Maple Citrus Salmon with Orange-Avocado Salsa

Salmon is one of my quick and healthy weeknight go-to meals, the trick is finding new ways to prepare it so it doesn’t get boring. Maple Citrus Salmon with Orange-Avocado Salsa uses fresh produce and a cool element to a hot plank of salmon.

citrus salmon on a plate with text overlay for facebook


 

What is Maple Citrus Salmon?

This Maple Citrus Salmon recipe combines sweet, savory and zesty flavors with smooth and juicy textures for the ultimate quick meal. The next time you have a hankering for a salmon fillet, this recipe is the best.

It really isn’t that hard to cook salmon at home. And unlike other lean meat that need to be cooked thoroughly, salmon (if handled properly and kept at the right temperature) is actually best served medium.

The biggest mistake people make is overcooking their salmon, resulting in dry fish. But don’t let that intimidate you! It’s always best to cook it a little under, and then throw it in for a few extra minutes if needed.

maple citrus salmon on a white plate

How to Cook Salmon

  • When in doubt, use a meat thermometer. This no shame in not being able to “eyeball it”. The FDA suggests an internal temperture of 145 degrees, however salmon if safe to eat raw, so don’t focus on getting it that temp.
  • When the white stuff starts to ooze out, your salmon is close to being done (if not overdone), take it out!
  • Handle your salmon with care. While is should go without saying, wash or hands and keep the fish refrigerated or frozen until just before cooking.

So stop being scared of making citrus salmon and make it one of your easy, go-to and healthy weeknight meals!

The Orange-Avocado Salsa can be made ahead and can also be used as a stand alone dip, on salads or on top of chicken or even fried perch if someone in your family doesn’t care for salmon.

bite of citrus salmon on a fork

Citrus Salmon Ingredients

  • Salmon fillets – You can either buy a large piece of fish and cut your own fillets, or buy them already cut into fillets.
  • Maple syrup – Make sure you’re using a good quality maple syrup here. It really makes a big difference on the flavor of your citrus salmon.
  • Orange juice – You can use freshly squeezed or bottled orange juice. This is used to make the citrus sauce.
  • Fine sea salt and pepper – You could also use kosher salt if you don’t have fine sea salt. Freshly ground black pepper works best.
  • Oranges – I used navel oranges, but feel free to use blood oranges or cara cara oranges if you prefer. Rather than orange slices, we want them to be chunks.
  • Avocados – This is how we get that fresh, creamy element to our salsa. The perfect addition to add on top of the salmon.
  • Red onion – I love the color that red onion adds to this salsa.
  • Bell pepper – Use any color you want, but I like to make this salsa as colorful as possible. Use different colors to make it fun!
  • Jalapeno – Add more or less jalapeno depending how spicy you want your salsa. Just make sure to remove the seeds.
  • Lime juice – This really helps to bring out the citrus flavors of this salmon, but you could also use lemon juice too.
maple citrus salmon on a plate

How to Make Citrus Salmon

  1. Prepare oven and baking dish. Preheat oven and coat the bottom of a baking dish or rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
  2. Season salmon. Pat salmon dry with paper towels, then place salmon fillets in a single layer in the bottom of the baking dish and season with fine sea salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup and orange juice. Pour over the top and side of salmon, allowing to sit before baking.
  3. Bake. Bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
  4. Make salsa. While salmon cooks, combine all ingredients for orange-avocado salsa in a medium bowl and gently toss.
  5. Top with salsa. Remove salmon from the oven, plate and add salsa to top of salmon. You can serve with lime slices or slices of lemons for extra citrus flavor. It would taste great with a fresh green salad.
straight on shot of maple citrus salmon on a plate

Storage and Freezing

Unfortunately, the salsa will not keep well. The avocado will brown fairly quickly, but it’s easy enough to whip up pretty quickly.

You can, however, store leftover citrus salmon in the refrigerator for up to three to four days in an airtight container.

More Quick Salmon Recipes

A plate of salmon with rice

Ranch Salmon

Looking for an simple weeknight meal with minimal ingredients? This easy Ranch Salmon is it!
See The Recipe!
salmon pattie with white creamy sauce on top

Salmon Croquettes Recipe

Salmon Croquettes are a southern classic! Full of salmon, peppers, onions and seasoning, this versatile dish is sure to be loved by all!
See The Recipe!
overhead view of mushroom asiago chicken

Asiago Mushroom Salmon

This Asiago Mushroom Salmon is one of my favorite pan fried salmon recipes! You only need 10 minutes to make this easy weeknight meal!
See The Recipe!
overhead shot of citrus salmon with text overlay for pinterest
maple citrus salmon on a plate

Maple Citrus Salmon with Orange-Avocado Salsa

5 from 8 votes
Maple Citrus Salmon with Orange-Avocado Salsa is a healthy and easy baked salmon recipe perfect for any quick weeknight meal. 
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

For Orange-Avocado Salsa:

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Place salmon fillets in a single layer in the bottom of the baking dish and season with fine sea salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup and orange juice. Pour over salmon fillets, allowing to sit for at least 10 minutes before baking.
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.
  • Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for orange-avocado salsa in a medium bowl and gently toss.
  • Remove salmon from the oven, plate and top with a generous helping of Orange-Avocado Salsa.
  • If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was! 

Nutrition

Calories: 504 kcal, Carbohydrates: 33 g, Protein: 36 g, Fat: 25 g, Saturated Fat: 3 g, Cholesterol: 93 mg, Sodium: 376 mg, Potassium: 1538 mg, Fiber: 8 g, Sugar: 20 g, Vitamin A: 1025 IU, Vitamin C: 85.1 mg, Calcium: 84 mg, Iron: 2.1 mg
Author: Chef Jessica Anne
Calories: 504
Course: Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked salmon recipe, citrus salmon
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
collage of citrus salmon for pinterest
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Chef Jessica Anne Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and chef behind Savory Experiments. You might see her on the Emmy- nominated TV show Plate It! or on bookshelves as a cookbook author. Jessica is a Le Cordon Bleu certified recipe developer and regularly contributed to Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal, Mashed and more!

Read More About Jessica

5 from 8 votes (2 ratings without comment)

Join The Discussion

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Questions and Reviews

  1. 5 stars
    Really truly very very good! Avocado and orange salsa is amazing with the salmon! It was just a wonderful combination of sweet, salty, tangy and umami! Great recipe!

  2. 5 stars
    The combination of the citrus, avocado, and bell pepper was amazing on this salmon! Thank you so much for sharing!

  3. 5 stars
    This recipe is fabulous, and so healthy. I would decrease the amount of maple syrup next time, we used fresh from the farms maple syrup. I used a greater amount of lime juice for the salsa. This is a favorite, easy and fast prep. A winner!

  4. Love the bright and fresh flavors in this salmon, the maple citrus is so perfect for summer and the orange avocado salsa is bright and fresh.