Spicy Brown Sugar Salmon (w/ Mango Salsa!)

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Impressive, yet super easy to make, this Spicy Brown Sugar Salmon is ready in under 20 minutes!

This recipe was originally published May 9, 2019. It was updated on July 13, 2021.

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In this post we will be making spicy brown sugar salmon with a mango salsa. I will share illustrated steps on how to make the salmon as well as serving suggestions, recipe pro-tips, and more.

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This is one of my best oven baked salmon recipes-- and I don't say that lightly. Chris and I have been eating salmon at least once a week since the day we met.

This recipe, however, is one that I've been making steadily since I was 14 years old. Tweaked over the years to land on my perfect version of the recipe, it started with a brown sugar and chili powder rubbed salmon with a simple mango salsa.

Being a nerdy teenager has its perks, though. Hanging out in front of the stove every night after school, I tinkered with seasoning, added new spices, and discovered the secrets to perfect fresh mango salsa.

What I landed on is a baked salmon that is sweet, spicy, and tender and a mango salsa that is fresh, juicy, cooling, and balanced. It's a combination that's easy enough to serve for a weeknight dinner but fancy enough to serve for your next dinner party.

Quite possibly, the best thing about this recipe is how quick it is. Just whisk together the rub and pat it on the salmon. While the salmon roasts, toss together the mango salsa and then dinner is served!

Easily double this recipe for a crowd, substitute pineapple or peaches for the mango, and adjust the heat in the salsa to your liking.

This spicy salmon recipe is...

• Sweet
• Spicy
• Juicy
• Flaky

Make this salmon for those nights you want to eat gourmet but don't want to slave in the kitchen!

Recipe ingredients:

• Salmon fillets - with or without skin
• Mango - fresh is best but frozen and defrosted cubed mango can also work
• Baby tomatoes
• Cilantro - omit if you don't like cilantro
• Red onion
• Lime juice
• Brown sugar
• Spices - chili powder, cumin, coriander, and cayenne pepper
• Jalapeno - optional

Substitutions:

• Fish - salmon brings a certain richness to this dish, but many other hearty fish should substitute fine for it. Cod, halibut, and mahi mahi would all be great.
• Fruit - to change up this recipe or to make it with in-season produce, diced pineapple, peaches, or plums can be used in place of the mango.
• Onion - finely minced sweet yellow or white onion can substitute for the minced red onion.

How to make brown sugar salmon:

1. Preheat the oven and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the brown sugar and spices together until combined.
3. Sprinkle the salmon with the brown spice mixture. Rub the spices onto the salmon.
4. Bake the salmon until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
5. While the fish bakes: add all the mango salsa ingredients to a mixing bowl. Stir until combined.
6. Serve the salmon hot with the mango salsa.

Brown sugar salmon recipe pro-tips:

• Use high quality salmon - since salmon is the blank canvas we will be starting with, it's important to use a high quality fish. I recommend wild salmon if you can find or afford it, fresh (i.e. with a great expiration date) at the grocery store, or ordering high quality salmon through a butcher delivery service like Rastelli's.
• Make the mango salsa while the salmon is in the oven - save on time by making the mango salsa while the salmon bakes.
• Adjust the salsa spiciness to taste - to add a little kick, add minced jalapeno to taste to the salsa. Otherwise, the cool and mild salsa will balance out the heat of the brown sugar rub.

Recipe FAQ's:

How to cut a mango:

1. Slice the mango lengthwise twice on either side of the pit. The pit runs through the widest part of the mango when looking down on the stem. Slice on either side of it.
2. Slicing through the flesh and up to, but not through, the skin, gently cut in a crisscross pattern into each side of the mango.
3. Using two hands, gently press the skin of the mango up, or through to the cut side, or until the flesh pops up and the cubes of mango stick out.
4. Slice the cubes of mango off at the base, where the flesh meets the skin.
5. Side off any remaining flesh around the mango pit. Skin it and cut into cubes.

Serving suggestions:

This brown sugar glazed salmon is delicious with many different sides. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Roasted sweet potatoes
• Tortilla chips
• Blistered green beans
• Rice pilaf
• Air fryer zucchini
• Roasted broccoli
• Corn on the cob

Storage directions:

Leftovers last covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. They do not freeze well.

Tools needed to make this recipe:

• Rimmed baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Mixing bowls
• Measuring cups & spoons
• Silicone spatula
• Serving spatula

More salmon recipes:

• Air Fryer Salmon
• Air Fryer Salmon Bites
• Bourbon Glazed Salmon

More quick dinner recipes:

• Peanut Butter Chicken Curry Recipe
• Thai Green Chicken Curry
• Rubbed Turmeric Chicken

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