Southwestern Maple Glazed Salmon with Pineapple Salsa
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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.
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
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.
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 cleanup, 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.
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Southwestern Maple Glazed Salmon with Pineapple Salsa
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.
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
- 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 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
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- 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
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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Delicious! Perfect balance of sweet and spicy.
My entire family thought this was delicious!! I was looking for a salmon that was more “southwest” to go with black beans and rice….this hit the nail on the head. I did not use/make the pineapple salsa because I was looking up recipes literally minutes before cooking dinner and did not have the ingredients, but I will make it next time. Thanks for sharing this recipe…it’s a keeper!
Can you cook the salmon from frozen?
Hi Jacob, I’d recommend defrosting it first.
Hi Jen,
Made this for dinner guests last night along with the greens beans and shallots. Both were delicious. I’ve tried most of your recipes and they’re all wonderful . Will you be coming out with another cookbook ?
Colleen
So glad you liked both this and the green beans! Yes, I am working on another cookbook that is set to be released in the fall of 2021 — thanks for inquiring! 🙂
Jenn. This is one of our fave recipes. The salmon and pineapple pair so well together. I used Table salt the first time and it was a bit salty but it was perfect the second time when using kosher salt as you mentioned. This is part of our regular rotation. And so easy too. Thanks.
I made this recipe for the first time and we loved it. I’m always looking for new and delicious ways to make salmon and this is a keeper. The only change I made was to grill the salmon instead of broiling it since it was a very warm day and I wanted to be outside. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
This Salmon was delicious with the accompanying pineapple salsa! Your Black Bean Salad accompanied this as well…my family is in love with this salad!
My Salmon darkened more than yours in your photo, should I tent it with aluminum foil before the 5-6 min mark?
Appreciate the wonderful recipes.
Glad everyone liked it! Yes, if you feel like the salmon still needs more time to cook and it’s getting a bit too browned, just lay foil loosely over top of it.
This recipe has all the ingredients I love-especially fresh cilantro. Instead of broiling, I seared salmon on the stove and finished it ten minutes in 350 degree oven. The crust was crisp and easy to remove if desired. It was fabulous! Have added this recipe to my file as a high priority. Thanks much❣️
Another delicious — and super easy to make recipe — from Jenn. My younger son asked “What’s for dinner?” I said, “Salmon, it’s going to be good.” “Oh, from the special woman?” “Yes!” You are now called “The special woman” in our house! High praise!!
Thank you Jenn!
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🙂
This was delicious! I was going to make sole amandine for our fish Friday but my store did not have any sole. This salmon recipe had caught my eye and it was really fabulous! I will put this on rotation.