Have I mentioned that we eat a lot of fish? Ummm, yeah. Probably too many times. The reason? My daughter, Katie is a pescatarian. Other than fruits, veggies, grains and chocolate…she only eats seafood. No meat, chicken, pork or other living things with two to four legs (fins are fine). I’m putting this recipe up today to celebrate that she has so graciously committed to this for six months now! I’m so proud of her! Having that type resolution at fifteen years old is pretty commendable. She’s my hero! :)
This salmon has a spicy kick from the chipotle powder and some sweetness from the dark brown sugar. The salmon would be delicious if you just stopped there, but, you’d be missing the best part! The salsa! This makes more salsa than you’ll ever need for the salmon…intentionally. Because, while the salmon is on the grill, you’ll need to break out a bag of your favorite tortilla chips and do some extensive taste-testing!
- Pineapple Avocado Salsa
- 1 pineapple, cut into a small dice
- ½ small red onion, finely diced
- 1 medium to large jalapeño, finely diced (remove the seeds and ribs if you don't like heat)
- 1 avocado, cut into a small dice
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped (use parsley if you don't care for cilantro)
- zest and juice of 2 large limes
- 2-3 teaspoons honey (depending on the sweetness of your pineapple)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Salmon
- 4 portions of salmon
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder (use less if you don't want it too spicy)
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar or coconut palm sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Combine all of the salsa ingredients in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use, or go ahead break out the chips.
- Preheat your grill on high heat.
- On a baking sheet without sides, create a "tray" large enough for your salmon pieces out of heavy duty aluminum foil. Place the salmon on the tray.
- In a small bowl, combine the chipotle powder, sugar, salt and pepper. Divide the mixture between the four pieces of salmon, making sure to cover them well.
- Slide the "tray" onto the grill and close the lid of the grill. Reduce the heat to medium and allow to cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how hot your grill gets.
- When done, carefully slide the tray back onto your baking sheet.
- Serve as is, or with the salsa on top!
This was SO delicious! Even my husband, who’s not a big fish lover, said it was really good. The salsa was AMAZING!!!!
Laura, you just put the biggest smile on my face! I am so happy you and your husband liked this! I kind of think chipotle makes everything taste pretty good! And I’m with you on the salsa! Sometimes, I just make the salsa on its own and serve with chips! You are so sweet to take the time to comment…thanks so much!
Will light brown sugar work okay? I don’t have any dark brown on hand.
Absolutely Laura! I just always seem to use the dark brown because I really love that molasses-y flavor. The light brown will be just as delicious though! Let me know how you like it!
Made this tonight for dinner. My husband said it is definitely a recipe to hang on to! We both loved it. My husband did the grilling and cooked the salmon directly on the grill which worked fine. I also did not have the chipotle powder so I just used chili powder. Very yummy, thank you for sharing!
Emily, you lucky girl…what a sweet husband! And I’m not just saying that because he liked the salmon! Really though, I’m so happy you both like it as much as we do! You are so kind to take the time to let me know! Thank you so much!
Made this dish tonight! Loved everything about it! I was a little worried about the salsa, so many different flavors and i just couldn’t figure out how all the flavors would blend together but with the salmon the flavor was amazing! I will make this dish again and again!! Thank you
Allison, your message has me smiling from ear to ear! I’m thrilled you like it so much! I know what you mean…there are a lot of flavors going on, but the salmon can pull it off. Besides, I use the salsa as an excuse to open a bag of tortilla chips and snack! I love that stuff! :) Thank you for popping in to let me know…you’re a sweetheart!
This looks absolutely delish…I’m drooling all over my computer. My family absolutely LOVES salmon! I’m hosting a “get your grill on” link party and spice giveaway that ends tonight at 11:59 pm…I’d love to have you share this recipe because I think others would love it too!
http://www.4you-withlove.com/2013/06/party-thyme-get-your-grill-on-link.html
Marilyn
Thanks Marilyn! We love salmon too. Glad you like this one.
Looks super delicious! I was planning to make it for my boyfriend and I for dinner tomorrow, but I live in an apartment without access to a grill-any tips/do you think this will be ok to cook under the broiler or in the oven?! Thanks!!
Thank you Jana! I’m so sorry I didn’t think to include directions for the broiler. Absolutely, you can do it in there! Preheat your broiler and set the rack up to the highest spot. Broil for about 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon. Keep in mind, it may start to get a bit smokey at the end because of the brown sugar!
Mmmm chipotle grilled salmon sounds fantastic especially topped off with the pineapple avocado. Great dish and also looks amazingly delicious!
I really appreciate your kind compliments Jerry! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know! :)
GREAT!
What a lovely dish… and such beautiful photos! Thanks for sharing this with us.
love this salmon, i will be making this on the week-end. is it as good as the other one you gave me?
It’s delicious! You’ll love it! <3
I am always looking for new salmon dishes and yours look spectacular. You also gave me great side dish serving ideas from your beautiful photos.
Thanks so much! So glad you like it. Yes…the Harvest Grain Blend is from Trader Joe’s and makes a nice “pilaf”.