firecracker salmon bowls with mango avocado salsa
BABY YOU’RE A FIREcracker…Yeah no, that doesn’t really work.
Hello from Toronto! Today – Monday, as I write – is our final full day in the city. Someone told me my vacation would fly by and yep, they were absolutely correct: the first two days squiggled away in a blink. But, I’m trying to not stew in the inevitability of my trip’s end. We still have plenty to go and enjoy.
For those of you still in the throes of everyday existence, though, I wanted to ensure I provided dinner for you. After all, the world doesn’t stop moving just because I’m on a reality hiatus. So, FMG keeps rolling with a simple little meal prep idea for you to try out sometime this week.
Sheet pan fish recipes are my jam lately, and Firecracker Salmon Bowls with Mango Avocado Salsa provide a nice option for you as work meal prep or family dinner some night when you can’t be assed to do more than the minimum, yet still want something healthy. I realize looking back that the sentence I just wrote was fucking long.
Spicy salmon, refreshing fruity salsa, plopped over rice or quinoa or whatever the fuck you want. Makes a few days worth of work lunches, or feeds a family of hopefully not picky eaters. If they are, well, make them eat cereal.
This Salmon’s on Fiyaaaaaaah
I mean, it could be if you use the broiler with parchment paper on your baking sheet, but a) that comes later and b) don’t do that.
Back up a bit, though. First, we gotta prep the salmon. My interpretation of firecracker sauce – a sweet and spicy shebang that’s lickably addicting – involves dark brown sugar and hot sauce as the main flavoring components, and some other shit to boost it up. Very simple but packed with interest.
First, grab your salmons and pat them real dry with paper towels. Throw them in a bowl. Next, mix up your firecracker sauce: brown sugar, hot sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic cloves, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes. Pour half of this goodness over your fish and toss. Let the salmons sit at room temperature for around 10 minutes or so. Or, cover and transfer the bowl to the fridge to keep overnight. More time = more flavor.
When you’re ready, set the salmon on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Roast 10-15 minutes at 450 degrees. If you’d like, and didn’t use parchment, switch the broiler on a couple minutes to finish up. My total roasting time for salmon is usually around 10-11 minutes since I like a more tender texture, but go closer to 15 if you want if firmer.
While the salmon roasts, dump the rest of the firecracker sauce in a pan and boil down to a glaze. This won’t take long, about 5-8 minutes or so, and you can easily accomplish this step while your salmon heats away in the oven. Woohoo, multitasking! The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon.
Salsa Dancing
Not quite, but it’s fun to think about.
I make this salsa all the damn time for recipes, so you might be familiar with it by now. Mango, cucumber, and avocado base, flavored with fresh cilantro and mint, finished with a squeeze of lime juice. Toss it all together and taste for salt, maybe a lil pepper, too. Fresh and tasty.
I serve this, like all of my bowls, with rice. Quinoa or any other kind of grain, or cauliflower rice, work well, too. Meal preps will last up to 5 days in the fridge. I recommend storing the salsa separately so you don’t accidentally microwave it. Kinda ruins the whole refreshment aspect of it, and brown avocados aren’t exactly cute.
It’s weird calling food cute, but I guess we’ll roll with it. Either way, enjoy! And if you don’t, I’m sorry! I’ll do better next time!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Fill yer bowl:
Honey Chipotle Chili Lime Salmon Bowls
Ginger Maple Salmon Rice Bowls
Sheet Pan Honey Orange Salmon Bowls with Spicy Mayo
Honey Cilantro Salmon Bowls with Mango Pineapple Salsa
firecracker salmon bowls with mango avocado salsa
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb salmon, cut into 4-6 oz filets
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup hot sauce (I like Frank's Red Hot)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- steamed rice, or another grain, to serve
mango avocado salsa
- 1 cup fresh mango chunks
- 2-3 Persian cucumbers, chopped
- 1 avocado, chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
- 2-3 tbsp lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or grease lightly with oil.
- In a bowl or jar, whisk or shake together the brown sugar, hot sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and garlic cloves.
- Pat the salmon very dry with paper towels and place in a large bowl. Pour half of the marinade over the salmon and toss to coat. Let sit 10-15 minutes at room temperature.
- Place the salmon filets on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 10-15 minutes until desired doneness is reached. If desired (and you didn't use parchment paper), switch the broiler to high for the final 2-3 minutes of roasting time to get a nice crisp.
- Meanwhile, pour the rest of the marinade into a sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until reduced to a glaze, about 5-8 minutes. The sauce will stick to the back of a spoon when it's the right consistency. Remove from the heat.
- For the salsa: in a bowl, toss together the mango, cucumber, avocado, cilantro, mint, and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Divide the salmon and salsa amongst bowls of rice or your favorite grain.
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