It doesn’t get any tastier (or easier) than this delicious Citrus Herb Salmon topped with a sweet and spicy Mango Pico on a bed of Cilantro Lime Brown Rice. Ready in 30 minutes (yep, even the brown rice), this is the perfect healthy meal to serve your family. 
Salmon is one of the girls’ favorite protein. I can serve it up for dinner with a side of rice or couscous all the time and still have a happy family. We have salmon almost once a week so I’m constantly trying to find different ways to cook it.
WHY IS THIS MEAL PERFECT FOR MY FAMILY DINNER?
So many reasons, where do I start? Here are why this is perfect for me!
- Salmon is a kid friendly fish even if kids refuse other seafood. Even better, it only takes 15 minutes to bake in the oven.
- Each salsa bite has a good balance of sweet, spicy, tangy, and salty. And if you don’t have fresh mangoes, substitute it out with pineapple or peaches.
- The whole meal including the brown rice is done in 30 minutes ( I do use the instant pot for the brown rice). You can also make the brown rice ahead of time a few days early to save yourself some work.
Citrus Herb Salmon with a Mango Pico and Cilantro Lime Rice
Ingredients
For the Salmon:
- 4 6oz salmon fillets
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 c orange juice
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
For the Cilantro Lime Brown Rice:
- 1 c brown rice
- 2 c water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 1/2 c cilantro, chopped
For the Mango Pico:
- 2 ripe mangos, diced
- ½ c onions, finely diced
- 3 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 2 serrano peppers, finely diced (take of out the seeds and ribs to cut down the spice)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ tsp salt
- pinch of black pepper
Instructions
For the Brown Rice**:
- In the instant pot, combine the rice, water, and salt. Stir to mix. Cover lid and place vent on sealing position.
- Pressure cook manual for 20 minutes.
- When the timer goes off, NPR (natural release pressure) for 10 minutes.
- Change to vent position to let out any pressure.
- Open Instant Pot and fluff rice.
- Transfer to a bowl and add in lime juice, zest, and cilantro. Toss to mix well.
For the Salmon:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- In a bowl, mix together garlic, orange juice, parsley, soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, and black pepper. Whisk well to emulsify all of the ingredients. Coat salmon fillets with dressing.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes.
For the Mango Pico:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine flavors.
To Assemble:
- Divide rice between 4 plates.
- Add a fillet of salmon to each plate and finally top with mango salsa. Serve when fillets are warm.
Notes
**For the brown rice, it stays well in the fridge for a few days if you make it in advance. Wait to toss with lime juice and cilantro right before serving.
**If you don't have an instant pot to cook the rice, follow the directions below:
In a medium sized saucepan, combine water, rice, and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer. Cover and cook for 45 minutes. Turn off stove and let steam for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Enjoy warm!
Here are the tools I used for this recipe:
For more seafood inspiration, check out these recipes:
Blackened Fish Tacos with a Garlic Sriracha Aioli
Fish Tikka Masala
Mahi Mahi with Garlic Lemon Sauce
Shrimp Ceviche
One Pan Baked Salmon and Rainbow Veggies
Teriyaki Salmon
Lemon Herb Salmon
