Roasted Green Chile Salmon

For a delicious and quick Mediterranean dinner, try this roasted green chile salmon with creamy tahini yogurt and breadcrumbs. The flavors from the preserved lemon to fresh herbs and tangy yogurt all work together to create one amazing dish!

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Salmon: Salmon is the star of this dish, providing a rich and flavorful base. Substitutions for salmon could include other types of fish, like trout or cod.
• Jalapenos: The peppers add heat and flavor to the green chile sauce. You can also use serrano peppers or poblano peppers instead. For a spicy green chile sauce, add some of the jalapeno seeds.
• Preserved lemon: Preserved lemons are lemons that have been pickled in salt and their juices, resulting in a soft, intensely flavored condiment. They contribute a tangy and slightly salty flavor while also adding brightness. If you can't find preserved lemons, you can use 1 tablespoon of lemon zest instead, but the final results will vary slightly.
• Parsley: Adds freshness and herbaceous notes while helping balance the flavors. You can also use cilantro instead, or a combination of parsley and cilantro.
• Tahini: The sesame paste adds richness and nuttiness to the tahini yogurt sauce.
• Greek yogurt: Use plain Greek yogurt for the best results, which adds a tangy flavor to the sauce.
• Breadcrumbs: Toasted breadcrumbs are sprinkled on top of the salmon before serving to add a crispy texture and additional flavor.

Substitutions and variations

• Gluten-free: For a gluten-free option, you can use crushed toasted almonds or pinenuts instead of breadcrumbs or use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
• Protein: You can also try this recipe with chicken breast or thigh.
• Dairy-free: Substitute the yogurt with dairy-free yogurt.

Recipe

Print Recipe

Roasted Green Chile Salmon

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: seafood

Servings: 8

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Green chile salmon

• 2 pounds salmon
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• 3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
• 1 ½ ounces chopped preserved lemon (about 1 small lemon)
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ¾ teaspoon black pepper

Remaining ingredients

• ½ cup tahini
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup toasted breadcrumbs

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Make green chile sauce. In a food processor, combine parsley, jalapenos, preserved lemon, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, coriander, and black pepper. Pulse until mixture is finely chopped and resembles a paste.
• Place salmon on prepared baking sheet and spread green chile sauce on top in an even layer. Roast for 12 minutes. Turn on the broiler on high and broil for 3 minutes or until lightly charred. Remove from oven.
• While salmon is cooking, make tahini sauce. Blend together tahini with water, lemon juice, garlic, and salt until smooth. Stir in Greek yogurt and mix until well combined.
• Spoon tahini yogurt sauce on serving platter and place salmon on top. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and serve immediately.

Notes

This recipe can easily be divided in half for 4 servings.

The green chile salmon can be prepared the day before.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Make green chile sauce

Let's start preparing this dish by making the main flavor component, the green chile sauce. To make the sauce, combine fresh parsley, seeded and chopped jalapenos, chopped preserved lemon, garlic cloves, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, ground coriander, and black pepper in a food processor. Pulse the ingredients until they form a finely chopped paste-like consistency.

I like to chop some of the ingredients, such as the preserved lemon and jalapenos, before adding them to the food processor, even though we're going to pulse them. Sometimes when I add whole items to the food processor, they don't get chopped evenly. It's one extra step, but it guarantees that the ingredients will pulverize.

If you don't have a food processor, you can finely chop the ingredients by hand and mix them in a bowl until well combined.

Although there are 3 jalapenos, this sauce is fairly mild. If you want a bit of heat, add some of the jalapeno seeds.

Step 2: Cook salmon

Next, prepare the salmon by placing it on the prepared baking sheet and spreading the green chile sauce evenly on top of the fish. Roast the salmon in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes.

Once the salmon is cooked, turn on the broiler to high and broil the fish for an additional 3 minutes or until the top is lightly charred. This helps bring a little smoky element to the roasted green chile salmon.

To check if the salmon is done cooking, gently press the flesh with a fork; it should easily flake apart.

Step 3: Prepare tahini sauce

While the salmon is cooking, prepare the tahini sauce. Combine the tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, and salt in a Vitamix and blend until smooth. You can also use your sheer arm strength and whisk the ingredients by hand. I like to use a blender to ensure that the tahini is as smooth as it can be.

Stir in the plain Greek yogurt with the tahini sauce and whisk until well combined. This sauce is a variation of the tahini sauce that you may see at many Mediterranean restaurants, served alongside chicken kebabs or shawarma. It's a simple sauce but incredibly delicious.

Spoon the creamy tahini yogurt sauce onto a serving platter and place the cooked salmon on top. Sprinkle toasted breadcrumbs over the salmon, and get ready to dig in.

Make sure to get a bit of the salmon with the green chile sauce and tahini yogurt sauce in every bite - it's the only way to enjoy it! The creamy, slightly tangy sauce balances the roasted chile sauce wonderfully while the rich salmon is the perfect vessel. Ready in 30 minutes and tastes amazing? Just what I was looking for!

For another quick and delicious salmon dish, check out this salmon shawarma bowl!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: Both the tahini sauce and green chili sauce can be prepared the day before.
• Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Frequently asked questions

Serving suggestions

Looking for dishes to serve with this salmon? Try these: