
Okay this is my dream meal today. This morning I was feeling THE MOST cabin fever of all time – it’s been almost three weeks of social distancing/sheltering at home/etc, and I was FEELING IT TODAY. Honestly, it’s just the mornings. The afternoons and evenings are great – but those mornings…it’s a LONG STRETCH from 7 am to noon ladies and gents.
I could just tell the kids were bored this morning, and I was particularly bored too, so I was texting a neighborhood friend and we decided to go on a “distancing walk” together – i.e. I push my stroller on the street and she walks on the sidewalk (or vice versa), and it was LIFE GIVING.

The second we stepped outside, we all felt a million times better. The weather was amazing, we walked all around the neighborhood for probably an hour, chatted, and got some sunshine.
These salmon bowls are like that… a bowl of sunshine – bright and fresh! Does that make sense or is my quarantined brain traveling to strange places comparing food to feelings and experiences?! Whatevs, I’m embracing it.

These bowls are the perfect balance of everything:
- The salmon is tender and boldly flavored from the blackening seasoning
- The mango salsa is fresh, juicy, bright, and pairs perfectly with that boldly spiced salmon
- The rice is soft and hearty and the perfect base for everything
- (The cabbage slaw was an extra I added, but it was a delicious fresh crunch that brought even more life to these bowls – it’s just shredded cabbage, lime juice, and cilantro)
It’s the best bite! Bring some sunshine to your day with these bowls, friends – it’ll be your breath of fresh air!

Blackened Salmon Bowls with Mango Salsa

The boldly spiced salmon + fresh, bright mango salsa forms the best, most balanced bite! SO perfect for spring and summer!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets (skin on or off – doesn’t matter)
- 2 teaspoons Spice Rub
- 1 pound mango, diced (3 cups)
- 2 jalapeños, ribs and seeds removed, minced
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- For the mango salsa, combine all the above ingredients except for the salmon + spice rub to a medium bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste!
- For the salmon, heat a large, non stick saute pan over medium – medium high heat with some high heat oil (avocado or coconut work great!)
- If using skinless salmon, season both sides of each fillet with 1/2 teaspoon of spice rub. If using skin on salmon, season the skinless side with 1/2 teaspoon of spice rub (we will season the other side later)
- When your pan is hot, cook the salmon until each side has blackened and the salmon is just cooked through. If using skin on salmon, cook the skin side down for just a minute or two first, flip the salmon, remove the skin (it should peel off very easily) and season that side with your remaining 1/2 teaspoon of rub. Once the salmon has blackened, flip to your freshly seasoned side until just blackened and cooked through.
- I serve the salmon over a bed of rice and top with lots of mango salsa!
Notes
The way I make my rice: in the Instant Pot, add equal parts jasmine rice and water (I usually do 2 cups rice and 2 cups water) plus salt. Cook for 5 minutes high pressure with a 10 minute natural release! Fluff, and you’re ready.
In the photographs, you see I served this with cabbage slaw. Super simple if you want to add that to your bowl too! It’s literally just shredded purple cabbage, cilantro (whatever was leftover from the bunch I used for the mango salsa) and lime juice to taste + salt to taste.
This recipe will leave you with some extra mango salsa! It’s delicious plain, over rice, or on chips!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salmon fillet, 1/2 of the mango salsa
- Calories: 461
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 253 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 39 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
If you make this or any of my other recipe, be sure to Instagram it and tag @thegarlicdiaries so I can see!
This is the best mango salsa recipe I have ever seen. So easy and quick way to make the mango salsa at home. I really love this recipe. thank you for sharing this wonderful article.
Emila recently posted…10 Best Blender For Smoothies in 2021 – Buyer’s guide
★★★★★
I love everything about this recipe from the mango salsa that always has a great flavor to salmon that is rich in protein. This is a great meal for after my workouts. Need to spice up my food options as I sometimes only go for really quick meals, but 30 minutes for prep and cooking is pretty fast.
Thanks for the great post.
Grant recently posted…Hello world!
★★★★★
Looks really good. I’m gonna try this on the weekend. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Oh its look tasty and something easy to make… I am gonna try tonight… :)
Yay – let me know how it is when you try it!