Pineapple Salsa Salmon

This restaurant-quality pan-seared salmon is topped with a sweet and savory pineapple salsa that's fresh, light, and bold. It's an ideal easy weeknight dinner, great for meal prep, and elegant enough to serve at a dinner party.

5 from 40 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 8

Total Time: 18

Servings: servings

Calories: 338kcal

Equipment

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

General

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.

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.

Nutrition