BBQ Salmon BLT Salad features a homemade BBQ rub seared on the outside of a healthy salmon fillet. Quick, fresh, and filling!
As we’ve gotten older, my husband and I have been trying to eat healthier and make smarter food choices.
(Aging is for the birds, amiright?!)
Anyway, one of those “better choices” is eating lots of fresh and colorful meals like my BBQ Salmon BLT Salad.
BLT Salmon Salad
Think a BLT in salad form, topped with a sizzling piece of salmon that’s been rubbed with a smokey-sweet combination of smoked paprika, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
This plate-busting salad is nutritious for sure, but full of satisfying textures and flavors.
Because what fun is eating healthy if it doesn’t taste good?!
Drizzled with your favorite dressing, this filling, feel good recipe will be ready in under 30 minutes.
Start by placing bacon slices in a large cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet then turn the heat to medium and cook until the bacon is browned and crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate then remove all but 1 Tablespoon grease from the skillet. Chop the bacon once it’s cooled.
I love bacon in this salad because, well, do I really need to explain? HA! Honestly, I think a big part of successfully eating healthfully is being satiated when you put down your fork, and a little bit of bacon definitely does that for me.
Next, prepare your salmon fillets. This is wild-caught Alaskan salmon which has a ton of health benefits including being high in Omega 3 fatty acids.
In a small bowl combine the 4-ingredient homemade BBQ salmon rub that includes smoked paprika, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
Smokey, sweet, and spicy – it’s delicious!
Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the fillets then generously sprinkle with the spice rub and gently rub into the salmon.
Turn the heat under the skillet up to medium-high then add the fillets, skin-side up and sear for 2 minutes or until golden brown and caramelized.
Flip then sear for 2 minutes on the other side, and then place the entire skillet (make sure it’s oven-safe) into a 400 degree oven for 6 minutes. If your salmon fillets are bigger or smaller than 6oz just adjust the baking time accordingly.
While the salmon is cooking through, top two plates with lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes, diced avocado, the chopped bacon, and then place the salmon on top.
Drizzle with your favorite salad dressing, then dig in!
This sizzling salad full of fresh ingredients and flavors making eating healthy fun and EASY. This entire dish took less than 20 minutes to cook. I hope you’ll give it a try — enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets, 6-8oz each
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 slices bacon
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 avocado, diced
- Mixed greens
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add smoked paprika, salt, brown sugar, and pepper to a small dish then mix to combine and set aside.
- Place bacon in a large cast iron or other oven safe skillet then turn heat to medium and brown until bacon is crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain then chop once cool. Remove all but 1 Tablespoon bacon grease from the skillet then turn the heat up to medium-high.
- Squeeze lemon juice over salmon then sprinkle seasoning mix generously on top and rub to coat. Add salmon to skillet skin side up then saute for 2 minutes. Flip then saute for 2 minutes, and then place the entire skillet into the preheated oven and bake for 6 minutes.
- Divide lettuce between two plates then top with chopped bacon, tomatoes, avocado, and BBQ salmon. Serve with your favorite salad dressing.
Notes
- Spice rub from The Kitchn.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
We had this for dinner tonight and it is completely delicious! I love the smoked paprika with the salmon and bacon. Yum!
I made this for dinner last night and it was such a refreshing change from months of soups, stews and pasta bakes. This salmon is perfection – the rub and the cooking method turned out the tastiest, juiciest piece of salmon I’ve had in ages. Will definitely be making this again!
I love salmon, but am relatively new to cooking it myself. I always struggled with getting it cooked through to our liking, but not burnt on the outsides. This method worked like a charm! Thanks for the idea! :)
Driving west a few hours from Des Moines will get you to Omaha, but definitely not to Iowa City :)
That salad looks amazing!
This salmon looks so good! Magazine perfection right there. P.s. – I’m local and I think I saw you last week at Valley Community Center. I recognized your cute red coat. :)
This is PERFECTION! I wish so badly that we had a Whole Foods in the QC. We have no where to buy beautiful and fresh wild caught salmon. Hy-Vee has some sometimes, but it is previously frozen and far from beautiful. Oh I will have to make due with my “simply balanced” frozen salmon!
That salad looks and sounds amazing, I will have to try it soon!
xx Kelly
Sparkles and Shoes
We made this recipe last night and it was delicious!! Both my husband and I agree with you guys; possibly the best salmon we’very had. Thanks for sharing! Followed up with one of your treadmill workouts this morning and I’m a happy camper!
LOVE LOVE LOVE your brown cross body bag! Brand please! I’ve been looking for a big cross body for a while :)
Michael Kors :)
Great recipe and great motto! You two always seem to do such a great job of cooking dinners in and seem to have so much fun doing it, but we could probably all benefit from eating home-cooked real food more often!
I love this salad idea! We’re trying to go sugar free and eat only whole foods (for 100 days anyway) and eating seafood and big, delicious salads has been on our agenda too! This one looks perfect for dinner this week. And those glasses…haha! Love that you also have a big kid :)
I recently started eating fish, so I am always super excited when I see new seafood recipes. This BBQ version sounds amazing!
What a gorgeous salad! I love the BBQ “twist” on a classic salmon salad. Delicious :)