Pan-fried Salmon with Mango Salsa
Quick meals just got better with this pan fried salmon and easy mango salsa.
Salmon seasoned with salt and pepper pan fried to perfection that is moist and flaky. Jazz this up on a bed of mango salsa, it's a chef's kiss. The mango salsa pairs so well with seafood. This combo will elevate your dinner without spending hours in the kitchen.
I love cooking salmon on a skillet to get that crispy outside crust with flakey and moist texture on the inside.
I absolutely love all things crispy, especially salmon skin. The key to the crispy crust depends on how you prepare the salmon before you pan fry. I start by cleaning the salmon skin by running my knife through it getting rid of the scales. Then I pat the salmon dry with some paper towels since excessive water/moisture can hinder the crispiness. Once the salmon is nice and dry, salt both sides of the salmon and rub into the skin really well to further draw out the moisture and of course provide seasoning to the meat.
Fish is one of the easiest proteins to prepare as it is so fast to cook. It takes less than 10 minutes to cook salmon, so please tell me again why we shouldn't make fish more often?! I always suggest to people a salmon dish when they ask for a quick easy meal. Not only is salmon or seafood for this matter quick to prepare, it goes with virtually everything. I usually eat salmon with rice since I always have some made. Salmon is so versatile, you'll have no problem pairing it with different sides from baked potatoes to salad.
There's no need to compromise flavor making a quick meal, you can and should have both! Mango salsa is a nice break from your traditional tomato salsa. If your a mango lover, you'll love the tangy, sweet and sour, burst of flavors in your salsa.
This deliciousness takes no time to toss together. You'll just need a mango, onion, lime, and cilantro, and you'll have a great tasting mango salsa. For this recipe, I decided to throw in jalapeño and sweet peppers for the extra crunch. Plus, it's also a great way to get rid of some peppers in your fridge. If you wish to re-create my salmon dinner with the mango salsa, the exact ingredients I used are below!
gather your ingredients
Pan Fried Salmon with Mango Salsa
Crispy pan fried salmon cooked to perfection on a bed of fresh mango salsa.
Ingredients
Salmon
- 1 lb salmon cut 1 inch thick
- ½ tbsp salt
- cracked black pepper
Mango Salsa
- ½ fresh mango, diced.
- ¼ of onion or handful
- ½ tbsp honey or agave
- 1 tbsp lime juice or ½ lime squeeze
- handful chopped cilantro more or less
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 jalapeno diced optional
- 3 mini pointed peppers optional
Instructions
Pan Fried Salmon
- To ensure the salmon gets the crispy sear, pat dry both sides of the salmon with some paper towels. If you like crispy salmon skin, make sure you run your knife through the skin to get all the scales out. This method will ensure the salt gets into the skin to draw out the excess moisture which will make the skin extra crispy when frying.
- Rub salt on both sides of the salmon. Then sprinkled some cracked black pepper.
- In a medium size skillet, heat up the oil on a medium high heat. Drop in the salmon and cook the skin side down for 5 minutes then flip and cook the other side for about 1 minute. The cooking time depends on how thick the salmon is. My salmon was 1 inch thick. The trick is to cook the skin side down longer than the meat side up.
- Transfer the salmon onto a plate. Prepare the mango salsa.
Mango Salsa
- Chop all the fresh ingredients. Then transfer to a good size bowl for tossing.
- Combine lime juice, honey, and salt.
- Toss together. Spread a spoonful onto a plate to eat with the salmon. Enjoy!