Name: Blackened Salmon with Coconut Rice and Pineapple Salsa
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 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; 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; 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; 4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets; 2 tablespoons avocado oil

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!

close-up image of three blackened salmon fillets on a plate.

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!

close-up image of blackened salmon served over coconut rice with pineapple salsa on top.

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!

overhead image of a blackened salmon bowl with pineapple salsa and coconut rice on the side.

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

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Samantha Course: MainDifficulty: Medium

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

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

Directions

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.

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What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe

Shrimp – Do yourself a favor and purchase peeled and deveined shrimp for this recipe. Then, if the tails haven’t already been removed, go ahead and remove them before cooking the shrimp. If left one, the shrimp tails are a nightmare to remove once covered in bang bang sauce. So, make life a little easier and strip those shrimp before cooking!

Harissa Paste – Harissa is chili paste commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking. It’s delightfully spicy and loaded with delicious flavor. You should be able to find harissa paste at your local grocery store in either the spice aisle or ethnic food aisle. Though if you can’t find harissa paste available for purchase, there are a few homemade recipes floating around on the internet, such as this one.

Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos – A touch of soy sauce adds a bit of tang to our bang bang shrimp sauce. It’s the perfect addition to help round out the savory flavors! Though if you’re paleo or currently on Whole30, feel free to use coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce in this recipe. It’ll provide that same irresistible briny flavor!

Cooked Rice – Use whatever kind of rice you’d like! White rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice… you get the idea. The use of cauliflower rice makes for a great low-carb, paleo, and Whole30 option!

Top Tips

Get the avocado oil in your skillet hot before adding in the shrimp. We want a nice, golden brown and crispy crust on our shrimp, and can only achieve this by cooking them in very hot oil. And thanks to the use of high heat, the shrimp will only take a few minutes per side to cook!

You can make this bang bang shrimp recipe in the air fryer if you’d like! To do this, simply add your shrimp to an air fryer basket, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt, then cook at 400° Fahrenheit for 5 minutes. Once shrimp is fully cooked, toss in the bang bang sauce and continue with the recipe as normal.

Ditch the bowls and serve this easy seafood dish however you’d like! Poke each shrimp with a toothpick to serve as a delicious appetizer. Or, place in lettuce wraps for super healthy bang bang shrimp tacos!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Paleo/Whole30 – For a paleo or Whole30 meal, be sure to use compliant mayo, coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, and cauliflower rice in place of white or brown rice.

Make it Gluten-Free – The only ingredient in this dish which contains trace amounts of gluten is the soy sauce. Therefore, use tamari in place of the soy sauce to make this recipe gluten-free, I promise you won’t be able to taste the difference!

Make it Vegan – Fry up some cubed tofu in a bit of avocado oil (similar to how you would the shrimp) then use a vegan mayo for your sauce. Once the tofu’s crispy, add it to your sauce and serve it over bowls of rice and veggies!

Bang Bang Shrimp Bowls

0 from 0 votes

Recipe by Samantha Course: Main, AppetizersDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

For a quick, easy, and delicious dinner – make these perfect bang bang shrimp bowls! Crispy cooked shrimp is tossed in a spicy, tangy bang bang sauce, then spooned over rice and a variety of veggies. Whip together this restaurant-quality meal in under 15 minutes, I promise you won’t regret it!