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Fire up your taste buds with this irresistible BBQ spiced salmon that's perfectly paired with golden caramelized pineapple for a sweet and smoky flavor explosion!
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What makes this dish special
There's a Brazilian BBQ restaurant that I love visiting, not for the meat but for their pineapple. Yes, the pineapple. Granted, it's not just an ordinary pineapple. They sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the fruit and put it on the rotisserie so that the outside is beautifully caramelized. It's divine.
And so, I took that idea and decided to pair it with salmon to create this BBQ spiced salmon with caramelized pineapple. Drizzle a charred lemon dressing on the spiced fish, serve it with sweet pineapple, and you have a fun tropical dinner.
Recipe
BBQ Spiced Salmon with Caramelized Pineapple
Ingredients
BBQ salmon
- 1 pound salmon
- ½ tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Charred lemon dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 lemon halved
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- ¼ cup chopped basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- salt and pepper
Caramelized pineapple
- 1 pineapple sliced into ½ inch thick slices
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine spices for salmon including brown sugar, paprika, salt, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Sprinkle on salmon in an even layer. Let sit for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat ¼ cup olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add lemon with the cut side facing down and cook until browned and slightly charred, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour the olive oil into a bowl. Squeeze lemon juice into the same bowl, discarding the lemons. Add chopped parsley, basil, and chives to the lemon oil mixture and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Roast the salmon for 15-17 minutes or until flesh flakes easily with a fork. Let rest for 10 minutes.
- Prepare pineapple. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Lay pineapple in an even layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture on both sides. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip pineapple over and bake for another 10 minutes or until caramelized.
- Transfer salmon to a serving platter and drizzle the charred lemon dressing on top followed by caramelized pineapple. Serve immediately.
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Prepare salmon
As much as I love salmon, it can become boring. So many restaurants prepare salmon the same way with the same typical sauces. Sure, it can be good, but I want something exciting. I blame the fact that I'm a professional chef and like to be impressed, especially if I'm paying money for it.
So I decided to whip up a BBQ spiced salmon with caramelized pineapple and charred lemon dressing. The spices may seem ordinary, but the dressing and pineapple really take it up a notch.
To prepare this dish, first, marinate the salmon. Combine all of the spices, including brown sugar, paprika, salt, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
Sprinkle a generous amount of the spice mix on the salmon and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
I like to make a big batch of this BBQ spice mix and use it on chicken, shrimp, steak, or even pork tenderloins. This recipe makes a little extra, so you can save that extra bit and use it on whatever you like!
Step 2: Make lemon dressing
While the salmon is absorbing all those wonderful flavors, make the charred lemon dressing. Heat oil in a sauté pan and place the lemon halves, cut side down, in the pan.
Cook the lemon until it's browned and lightly charred on the bottom.
When you char the lemon before squeezing the juice, the juice becomes sweeter. It's very lovely if I do say so myself.
Squeeze all of that lemon juice and combine it with the oil from the pan, chopped fresh herbs, salt, and pepper. It's a very simple dressing, but it pairs wonderfully with the heavily spiced fish.
Step 3: Cook pineapple
Now I don't have a rotisserie, so I couldn't caramelize the pineapple exactly how the Brazilian restaurant does. I improvised by slicing the pineapple, sprinkling cinnamon sugar on top, and baking it until the sugar caramelizes.
Make sure to flip the pineapple halfway through the cooking process so that both sides have a chance to caramelize.
Step 4: Bake salmon
By now, the salmon should be ready. Bake the salmon until the fish flakes easily, about 12-15 minutes. You can also grill the salmon or cook it on the stovetop.
Let the fish sit for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a serving platter and drizzle the charred lemon dressing on top. Garnish with the caramelized pineapple and serve!
If I served this BBQ spiced salmon just by itself, I wouldn't be impressed. However, the bright herby dressing brings life to the salmon, and the caramelized pineapple just takes it to the next level. This dish is anything but boring!
Serve this dish with prosciutto wrapped brussels sprouts with strawberry balsamic and Nashville sweet potato balls for a complete meal!
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: You can make the spice rub and charred lemon dressing up to a day ahead. The salmon can be seasoned and refrigerated for up to 4 hours before cooking.
- Store: Cooked salmon will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. The pineapple and dressing can be stored separately for up to 4 days.
More salmon recipes
Looking for more salmon dishes? Try these:
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