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2012Southwestern Maple Glazed Salmon with Pineapple Salsa
This maple glazed salmon was featured on the August cover of Cooking Light. It caught my eye as I was about to get in line at the grocery store and looked so good, I turned around and made a beeline to the fish counter instead. You basically make a homemade chili powder, dust it generously over salmon fillets, then broil and glaze with maple syrup. The spices create a delicious top crust and add a hint of heat and bitterness to balance out the sweetness of the syrup and richness of the salmon. The pineapple salsa is my addition. If you don’t want to bother, the salmon is delicious on its own but the fresh fruit really adds another dimension and completes the dish.
Begin by making the pineapple salsa. It’s simply a mix of chopped fresh pineapple, cilantro, fresh lime juice and maple syrup. Set it aside to let the flavors marry while you prepare the salmon.
For the salmon, begin with the spice rub. You’ll need ancho chili powder, cumin, paprika, kosher salt and sugar. Note that ancho chili pepper powder is not the same as regular chili powder. Chili powder is a blend of spices that season chili and similar dishes, while ancho chili powder is a pure chili powder made from ground ancho peppers with deep rich flavor and mild to medium heat. Many large grocery stores carry it, and you can always find it at Whole Foods.
Arrange the salmon fillets on a foil-lined baking sheet for easy clean up, then sprinkle the spice rub over top.
Set your oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler, and then broil the salmon for about five minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and brush the salmon fillets with maple syrup, and then broil for one minute more.
As you can see, the top crust will look very dark and almost burnt but don’t worry, it’s not — the spices simply turn dark when moistened. To serve, transfer the salmon fillets to plates and top with the pineapple salsa.
Try serving this with my savory Cheddar & Thyme Cornbread or Cornbread Muffins. Enjoy!
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Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili pepper powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 6-oz salmon fillets
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 cups diced fresh pineapple
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from one lime
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the top of the oven and preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Make the pineapple salsa by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Mix the paprika, ancho chili powder, cumin, sugar and kosher salt together in a small bowl.
- Place the salmon fillets on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle evenly with the spice mixture. Broil for 5-6 minutes, or until almost done. Remove the pan from the oven and brush the fillets evenly with the maple syrup. Broil for one minute more.
- Transfer the salmon fillets to plates and top with pineapple salsa.
leslie
That salsa might not make it up top of the salmon. I would most likely eat it all before dinner!
Meg at Peaches and Cake
Mmm I am making this immediately!!!
Beth B
My husband can barely be in the same room if I have the maple syrup out. Sad! Do you have a substitute you could suggest? This recipe sounds delicious!
Jenn
Beth, You could try honey, agave or corn syrup. Hope that helps!
Phyllis Barrier
As a health professional, I am concerned about the amount of salt in this recipe. Please check out all the recent articles calling for less salt. Maybe in the future, say salt to taste. This is such a healthy recipe, except for the amount of salt you’re recommending.
Jenn
Hi Phyllis, Taste-wise this is just the right amount of salt, but feel free to cut back if you prefer.
Neil
Too much salt? Really? This recipe calls for 1 teaspoonful total — and Kosher at that, which has less sodium chloride by weight compared to regular table salt.
That’s just 980 mg of salt. Now, divide that by 4 portions and you get 245 mg per person. The Mayo Clinic recommends you get no more than 2300 mg per day, although they say the average American takes in 3,400 mg.
With that said, this recipe is calling for just over 10% of your optimal daily intake of salt — not too shabby.
On top of that, it’s being used in a rub, which means a portion of it won’t even make it in the final dish — it will be scattered on the baking sheet, on your kitchen counter, and stuck to your fingers after you’ve plastered it on the fish.
Liz
I am putting salmon fillets on my grocery list, and fresh pineapple. This looks delicious, easy, and healthy. Thanks, Jenn.
Jules
I’m not even a salmon fan but I may have to try this. Looks delicious.
Kiriel
Have you ever tried this with chicken? My husband HAAAAAAAAAAATES fish, which makes me incredibly sad!!
Jenn
Hi Kiriel, I haven’t tried it myself but it would probably work well with boneless chicken breasts.
emily
How hot does the oven need to be?
Jenn
Hi Emily, Set the oven to “broil.”
Mara
This looks so good. Pineapple is on sale at my local grocery store, so it looks like this is going to get made!
Any suggestions on cooking fish? I have yet to actually have my fish not crumble into little bits and pieces….
Jenn
Mara, Follow the recipe and you will have success! Fish is easy to broil, especially salmon. Good luck!
Sheryl
Another fantastic recipe! As a registered dietitian, the amount of actual sodium per serving is completely acceptable and can easily be part of a sodium restricted 2000mg/day diet prescription. No worries people.
Kim
This was TERRIFIC!!! My husband and two boys all approved and devoured it! They loved the rub, and the maple syrup specified in the recipe was just the perfect amount. Because the pineapple I got was extremely sweet, I added about 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to the salsa and sprinkled some black pepper on it. This recipe gives me an idea of doing a broiled blackened salmon… using a blackened rub and maybe brushing the salmon with melted butter instead of maple syrup? Anyway, thanks again, Jenn, for another wonderful recipe!!
Jackie
I made this last night and it was a huge hit!!! I was so delicious and easy to make! I will definitely make it again!
Judee
I LOVE this!!!
Debby Poe
Yum, I’m going to make this tonight for my client who wants a salmon dish that is simple & healthy with a little kick!
Terri
Another of your recipes we make often – so yummy! When mangoes are back in season, I’m going to substitute them for the pineapple, just for variety…we eat salmon a lot and this spice rub is awesome. Thanks again!
Cynthia
I am always looking for more recipes with salmon, and this sounds spectacular. Such an easy prep process, and I love the idea of having a delicious meal ready in virtually 15 minutes (if that)!
Jennifer
So delicious and easy!
Jill
Looks healthy and tasty!
Mary Ann
Love it! I made this last night and it is now replacing my old maple glazed salmon recipe
Bridget
Such an easy and healthy recipe to get your Omega-3! My husband who isn’t a fan of salmon liked this because of the spicy, sweet topping.
Carolyn
Delicious and nutrious way to get my family to eat salmon
Karen
This was very good, and very easy. It was spicy, but the flavor combination helps make the spiciness tolerable. This was so easy, it will be made over and over in my house. The ingredients are simple and usually in the house! This is a great weeknight meal for how quickly it can go from preparation to the dinner plate!
LindaK
Wonderful combination of flavors. We are not huge fans of salmon, but with this combination we will be eating more and more of it! Thanks again for the great, healthy recipes!
kathy
I can’t wait to try this – I was looking for a new recipe to try with our recent catch of salmon and this sounds delicious – sweet and spicy! YUM!!!
Colleen
This was fantastic! It definitely will be on the rotation!