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Cilantro Lime Salmon with Mango Salsa. One word, delicious. This one-skillet salmon is for those nights when you’re craving something super flavorful, but need to keep things quick and easy too. It’s all made in one skillet with garden bell peppers, chili seasoned salmon, and a cilantro garlic lime butter pan sauce. Serve each piece of salmon over steamed rice and top with mango salsa…then drizzle over a little of that garlicky cilantro lime butter. Not only is this salmon easy and delicious, it’s also a great way to use up late summer produce. Best part? It comes together in just about 30 minutes.
First, if you hate cilantro and think it tastes like soap…while I don’t understand that, and probably never will…please don’t click away. You can use basil in place of the cilantro. OK? Great, moving on.
I listened to a podcast the other day that was talking about how you have to learn to let creative procrastination happen. I was a little confused at first, but then it all made sense and resonated with me so much. Often times we want to get everything right the first time around, but the truth is, that’s almost always impossible. At least for me anyway.
I can often be my most creative self when I continue to chip away at ideas, slowly letting the idea develop over time. Apparently, I’m what’s known as (or maybe not known as) a “creative procrastinator”. Here’s what I tend to do with recipes. I’ll test them out once, sort of love it, but maybe not feel 100% happy with it. I might try again the next day. But if I still don’t love it, I normally take a break for a day or longer. Sometimes I forget about the idea altogether, but then sometimes I will keep pushing it forward. Making the dish multiple times, doing something different each time, until I land on something I really love and feel so excited to share.
That’s called procrastination, but I think it’s the good kind, and I am happy I allow myself the time to “procrastinate”. It’s how I created this recipe and so many other favorite recipes too!
I just never knew it…
Which brings me to this easy as can be, one skillet salmon, that truly has so much going on.
And is SO delicious!
Originally this recipe started out as just cilantro lime salmon. As in salmon + cilantro + lime and a little sauce. It was good, but I mean, I was kind of bored. I needed to give you guys a full dinner. There needed to be vegetables, there needed to be color. The dish just needed more.
So I tried again, but something still wasn’t right, so I gave up…for a few days anyway. And then somehow on the third attempt, I created this recipe. It’s complete with vegetables, salmon, sauce, and salsa. And here is how you make it…
Season the salmon with a mix of chili powder and smoked paprika. Then rub with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. That’s that.
Now, grab your skillet and get it real hot. Cook up some bell peppers and onions until charred, kind of in a fajita style. Next add the salmon and sear until crisp on the bottom and the flesh is almost blackened. Things should be smelling very good at this point.
Remove the salmon from the skillet, add butter and honey…yes, butter and honey, just trust me here. Then add garlic (plenty of garlic), lime juice and cilantro. If you hate cilantro, you can use basil, promise it will be just as delicious. Simmer the butter sauce for a minute or so and then slide the salmon back into the sauce. And that’s it…dinner is done.
Well almost…
Make the mango salsa, and then dinner is done.
And yes, the salsa might seem like an unimportant extra step, but I do think you need it. It’s just too good to not include and adds a really fresh finish to each plate of salmon.
In just about 30 minutes you’ll have cilantro lime salmon, with fajita-style bell peppers, mango salsa, and a really delicious, perfectly buttery, garlic, cilantro, lime, pan sauce.
Not sure there’s a better skillet dinner on HBH at the moment. This one is not only GOOD, it’s PRETTY, and it is SO FLAVORFUL. Enough said. Hope you all make this dish and love it as much as I do!
Oh, and don’t forget to let yourself procrastinate a little today, you never know what you might think up!
If you make these cilantro lime salmon with mango salsa, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
A+! Made this Monday for special pre-first day of school dinner. I subbed wild shrimp for salmon because my family loves shrimp! Everyone loved this dinner. I was asked to ‘add it to the rotation’. You’re head of the class in our house!
Thank you so much Sheryl!! So happy to read all of these comments! xTieghan
OMGGGG!!! This was SO GOOD and SO EASY. This one will definitely be one I’ll make again and again. Thanks for yet another amazingly delicious recipe!
Love to hear that! Thank you so much Lindsey! xTieghan
The salmon was fantastic. I didn’t get to snap any pics, but I’m sure I’ll be making this again. Thanks for a yummy dinner.
Thank you Elane! xTieghan
This was so good!!!
Thank you Katie! xTieghan
This was DELICIOUS. An immediate repeater in our house!
Thank you so much Nicky! xTieghan
Amazing flavor! Will definitely make this one again.
So happy to hear that Christiane! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Ah yes, I see them now! Looks fantastic – thanks you! 🙂
Thank you Aline! xTieghan
This recipe looks delicious!! As to why some people strongly dislike cilantro, research indicates that it is in a person’s genes. Some people have a specific gene that will give them that soapy taste when they eat cilantro. I have friends and family who have described that taste to me. Being a nurse I had to throughly research the reason for that since I love cilantro and use a lot of it in my recipes. Can’t wait to try this one!
So crazy! I hope you love this recipe Lynne! xTieghan
YEH!! Pictures are showing on this one.
Woohoo!!
How long does it take for salmon to cook?
Hi Wendy! 2-3 minutes per side, about 6 minutes total. All listed in the directions. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I made this for yesterday’s dinner! It was unbelievably
delicious and everyone loved it. Amazing recipe!
Thank you so much Natalie! xTieghan
No pictures here either, but reading the post this sounds delicious. Might do everything on the grill except the sauce tonight for dinner, thanks for the idea!
Thank you so much! I hope you love this! xTieghan
Your recipe sounds great but where are your pretty pictures? I don’t see them.
Hi Bobbi Jo! They should be up now! Let me know if you still have a problem! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
No pictures here either.
Hi Charlotte! Sorry about that! They should show up now.. Let me know! xTieghan
The recipe reads delicious, but what I’m sure are gorgeous photos…are not loading. Tried three different browsers. Having twitchy withdrawals from a lack of Tieghan’s amazing photography…
(Probably a server error of sorts…hope it resolves soon.) 🙂
Hi Aline! Can you get them now? Please let me know! xTieghan