Bang Bang Salmon with Avocado Salsa (Printable Version)

Spicy baked salmon with creamy bang bang sauce and refreshing avocado cucumber salsa, ready in 30 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Salmon

01 - 4 skinless salmon fillets, about 6 oz each
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
05 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

→ Bang Bang Sauce

06 - 1/4 cup mayonnaise
07 - 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
08 - 1 tablespoon Sriracha, adjusted to taste
09 - 1 tablespoon honey
10 - 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

→ Avocado Cucumber Salsa

11 - 1 large avocado, diced
12 - 1 cup English cucumber, diced
13 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
14 - 1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced
15 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
16 - Juice of 1 lime
17 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ For Serving

18 - Steamed rice, quinoa, or lettuce wraps, optional
19 - Lime wedges

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Brush each fillet on all sides with olive oil, then season evenly with salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Arrange seasoned fillets on the prepared baking sheet.
03 - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the salmon is opaque throughout 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. Set aside.
05 - In a medium bowl, gently combine diced avocado, cucumber, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste, tossing carefully to keep avocado chunks intact.
06 - Remove salmon from the oven and drizzle each fillet generously with the bang bang sauce.
07 - Spoon the avocado cucumber salsa over or alongside each sauced fillet. Serve immediately with steamed rice, quinoa, or lettuce wraps, and garnish with lime wedges.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • The bang bang sauce walks a perfect line between sweet heat and creamy richness, and once you taste it on warm salmon you will want to put it on everything.
  • The avocado cucumber salsa cools everything down and adds a freshness that makes each bite feel balanced rather than heavy.
  • Start to finish in thirty minutes means you can pull this off on a weeknight without breaking a sweat.
02 -
  • Overcooking salmon by even two minutes turns it from silky to chalky, so start checking at the twelve minute mark and pull it when the center still has a slight translucency.
  • Mixing the salsa too early releases water from the cucumber and turns everything soupy, so wait until the salmon is almost done before tossing it together.
03 -
  • Let the salmon rest for two minutes after pulling it from the oven before saucing, because the juices redistribute and every bite stays moist instead of pooling on the plate.
  • Use vegan mayonnaise and extra lime juice in the bang bang sauce if you are cooking for someone with egg allergies, because the flavor difference is almost undetectable.

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