Grilled Salmon Strawberry Salsa (Printable)

Tender grilled salmon paired with a bright, zesty strawberry salsa for a fresh, light meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salmon

01 - 4 salmon fillets (6 oz each), skin-on
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
04 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
05 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
06 - Zest of 1 lemon

→ Strawberry Salsa

07 - 1½ cups fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
08 - ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
09 - ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
10 - 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
11 - Juice of 1 lime
12 - ½ teaspoon honey or agave syrup
13 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Garnish

14 - Lemon wedges
15 - Extra cilantro leaves

# Steps:

01 - Preheat grill to medium-high heat, approximately 400°F.
02 - Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Brush both sides with olive oil, then season with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and lemon zest.
03 - In a medium bowl, combine diced strawberries, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, honey, salt, and pepper. Gently toss and allow flavors to meld for several minutes.
04 - Place salmon fillets skin-side down on grill grates. Close lid and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip and grill for 2 to 3 minutes until flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
05 - Remove salmon from grill and allow to rest for 2 minutes on a serving platter.
06 - Top each salmon fillet with generous portions of strawberry salsa. Garnish with lemon wedges and additional cilantro leaves. Serve immediately with light salad or steamed vegetables.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sweet-spicy salsa cuts through the salmon's richness in a way that feels almost magical, not heavy at all.
  • Everything cooks in under 30 minutes, which means you can pull off something that tastes like real effort on a weeknight without actually trying that hard.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, so you're not sacrificing anything—just serving genuinely delicious food.
02 -
  • Don't flip your salmon too early or too many times—I learned this the hard way with a fillet that fell apart, and now I set a timer and trust the grill.
  • Make your salsa just before grilling so it stays fresh and bright; if you make it too far ahead, the lime juice will start breaking down the strawberries and they'll lose their texture.
03 -
  • If you want to add a quiet layer of flavor, marinate your salmon in olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh herbs for 30 minutes before grilling—it won't change the cooking time but it deepens everything.
  • Fresh basil or mint can swap in for cilantro if that's what you have or prefer, and honestly, the salsa adapts beautifully to whatever herbs are calling to you.
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