Description
Pan Fried Salmon with Navel Orange Salsa! An easy dinner that delivers layers of delicious flavor. There is a great balance of sweet navel orange with creamy avocado and a zing from the jalapeño in the citrus salsa. Pair that with the well seasoned salmon, and the cilantro lime rice offer a winning combination for weekend or weeknight dinners. Also, this dish can easily be transformed into something new. You will never get bored with dinner or run out of ideas of what to make by substituting ingredients in this dish.
Ingredients
For the salsa:
- 2 navel oranges
- 1 avocado
- 1 mini cucumber
- 1 jalapeño (seeds removed)
- 1 small red onion (or 1 quarter of a regular red onion)
- 1 tablespoon of finely chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
For the rice:
- 3 cups of rice
- 1.5 cups of water
- 1.5 tablespoons of butter
- 3/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of finely chopped cilantro
- 1 half of fresh lime juice
For the Salmon:
- 2 salmon fillets
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon Avocado oil
Instructions
*Make sure if you are using frozen salmon that it is thawed before you get started. Also, don’t salt and pepper the salmon until it is just about to be cooked.*
Make the salsa:
- Finely chop avocado, red onion, jalapeño (seeds removed if you want less heat), cucumber, and cilantro.
- Segment the Oranges and then finely chop and add to other ingredients in a bowl.
- Add salt and pepper to your personal preference and mix with other ingredients in the bowl.
- Place bowl in the fridge or set aside until you are ready to assemble the entire dish.
For the rice:
Follow instructions on the packaging or place the following ingredients in a medium sized pot.
- Add 3 cups of rice, 1.5 cups of water, 1.5 tablespoons of butter, 3/4 teaspoons of salt to the pot uncovered.
- Bring the water to a boil, and once the water in the pot is boiling, bring heat down to a simmer and cover for 20 minutes or until water has fully evaporated (do not lift the lid until after the 20 minutes).
- Fluff the rice and add remaining cilantro and lime juice.
- Taste and add salt as needed 1/4 teaspoon at a time.
For the Salmon:
- Add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil to a cast iron or skillet on medium heat.
- Liberally salt and pepper the salmon fillets.
- Just as the pan starts to smoke add the salmon, skin side down.
- Cook the salmon for 5 minutes and then flip for the remaining 3.
- Once cooked, place on a plate and set aside to rest while you plate the rice and get the salsa out of the fridge.
- Add rice to a plate or bowl, place the salmon on top and then top with the salsa.
Enjoy!
Notes
- I always cook the salmon last to ensure that it is hot and has time to rest. I also have a little one so I know at any time I can be called away from the kitchen. I know that the rice can sit for awhile but I don’t want cold salmon, so I wait until all other components are done before cooking that salmon but it is very much a personal preference.
- However, if you cook rice a lot, I would recommend making the rice first and then once it is simmering you have 10 minutes to make the salsa and 10 minutes to make the salmon before the rice is done. If you strive for efficiency then this may be your best route.
- One time while making this recipe, I had just finished cooking the rice. The salsa was still in the fridge when I was called away out of the kitchen. I came back 20 minutes later and forgot to take the salsa out of the fridge when I started cooking the salmon. By the time we sat down to eat, I removed the salsa from the cold fridge to a hot salmon and warm rice. It was not optimal. Try and take the salsa out of the fridge around the same time as cooking the salmon so it has time to get to room temperature.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: Pan fried salmon with navel orange salsa