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Pan-Seared Salmon on plate over rice and topped with mango and avocado salsa.

Pan-Seared Salmon With Avocado and Mango Salsa

Pan-seared salmon promises a nice and crispy skin! Topped with creamy avocado and tangy mango, this recipe makes for a perfect spring and summer dinner.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Dana Sandonato

Ingredients

  • 4 4 to 6 oz fillets of salmon, skin on I used Orca Bay Foods Alaska Sockeye Salmon
  • 2 TBSP neutral oil with high smoke point I use avocado oil or olive oil
  • Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
  • 1 TBSP chili powder
  • 1 TBSP ground coriander
  • 2 tsp cumin

Avocado and Mango Salsa.

  • 1 ripened mango, cubed
  • 1 large ripened avocado, cubed
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

Materials.

  • Cast iron skillet

Instructions

  • Remove salmon from fridge. Pat the fillets with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Sprinkle each fillet with a bit of salt and cracked black pepper. In a small bowl, mix the chili powder, ground coriander, and cumin. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over each fillet, rubbing the seasoning into the fillets with your bare hands to coat. Set the fillets aside and let them come to room temperature. This should take about 15 minutes. (Bringing your fish to room temp will ensure an even cook throughout the fillets.)
    In the meantime, prepare the avocado and mango salsa.

Avocado and Mango Salsa.

  • Combine the diced mango, avocado, and freshly chopped parsley or cilantro in a large bowl. Drizzle lime juice over the ingredients, then add a pinch of salt and pepper, to taste. Give the contents a good stir; set aside.

Salmon.

  • Add a generous amount of your oil to your skillet — enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Heat over high heat until the oil starts to smoke a tiny bit.
  • Carefully place one or two salmon fillets into the hot pan, skin-side down. (*See notes about cooking multiple fillets at once.)
    As soon as the fillet hits the pan, press down on it with a spatula until the fillet flattens out (this only takes seconds) while bringing the heat down to medium. Pressing the fillet keeps the skin firm against the pan and will give you crisp results without curling your fillet upward. Let your salmon cook for about 4-6 minutes, or until you can see a nice golden brown color on the edge of the skin. DO NOT touch, push, or try to budge your salmon beforehand, or you'll tear the skin. Once you see the golden edges, carefully slide your spatula underneath the fillet and turn it over. (If it doesn't release, give it another 30 seconds and try again.)
  • Once you've flipped your salmon, it's likely a little over halfway cooked so it only needs another 2-3 minutes of cooking. If you have a meat thermometer, remove the salmon once it reaches an internal temperature of 140-145º F. If you don't have a meat thermometer, cook the fish until it's opaque, and then go order a meat thermometer ;)
  • Once the fillet is cooked, carefully remove it from the pan and set it on a plate; cover with tin foil so it stays warm. Repeat the same process for the other fillets.

Notes

If your skillet has enough room to cook two fillets at once, awesome. If not, don't overcrowd your skillet—cook one at a time. You can place your cooked salmon fillets on a plate and cover them with tinfoil to keep them warm while you cook the other fillets.