Perfectly cooked and seasoned blackened salmon, served over coconut rice with a fresh pineapple salsa! This delicious dinner recipe is surprisingly easy to make, and comes together in about 30 minutes. It’s full of flavor, super healthy, and will quickly become a family favorite!
What You’ll Need to Make Blackened Salmon with Coconut Rice and Pineapple Salsa
Salmon – I prefer either atlantic or king salmon fillets for this recipe! Those varieties are thicker, and cook up perfectly flaky and tender. Another common type of salmon you’ll find at most grocery stores is sockeye salmon. However, sockeye is very lean, and doesn’t have nearly as much flavor as atlantic or king salmon.
Fresh Pineapple – Peel, core, and finely dice fresh pineapple for your pineapple salsa! Pineapple is perfectly tangy and sweet, which helps to balance out the savory and spicy components of the rest of this dish. Not a pineapple fan? Try one cup of fresh diced mango instead.
White Rice – Make sure you use a long grain white rice for this coconut rice recipe. Any other type of rice won’t cook the same. I love this organic long grain white rice – it’s delicious! Though if you’re looking for a grain free option, sauté up some cauliflower rice in about a tablespoon of coconut oil, instead.
Blackened Seasoning – Sure, you can buy blackened seasoning from the store, but it’s just as easy to make yourself at home! It’s a simple blend of six spices, which you likely already have on-hand. And this way, when you make this blackened salmon seasoning blend yourself, you have complete control over the flavors. Feel free to add in as much or as little of each spice as you’d like!
Tips and Tricks
- Not sure if your salmon is cooked through? Check by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of one of the salmon fillets. If the thermometer reads a minimum of 120° Fahrenheit, then your salmon is fully cooked and ready to eat!
- Avoid heating your skillet to too high a temperature before cooking the salmon. I know this recipe is for blackened salmon, but we mostly achieve that blackened look through the seasonings we use. Not by cooking at a high temperature, which could easily burn and overcook our salmon fillets.
- Switch up this recipe anyway you’d like! If you don’t like salmon, you can replace it with whatever fish you prefer. Blackened mahi mahi, halibut, or even red snapper would all taste delicious!
This Blackened Salmon Recipe is…
- Gluten-Free
- Dairy-Free
- Grain-Free (sub cauliflower rice!)
- Extra Healthy
- & totally delicious!
Blackened Salmon with Coconut Rice and Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients
For the pineapple salsa:
- 1 cup finely diced fresh pineapple
- 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the coconut rice:
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk
- 1 1/4 cup coconut water, or plain water
- pinch of salt
For the blackened seasoning:
- 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- pinch of cayenne pepper, optional
For the salmon:
- 4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
Instructions
- Start by making the pineapple salsa by adding all salsa ingredients to a bowl and mixing to combine. Set aside, leaving the flavors to develop and intensify while you prepare the rest of this dish.
- Now, make the coconut rice by adding all coconut rice ingredients to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring rice to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes, then remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
- While the rice cooks, prepare the blackened seasoning by adding all seasoning ingredients to a small bowl and mixing to combine.
- Pat salmon fillets dry with a paper towel, then sprinkle flesh side with blackened seasoning.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once oil is hot, place salmon fillets in skillet, flesh side down, and cook 2-3 minutes. Then, flip salmon and cook 6-7 minutes, or until internal temperate of salmon reaches 120° Fahrenheit.
- Divide the coconut rice between four bowls, place a salmon fillet into each bowl, then top the bowls with pineapple salsa.
