Go Back

Seared Salmon with Avocado Salsa for Two

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 2
Calories: 510
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 salmon fillets about 170g each
  • 1 ripe avocado diced
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes quartered
  • 2 tbsp red onion finely diced
  • Small handful of fresh cilantro chopped
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tsp olive oil for the salsa
  • 1 tbsp olive oil for cooking
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • Optional: a pinch of chili flakes in the salsa

Method
 

  1. Make the avocado salsa first so the flavours have time to meld: combine the diced avocado, quartered cherry tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro in a bowl. Add the lime juice, olive oil, salt, and chili flakes if using. Toss gently and set aside at room temperature.
  2. Pat the salmon fillets completely dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
  3. Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot.
  4. Place the salmon skin-side down in the pan. Press lightly with a spatula for the first 30 seconds to prevent the skin from curling. Cook for 4–5 minutes without moving until the skin is very crispy and golden.
  5. Flip the salmon and cook the flesh side for 2–3 minutes until the fillet is cooked through but still slightly darker pink in the very centre.
  6. Remove from the heat and rest for 1 minute.
  7. Plate each salmon fillet skin-side up to preserve the crispy skin. Spoon the avocado salsa generously over and around each fillet. Serve with a lime wedge on the side.

Notes

Frozen salmon fillets are consistently cheaper than fresh and perform identically in this recipe once properly thawed and dried. Always check the freezer section first. The avocado salsa here does the heavy lifting on presentation and costs almost nothing when avocados are in season — ripe avocados are also frequently marked down in grocery stores, making this one of the best value fresh toppings available. Keeping the salmon skin crispy by plating it skin-side up is a free technique that makes the finished dish look significantly more polished.