Crispy-skinned salmon is topped with a sweet and savory homemade pineapple salsa that's fresh, light, and bold in this restaurant-quality dish. Pan-seared salmon with pineapple salsa is an ideal easy weeknight dinner, great for meal prep, and elegant enough to serve at a dinner party.

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Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love Pineapple Salsa Salmon
- What You’ll Need for Pineapple Salmon
- Pineapple Pico de Gallo
- Recommended Equipment
- How to Make This Salmon With Pineapple Salsa Recipe
- Variations and Substitutions
- Storage and Reheating
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
- How to Serve This Salmon Recipe
- Expert Tips
- More Salmon Recipes to Try
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You’ll Love Pineapple Salsa Salmon
I'm so glad I live somewhere where we have access to high-quality seafood. We make some kind of seafood dish at my house at least once a week, and this is one of the best salmon recipes we've tried.
Why? First, it's extremely delicious. It's balanced, with fresh ingredients, and a light and vibrant flavor.
The salmon is perfectly cooked. Seared to restaurant-style perfection, this savory salmon is topped with a fresh salsa that's packed with bold flavor.
The pineapple pico de gallo is sweet and spicy, with juicy pineapple and hot jalapeños tied together with fresh lime juice, cilantro, and crisp onion. It's the perfect condiment.
This is also one of the best salmon dishes because of its texture. Crisp salmon skin and tender meat are complemented by the crunchy salsa.
There's also plenty of room to adapt this recipe to your tastes. Feeling like something more savory? Swap the pineapple salsa for a traditional pico de gallo. Want something sweeter? Try using this glazed teriyaki salmon as a base for your salsa.
It's one of my favorite recipes to experiment with, using different salsas and different varieties of seafood.
Plus, it's incredibly easy! Just sear the salmon, make the pineapple salsa, and serve.
What You’ll Need for Pineapple Salmon
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Salmon
Salmon Fillets: My preference is to use skin-on salmon fillets that are about an inch thick. The brand Mowi has delicious options, and I love the BBQ cut salmon fillets from Trader Joe's as well.
Olive Oil: You can use extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe, or you can try a neutral oil like avocado oil or grapeseed oil.
Salt: I use kosher salt for all of my recipes. It is less salty by volume than table salt or sea salt, making it easier to season to taste and harder to oversalt your food.
Pepper: A bit of freshly ground black pepper adds the perfect amount of bite to the fish. I like to use these Malabar black peppercorns.
Pineapple Pico de Gallo
Pineapple: I like to buy canned diced pineapple. You can also buy pineapple rings that you dice yourself. When buying diced pineapple, I typically drain the juice, pat the pineapple dry, then chop it down a bit further into small chunks.
Tomato: You can use either roma tomatoes or globe tomatoes for this recipe. If using globe tomatoes, use tomatoes on the small side. You can also swap the tomato for red bell pepper or feel free to omit if you want just pineapple flavor.
Onion: I most often use white onion for my salsa recipes, but you can also try yellow onion, sweet onion, or red onion for this recipe.
Jalapeño: Jalapeno adds just a little bit of heat. If you are very sensitive to spice, try deveining the jalapeño with a spoon before adding it to the salsa.
Cilantro: Fresh cilantro adds a lot of vibrant flavor to this dish. I don't recommend substituting it for any other herb. If you are not a big fan of cilantro, just omit it.
Lime Juice: Fresh lime juice brings brightness to this dish. If you don't have access to fresh limes, bottled lime juice will work for this recipe.
Salt: Like with the salmon, I use kosher salt for my salsa. Add a pinch, taste for seasoning, then add more as needed until you reach your desired flavor.
Recommended Equipment
Frying Pan or Cast Iron Skillet
Instant-Read Thermometer - This is my favorite thermometer! I use it in my kitchen almost daily.
How to Make This Salmon With Pineapple Salsa Recipe

Step One: Make the salsa. I like to do this step up to 2 days in advance to give the flavors a chance to meld. If you are using canned pineapple, drain the pineapple juice from the can, pat the pineapple dry with a paper towel, and then dice it into small pieces. Finely dice the tomato, jalapeño, and onion. Chop the cilantro. Combine pineapple, tomato, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice and salt in a medium bowl.

Step Two: Mix the salsa ingredients until well-combined. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if needed.

Step Three: Cook the salmon. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels.

Step Four: Season liberally with salt and pepper.

Step Five: Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil. When the oil is just shimmering, add the fish skin-side down and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the skin is lightly browned, crisp, and lifts from the pan easily.

Step Six: Flip the salmon. Cook on the remaining side for 3 to 4 minutes, until the interior temperature reads 125 degrees Fahrenheit for medium-rare. For medium, continue cooking for another minute, or until the internal temperature reads 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step Seven: Once the fish has reached 125 degrees Fahrenheit and flakes easily with a fork, remove the salmon from the pan.

Step Eight: Top the cooked salmon with pineapple salsa and serve!
Variations and Substitutions
Fresh Pineapple: You can make fresh pineapple salsa rather than using canned pineapple. Check out this article on how to cut pineapple for instructions!
Avocado: This dish is wonderful with a little bit of avocado. Try slicing some and serving it alongside the main dish. You can also make a pineapple avocado salsa by dicing the jalapeño and incorporating it into the pico de gallo.
Spicy Salmon: For a little extra kick, try dusting your salmon with a bit of cayenne pepper or chili powder. This will add some lovely heat to the dish.
Baked Salmon: You can also bake this salmon. Preheat the oven, using some non-stick cooking spray or a bit of oil on a prepared baking sheet, then bake the salmon. This baked blackened salmon recipe has all of the details for times and temperatures.
Air Fryer: Try these air fryer salmon instructions for an easy way to cook your salmon without heating up the kitchen.

Storage and Reheating
Fridge: Store leftover salmon in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Be sure to use an airtight container. Store the pineapple salsa separately. It will last for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Cooked fish can also be frozen for up to 3 months. I do not recommend freezing the salsa.
Reheating: To reheat salmon in the oven, preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the salmon on a sheet tray or in a baking dish and heat for about 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 125 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
There is no need to reheat the salsa, but if you want to take some of the chill off, leave it on the counter for 30 minutes or so to bring it to room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
Absolutely! You can grill the salmon using these directions: Heat the grill to medium-high. Brush the grates with oil. Place the salmon on the grill skin-side down. After 3 to 4 minutes, flip the salmon and cook about 2 to 3 minutes for medium-rare fish.
Of course. You can make pineapple habanero salsa if you're looking for something with a different texture but similar flavor. If you want to try a green salsa, try this serrano salsa. You can also swap the pineapple for mango in this mango salsa recipe, or remove the pineapple and serve with traditional pico de gallo.
You can. Try making a simple marinade of neutral oil (like avocado oil), chopped fresh garlic, and lime juice. This will add some extra citrusy flavor to the final dish.

How to Serve This Salmon Recipe
Enjoy this recipe on its own, or try it with the suggestions below!
Salad: Serve this dish alongside your favorite side salad. I like this green salad with jalapeño lime vinaigrette or the Greek green salad.
Fish Tacos: Make pineapple salsa salmon into tacos! Add them to your favorite tortillas with some shredded cabbage and an extra squeeze of lime juice. Try them with some cilantro lime crema, too!
Rice: This dish goes well with rice or a combination of rice and beans! You can also try it with grains like quinoa.
Corn: Try serving this recipe with some Mexican-style esquites, which is a version of elote served off the cob.
Looking for an elegant dessert? Try this mini pavlova nests!
Expert Tips
- Taste for seasoning as you go. Be sure to taste the salmon and the salsa separately before serving. If needed, add a little salt and taste again. If things seem too sweet, add more add more lime juice. If they are too
- Use an instant-read thermometer. For restaurant-style seared salmon, you'll want to cook the fish to 125 degrees Fahrenheit. An instant-read meat thermometer will quickly tell you if you salmon has reached the correct temperature.
- Don't use a nonstick pan. Nonstick pans should not be used over a higher temperature than medium heat.
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More Salmon Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe

Pineapple Salsa Salmon
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Pan-Seared Salmon
- 4 (6-oz) salmon fillets skin-on, 1 to 1.5 inches thick
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or a neutral oil like avocado or grapeseed oil
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pineapple Salsa
- 4 roma tomatoes small to medium
- ½ white onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 cups pineapple
- 1 jalapeño
- 1 cup cilantro
- 4 to 8 tablespoons lime juice from 2 to 4 fresh limes
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
Pineapple Salsa
- Make the salsa. I like to do this step up to 2 days in advance to give the flavors a chance to meld. If you are using canned pineapple, drain the pineapple juice from the can, pat the pineapple dry with a paper towel, and then dice it into small pieces.
- Finely dice the tomato, jalapeño, and onion. Chop the cilantro. Combine pineapple, tomato, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice and salt in a small bowl.
- Mix everything until well-combined. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if needed.
Pan-Seared Salmon
- Cook the salmon. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels.
- Season liberally with salt and pepper.
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil. When the oil is just shimmering, add the fish skin-side down and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the skin is lightly browned, crisp, and lifts from the pan easily.
- Flip the salmon. Cook on the remaining side for 3 to 4 minutes, until the interior temperature reads 125 degrees Fahrenheit for medium-rare. For medium, continue cooking for another minute, or until the internal temperature reads 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once the fish has reached 125 degrees Fahrenheit and flakes easily with a fork, remove the salmon from the pan.
- Top the cooked salmon with pineapple salsa to taste and serve!
Notes
- You will have some leftover pineapple pico de gallo. I recommend using it for a snack with tortilla chips, adding it to breakfast (great with eggs!), or putting it in a salad or wrap.
- You can also grill the salmon using these directions: Heat the grill to medium-high. Brush the grates with oil. Place the salmon on the grill skin-side down. After 3 to 4 minutes, flip the salmon and cook about 2 to 3 minutes for medium-rare fish.
- To bake the salmon, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, add some non-stick cooking spray or a bit of oil to a prepared baking sheet, then bake the salmon for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Fridge: Store leftover salmon in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Be sure to use an airtight container. Store the pineapple salsa separately. It will last for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Cooked fish can also be frozen for up to 3 months. I do not recommend freezing the salsa.
- Reheating: To reheat salmon in the oven, preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the salmon on a sheet tray or in a baking dish and heat for about 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 125 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
- There is no need to reheat the salsa, but if you want to take some of the chill off, leave it on the counter for 30 minutes or so to bring it to room temperature.
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