Make Mango Salsa Salmon on the grill with this healthy fish recipe. With mango avocado salsa on top, it’s a delicious, easy and healthy summer meal!

I love grilling fish, especially in the summer months, when it’s just too hot to cook inside. Not only is fish a healthy protein, it cooks up very quickly on a grill. Unless the filets are really thick, most types of fish take less than 10 minutes to cook!

Out of all of the fresh fish options available here on the west coast, wild-caught salmon is my absolute favorite. I use it to grill salmon in foil, and it’s delicious with tropical fruit, hence my recipes for grilled pineapple salmon and this mango salmon.

Mango Salsa Salmon

If you aren’t a fan of salmon, I have plenty of other options for you. Lemon rosemary grilled swordfish is another light and healthy fish recipe, or make grilled fish tacos instead. The mango avocado salsa is fantastic on the tacos, too!

For those who don’t eat any meat or seafood, both grilled cauliflower steaks and grilled nopales cactus salad are great meatless main dishes. By the way, both of those are also great side dishes with mango salsa salmon.

Because the salmon is marinated for this recipe, the fresh fruit salsa adds a lot of moisture and flavor to the fish.

The tangy, tropical flavor of mango is a favorite of mine. If you enjoy mango but aren’t a fan of avocado, you could serve mango pico de gallo over the fish instead,

Choosing the Best Salmon for Grilling

The type of salmon you use will likely depend on what’s available in your area. Fresh, wild caught salmon is always the best option, but if you don’t have access to good quality fresh fish, you may want to use frozen wild salmon instead.

Between May and September, be on the lookout for Copper River salmon. Fish caught in those waters are some of the most delicious you will ever eat!

Copper River varieties include:

• King (Chinook)
• Coho (Silver)
• Wild Sockeye Salmon (Red), which is my personal favorite

Mango Avocado Salsa Ingredients + Substitutions

• Red onion– Using red onion gives the salsa a nice bite, while not overpowering the fresh mango.
  
• Fresh mango – If you aren’t able to find fresh mango, frozen will work. Be sure to thaw it first, then pat it dry with paper towels to absorb some of the excess moisture.
  
• Avocado– Keep in mind that avocado ripens very quickly. To prevent it from over ripening, try to use the fruit the day that you buy it. If you’re not able to do that, store it in a cool, dry place (not your refrigerator!)
  
• Chile pepper – I use serrano peppers, which are about five times spicier than jalapenos. For less spicy heat, use a jalapeno, poblano, or anaheim chili pepper.
  
• Fresh lime juice – Avoid using concentrated lime juice; the flavor pales in comparison to fresh lime juice
  
• Cilantro – If you are one of the 4-14 percent of the population who think cilantro tastes like soap, feel free to leave it out, or use finely chopped Italian parsley instead.
  
• olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper

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How to BBQ Salmon on the Grill (outdoors or indoors)

If you don’t own a grill, that’s okay, too! You can bbq salmon on the grill indoors, using a grill pan.

1. Clean the grill and preheat it to 450°F. If you’re using a grill pan, preheat it over medium-high heat.
   
2. Coat the salmon filets on both sides with olive oil or olive oil cooking spray.
   
3. Season filets with kosher salt and pepper

NOTE: Even if you don’t plan to eat it, keep the skin on salmon while it’s grilling. It makes it easier to slide a fish spatula underneath the filets, and it also helps prevent the fish from falling apart and down through the grill grates.

Notes and Tips for Grilling Mango Salsa Salmon

1. Bring the fish to room temperature.

Like beef sirloin or bavette steak, salmon steak is tastier when it’s moist inside. Creating a sear on the outside of the fish is what traps the moisture inside, and it’s nearly impossible to sear salmon when it’s cold. Let it come to room temperature before you grill it.

2. Cook salmon skin side down first.

Once it’s placed on the grill, leave the fish alone. If you flip the filet before a crust forms, the skin will tear. Wait for the fish to loosen itself from the grill and then gently flip it over. It’s much easier to do this with a large fish spatula.

So, there you have it. Mango Salsa Salmon is another healthy fish recipe that’s quick and easy to make on the grill.

This post was originally published on May 13, 2019. Additional content was added for republishing on July 6, 2021.