Coconut Crusted Salmon with Citrus Salsa

Transport your taste buds to a tropical island with this coconut crusted salmon and citrus salsa. This dish is easy to make and a little something different than your usual baked salmon.

It’s been about a year since we last traveled, and I’m itching to get away. February is a tough month to get through in New England because it’s just so cold. I’m so ready to be sunbathing on a beach!

Since we can’t go anywhere right now (thanks, Covid-19), we’ll have to settle for a culinary vacation! If you’re ready for the sunshine too, treat your taste buds to this coconut crusted salmon with citrus salsa.

What’s in coconut crusted salmon?

Here is everything you need to make coconut crusted salmon for dinner tonight. The ingredient list is a big long, but there are no obscure or hard-to-find ingredients, and you probably have many of them in your pantry!

• Salmon: Ideally, buy your salmon on the day you plan to make this recipe to ensure freshness.
• Unsweetened shredded coconut to coat the salmon.
• Panko breadcrumbs to mix with the coconut for the breading
• Cornstarch is the first ingredient you coat the salmon with, to ensure the coconut crust sticks.
• Egg to create a sticky surface on the salmon for the coconut and breadcrumbs to cling to.
• Orange puts the “citrus” in citrus salsa!
• Lime zest
• Lime juice
• Tomato
• Red bell pepper
• White onion
• Garlic
• Jalapeno
• Scallions
• Cilantro
• Ginger
• Red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and olive oil

How to make coconut crusted salmon with citrus salsa

First, cut your salmon into equal size pieces. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the salmon and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Set up a breading station in three shallow bowls. In one bowl, add cornstarch, in a second bowl, whisk an egg with a little water, and mix together the coconut panko mixture in the third bowl.

Coat each piece of salmon first in a thin layer of cornstarch. Then dip in the egg, and finally in the coconut breadcrumb mixture. You can use your hands to press the breading down gently onto the salmon, and make sure to coat each side of salmon flesh.

Bake salmon in the oven until breading is golden brown. While the salmon bakes, prepare the citrus salsa.

To make the salsa, add all the salsa ingredients to a food processor. Pulse a few times until everything is well combined but ingredients are still chunky. If you don’t have a food processor, you can just chop up all the ingredients into small chunks, and mince the garlic, ginger, and spices.

Top each piece of salmon with a generous spoonful of citrus salsa. Serve with your favorite vegetable and grain side dishes!

Is coconut crusted salmon healthy?

The ingredients in coconut crusted salmon and citrus salsa provide lots of important nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and healthy fats:

• Salmon is one of the best sources of essential omega-3 fatty acids. This type of fat is considered a good fat, and is linked to heart health, brain health, and fighting inflammation. We can only obtain omega-3s from food, since our bodies do not produce them.
• Oranges are probably best known for their Vitamin C content – one small orange provides us with 85% of our daily needs! They also contain dietary fiber and potassium.
• Red bell peppers have even more vitamin C than oranges – one cup packs over 300% of your daily needs! Red bell peppers have more nutrients than green, yellow, or orange bell peppers, since they’ve been allowed to ripen and develop the longest. In addition to vitamin C, red bell peppers have dietary fiber, manganese, and the antioxidant beta-carotene.

Coconut crusted salmon with citrus salsa is a delicious and healthy addition to your diet. Pair it with your favorite vegetable side and some complex carbs (like quinoa, sweet potatoes, or brown rice) to make it a well balanced, filling meal!

If you love this recipe, you may also like

• Baked Coconut Shrimp with Cucumber Avocado Mango Salad
• Soy Maple Salmon Bowls with Broccoli, Delicata Squash, and Quinoa
• Salmon Tacos with Peach Salsa and Avocado Crema

Let me know if you love this recipe by leaving a comment or rating below, and check out Instagram and Pinterest for more healthy lifestyle inspiration. Thanks for stopping by!

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