Summertime calls for quick, fresh, and satisfying meals that don’t require turning on the oven — and this salad hits all those marks! Flavorful, crispy salmon, fiber-packed black beans, and crunchy, colorful greens pair perfectly with our go-to 5-Minute Smoky Chipotle Dressing and Peach Cucumber Salsa. Prepare your tastebuds for major deliciousness!
This 30-minute meal is rich in protein, antioxidants, and vitamins and minerals and is the answer for a nourishing lunch or dinner, especially on warm summer days. Let us show you how it’s done!
If you’ve got a thing for crispy coated fish like we do, this recipe is going in your rotation. Brown rice flour, cornstarch, lime zest, salt, and optional garlic powder combine for a zesty, flavorful “breading” for the salmon.
We dip the salmon into lime juice for extra brightness, then dip in the zesty breading to achieve a light coating.
Next, we cook the salmon filets in a hot skillet until they turn light pink and develop a crispy exterior.
For the salad base, we went with romaine and red cabbage for crunchiness and added black beans for fiber and satisfaction. Almost any greens would be delicious, so feel free to sub in whatever you have around.
Finish off the dish by topping the salad with salmon, peach (or mango) salsa, and our 5-Minute Smoky Chipotle Dressing. Swoon!
We hope you LOVE this summer salad with salmon. It’s:
Bright
Fresh
Smoky
Satisfying
Nutrient-packed
& SO delicious!
We love this recipe any time we’re craving something quick, nourishing, and flavorful. It’s loaded with protein, fiber, antioxidants, and almost all the vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K, B vitamins, potassium, and selenium.
More Salmon Recipes
- Easy Salmon Green Curry (1 Pot!)
- Lemon Baked Salmon with Garlic Dill Sauce (20 Minutes!)
- Easy 1-Pan Salmon Red Curry
- Crispy Skin Salmon (Perfect Every Time!)
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Smoky Summer Salad with Lime-Crusted Salmon (30 Minutes!)
Ingredients
SALAD
- 1 batch 5-Minute Smoky Chipotle Dressing (or sub store-bought chipotle ranch or similar dressing)
- 1 batch Easy Peach Cucumber Salsa (or sub store-bought or homemade mango salsa)
- 6 cups romaine lettuce (or sub mixed greens)
- 1 ½ cups red cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
SALMON
- 1/4 cup brown rice flour
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 4 Tbsp lime zest (4 medium limes yield ~4 Tbsp zest)
- 1/2-3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
- 3 Tbsp lime juice (1 large lime yields ~3 Tbsp juice)
- 4 (4-6 oz.) salmon filets, skin and bones removed
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil (for cooking fish)
Instructions
- SALAD: If using homemade dressing and peach salsa (both recommended), prepare them at this time and set aside. In a large serving bowl, combine the lettuce, cabbage, and black beans (optional) and toss to combine. Set aside.
- SALMON: In a medium-sized shallow bowl or dish, combine the brown rice flour, cornstarch, lime zest, salt, and garlic powder (optional). Whisk to fully combine and ensure there are no clumps of lime zest. Set nearby.
- In a separate shallow bowl, add the lime juice and set nearby. Then get a large dinner plate and set it near the stove for the cooked salmon.
- Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, start the salmon assembly line. Take one salmon filet and place it in the lime juice, flip it once or twice to evenly coat. Lift it up gently and let excess lime juice drip off, then place it in the flour/zest mixture. Press down gently on the top of the salmon, then flip and press once or twice until it is evenly coated in the mixture. Lift it and gently shake off excess flour, then immediately place into the hot skillet.
- Cook the salmon for 2-4 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reads 145 F (63 C). When the salmon is cooked, set it aside on a plate to cool slightly. Repeat with the remaining salmon.
- To assemble the bowls, divide the greens/beans between bowls and top each with chipotle dressing and peach salsa. Add a salmon filet to each bowl, and enjoy!
- Best when fresh, but leftovers will keep stored separately in the fridge for up to 1-2 days. Not freezer friendly.
Video
Notes
*We tested this using our DIY Gluten-Free Flour Blend and while it was good, we liked the lightness and crispiness of the brown rice flour and cornstarch much more!
Caley says
so yummy and quite a filling salad at that! love the contrast of sweetness of the salsa with the chipotle dressing 😍 I didn’t have cashew butter on hand so I used tahini for the dressing and it turned out great. Husband agreed it was 10/10
Yay! We’re so glad you and your husband both enjoyed the salad, Caley. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modification! xo
Karen says
This was delicious! As usual it took me more than 30 minutes. I even used the food processor to chop my red pepper and mango, but I am not very fast. I used frozen mango and adobe sauce as substitutes for fresh mango and jalapeno because that is what I had on hand. I also used all purpose flour. I will definitely make it again. Thanks for the great recipe.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Karen! We’re so glad you enjoyed it and will be making the recipe again! xo
Brooke says
This was so good! A perfect summer recipe. I made it as written with your mango salsa recipe (next time I’ll double that part because I wish I had leftovers!).
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Brooke! Thank you for sharing! xo
meegan says
the salad, salsa and dressing were fantastic. 10/10 adding to our rotation, my fiancé was super surprised and happy w this flavor combo. it’s one i don’t usually gravitate towards but wow so summery and delicious. personally love simple grilled or broiled salmon so will prob substitute for that in the future for an even easier/quick meal. also skipped the cucumber and cilantro in the salsa (personal preference) and it was still amazing and flavorful.
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Meegan! Thank you for sharing! xo
Alicia Curtis says
I loved this recipe! I usually don’t like salmon, but make it sometimes for my kiddos that love it. I liked the flavor of the breading used on the salmon and the salad was delicious.
Yay! We love to hear this. Thanks so much for the wonderful review, Alicia!
Jacqueline says
This was the best Salmon dish we have ever tried! The crust was such a wonderful texture. We bought King Salmon, Wild Caught, from our local co-op, and used organic brown rice flour from Bob Red Mills. I pan seared it as instructed, but I finished mine in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. My husband and I are planning a fishing trip to Alaska and this recipe will be used a lot when we arrive home with our fresh catches. We also made the mango salsa, and the sauce was modified a bit too as I did not have Chipotle in adobo made. I did 1/4 cup homemade mayo, 1/8 tsp each of chili powder and smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp salt, pepper, and 2 tbsp of lime juice. The sauce tied it together and I would not recommend skipping it. Siete’s new Maiz Corn Tortilla Chips were also served on the side with some extra salsa. This recipe is going in our summer rotation. Thank you so much for such an amazing recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it so much, Jacqueline! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Taylor S says
Great addition to preparing salmon different ways – adding it to the rotation. The dressing and salsa contributed to a unique summer flavor but the salmon would be good on its own too. Careful flipping the salmon in oil – I usually cook most salmon in oven but stovetop cooking was different and I turned it over too forcefully and splashed oil. Highly recommend another MB recipe!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Taylor! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! xo
Madison Spong says
Delish!!!! My husband and I loved this dish. We also thought it would make incredible tacos!
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it. We love the taco idea! Thanks so much for the lovely review Madison! xo
Julia says
This dressing is so good and easy I wanna put it on everything
Yay! Thanks, Julia!
Shana says
That dressing is amazing!!!! Served this for a dinner party and everyone was complimenting the flavor combinations.
The lime flavor in the salmon’s prep really came out in the cooking. I added some additional cajun seasoning to the adult portions to give it a little extra kick.
We ate the leftovers cold today and it was still fabulous. Thank you!
Ooo, sounds delish! Thanks so much for the great review, Shana!
Mary says
Loved the combo of the peach salsa and the salad with the chipotle dressing! 😋
I had all the other ingredients for the salmon on hand but the brown rice flour. A quick Google search suggested tapioca flour and… hmm. The flour mixture immediately got clumpy and when mixed together with the lime zest, and even more so when cooked. I’ll try this again with regular flour!
Thank you for sharing, Mary! Regular flour should work better. Keep us posted!
Cloey says
Is there a substitute for the brown rice flour?
Hi Cloey, brown rice flour is ideal for the crispiest results, but sorghum flour or a gluten-free blend should work. All purpose flour would also work if you can have it! Let us know how it goes!
Dorie says
Can’t wait to try this. And I like that it’s not real high in sodium like a lot of salmon recipes are.
Let us know what you think when you give it a try, Dorie!
AR says
Hello can you tell me what frying pan you are using for the Smoky Summer Salad with Lime-Crusted Salmon please. It looks like it’s a cast iron ceramic frying pan. Thanks for your help.
Hi! Good eye ;) It’s this 10-inch enameled cast iron skillet.
Dorota says
I don’t eat grains. What would be a good substitute for the brown rice flour? Would cassava flour work?
Thanks!
Hi Dorota, we haven’t tested cassava flour, but think it would work! Let us know if you try it!