Salmon Mango Salad with Jalapeño Vinaigrette

A fillet of salmon sits on a bed of little gem lettuce, mango, red onion, and jalapeno vinaigrette on a white marble counter.

Salmon Mango Salad with Jalapeño Vinaigrette

This salmon mango salad recipe features juicy, ripe mango, pan-seared salmon, tart pickled onions, and a tangy, citrusy jalapeño honey lime dressing you're going to love! Make it for meal prep or an impressive dinner.

5 from 18 votes

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Course: Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 12

Cook Time: 13

Total Time: 25

Servings: servings

Calories: 720kcal

Equipment

Kitchen Knife
16 oz Glass Jar or Nonreactive Container
Measuring Spoons
Liquid Measuring Cups
Saucepan
Fish Spatula
Stainless Steel Pan or Cast Iron Skillet
Meat Thermometer

Ingredients

Salad

2 salmon fillets
1 mango fresh, or about 1 cup of fruit
3 to 4 cups lettuce

Spicy Pickled Onions

1 red onion
1 serrano pepper
3 cloves garlic
1 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons kosher salt

Honey Jalapeño Lime Vinaigrette

⅔ cup neutral oil like grapeseed oil or avocado oil
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 jalapeños or 1 large jalapeño
2 tablespoons cilantro roughly chopped
1 clove garlic peeled
kosher salt to taste

Instructions

Pickled Onions

Thinly slice onion. Slice serrano pepper. Smash and peel garlic. Add onion, serrano, and garlic to glass jar or other nonreactive container.
Place pot or saucepan over medium-high to high heat on stovetop. Add vinegar, sugar, and salt. Bring brine to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve salt and sugar.
Remove brine from the stove and pour over the onion in the glass jar or container. Be careful handling, as the jar will be hot!

Honey Jalapeño Lime Vinaigrette

If you are sensitive to spice, deseed and devein the jalapeños by slicing them in half lengthwise and using a spoon to scrape out the interior.
If you are looking for a spicy vinaigrette, try to just remove the seeds of the jalapeño while leaving the white membrane intact.
Chop into a few pieces and add to the food processor with all remaining ingredients.
Blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Set aside about 8 tablespoons of dressing (or to taste) for the salad and refrigerate the rest.

Salmon Mango Salad

Wash and dry your lettuce. Cut or tear into bite-sized pieces.
Arrange the mango and pickled onions over the lettuce leaves.
Pat your salmon as dry as possible with paper towels.
Place a stainless steel pan or cast iron skillet over high heat. Once hot, turn down to medium heat. Season the salmon with salt, add a bit of oil to the pan, and place the salmon in the pan skin-side down.
Cook for about 4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your fillets.
Use an instant-read thermometer to determine when the salmon is ready to take off of the heat. The salmon should flake easily with a fork, have a somewhat pink interior, and read 120 degrees Fahrenheit for medium-rare. Cook for a few minutes longer if you prefer more cooked salmon.
Let the salmon rest for a few minutes, then transfer to the salad, skin-side up.
Taste for seasoning, drizzle with dressing, and serve.

Notes

General

You can also use very thinly sliced red onion dressed with a little lime juice to make this recipe quicker.
If the skin is sticking while cooking your salmon, let it keep cooking! It will let you know when it's ready and release from the pan on its own.
When cooking salmon, it is done with the salmon flakes easily with a fork but maintains a moist, medium-rare interior. I take my salmon off when the internal temperature reaches 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Use the remaining dressing on other salads, over grilled meats, roasted vegetables, grain bowls, tacos, and more.
Add whatever you'd like to this salad, like avocado, fresh herbs, or additional fruit.

Storage

Fridge Refrigerate prepared ingredients separately as dressed lettuce will wilt quickly.
Freezer I do not recommend freezing this dish.

Nutrition