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Southwestern Maple Glazed Salmon with Pineapple Salsa

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By Jenn Segal
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The spices on this easy salmon dish create a delicious crust and add a hint of heat to balance out the sweetness of the syrup.

southwestern salmon pineapple salsa

This maple glazed salmon was featured on the 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 onto the fish, 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 fish is delicious on its own but the fresh fruit really adds another dimension and completes the dish.

What you’ll need to make the dish

Spoon in a bowl of pineapple salsa.

How to make it

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.

Salmon ingredients including kosher salt, ancho chile powder, and paprika.

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.

Unmixed spices in a bowl.

Arrange the salmon fillets on a foil-lined baking sheet for easy cleanup, then sprinkle the spice rub over top.

Salmon filets topped with spices.

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.

Brush adding maple syrup to salmon filets.

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.

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Southwestern Maple Glazed Salmon with Pineapple Salsa

By Jenn Segal, inspired by Cooking Light

The spices on this easy salmon dish create a delicious crust and add a hint of heat to balance out the sweetness of the syrup.

Servings: 4
Total Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients

For the Salmon

  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

For the Pineapple Salsa

  • 2 cups diced fresh pineapple
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from one lime
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. Make the pineapple salsa by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
  3. Mix the paprika, ancho chili powder, cumin, sugar and kosher salt together in a small bowl.
  4. Place the 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 fish to plates and top with pineapple salsa.

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Calories: 441
  • Fat: 23 g
  • Saturated fat: 5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 23 g
  • Sugar: 18 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 35 g
  • Sodium: 601 mg
  • Cholesterol: 94 mg
Nutritional Data Disclaimer

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

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  • 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.

  • 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….

    • Mara, Follow the recipe and you will have success! Fish is easy to broil, especially salmon. Good luck!

  • How hot does the oven need to be?

    • Hi Emily, Set the oven to “broil.”

  • Have you ever tried this with chicken? My husband HAAAAAAAAAAATES fish, which makes me incredibly sad!!

    • Hi Kiriel, I haven’t tried it myself but it would probably work well with boneless chicken breasts.

  • I’m not even a salmon fan but I may have to try this. Looks delicious.

  • I am putting salmon fillets on my grocery list, and fresh pineapple. This looks delicious, easy, and healthy. Thanks, Jenn.

  • 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.

    • — Phyllis Barrier
    • Reply

    • Hi Phyllis, Taste-wise this is just the right amount of salt, but feel free to cut back if you prefer.

    • 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.

  • 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!

    • Beth, You could try honey, agave or corn syrup. Hope that helps!

  • Mmm I am making this immediately!!!

  • That salsa might not make it up top of the salmon. I would most likely eat it all before dinner!

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