat

 

5

g

31

%

Trans Fat

 

0.2

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

5

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

5

g

Cholesterol

 

109

mg

36

%

Sodium

 

567

mg

25

%

Potassium

 

1062

mg

30

%

Carbohydrates

 

39

g

13

%

Fiber

 

5

g

21

%

Sugar

 

29

g

32

%

Protein

 

36

g

72

%

Vitamin A

 

1419

IU

28

%

Vitamin C

 

66

mg

80

%

Calcium

 

59

mg

6

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Disclaimer:

The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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