Bang Bang Salmon with Avocado Salsa (Printable Version)
Oven-baked salmon with creamy spicy sauce and fresh avocado-cucumber salsa, ready in 30 minutes.
# Ingredient List:
→ Salmon
01 - 4 salmon fillets, about 5 oz each
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1/2 tsp kosher salt
04 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
→ Bang Bang Sauce
05 - 4 tbsp mayonnaise
06 - 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
07 - 1 tbsp Sriracha, adjust to taste
08 - 1 tsp honey
09 - 1 tsp fresh lime juice
→ Avocado Cucumber Salsa
10 - 1 ripe avocado, diced
11 - 1 cup English cucumber, diced
12 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
13 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
14 - 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
15 - 1/4 tsp kosher salt
16 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
→ Optional Garnish
17 - Sliced green onions
18 - Toasted sesame seeds
19 - Lime wedges
# How to Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Rub each fillet with olive oil, then season evenly with salt and black pepper. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
03 - Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the salmon is just cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
04 - While the salmon bakes, whisk together mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, Sriracha, honey, and lime juice in a small bowl until smooth. Adjust the Sriracha to control heat level.
05 - Gently toss avocado, cucumber, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside to let flavors meld.
06 - Drizzle the baked salmon generously with Bang Bang Sauce. Serve each fillet over or alongside the avocado cucumber salsa. Finish with green onions, sesame seeds, and lime wedges if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The bang bang sauce walks that perfect line between creamy, sweet, and fiery, and you will want to put it on everything once you taste it.
- It looks like something you would order at a trendy restaurant but comes together in half an hour with zero fancy technique.
02 -
- Overcooking salmon by even two minutes turns it from silky to chalky, so start checking at the eight minute mark and remember it carries over cooking after you pull it.
- Tossing the salsa too early makes the avocado go brown and watery, so assemble it while the fish bakes but not a minute before.
03 -
- Toasting sesame seeds in a dry pan for thirty seconds transforms them from a boring garnish into something genuinely fragrant and nutty.
- Pressing the salmon fillets between paper towels and letting them sit uncovered in the fridge for fifteen minutes before cooking is the restaurant trick that guarantees a better sear.