Flavorful blackened salmon and a spicy chipotle ranch dressing dress up this loaded blackened salmon salad into one impressive lunch or dinner that can be prepped ahead of time!
This is how January salads are supposed to look, guys! Suddenly the decision of whether or not to eat a salad isn’t a very hard one to make.
The chipotle ranch dressing pretty much made the decision for you.
We love salads with a kick around here and this one definitely delivers! It’s kind of southwest-style with just a little bit of heat and lots of bold flavors.
These bowls make for a pretty incredible lunch salad that you can prep completely ahead of time to quickly grab and go in the morning.
Best part? You can assemble them in MINUTES!
This Blackened Salmon Salad features…
- Juicy seared salmon with a flavorful blackened seasoning rub
- A salad base of spring greens with black beans, sweet corn, green onions, avocado, and tomatoes
- Creamy homemade chipotle ranch dressing with just a little kick of heat
Making the Blackened Salmon Salad
(scroll down to the bottom of post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Salmon fillets
- Blackened seasoning spices
- Vegetable oil
- Spring green mix
- Black beans
- Sweet corn
- Green onions
- Cilantro
- Tomato
- Avocado
- Mayonnaise
- Sour cream
- Chipotle in adobo sauce
- Milk
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
How to Prepare Salmon
You will need about 1 lb of salmon for this recipe. We recommend buying a side of salmon and cutting into about 4 fillets.
If possible, we recommend using skinless salmon for this recipe, but if you’re nervous about removing the skin from the delicate salmon fillets yourself, feel free to leave it on and rub seasoning directly on skin.
To prepare the salmon for pan searing, pat dry with paper towels and season well on both sides with the blackened seasoning mix.
Tips for Perfect Salmon Salad
- Make homemade blackened seasoning mix – you will need paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. So much better than a pre-made seasoning mix!
- Pan sear salmon – we recommend using a nonstick pan for an easier time flipping the delicate salmon.
- Build salad – start with a base of spring greens and arrange black beans, corn, green onions, cilantro, avocado, and tomato on top.
- Make the chipotle ranch dressing – easily made in the food processor or blender in minutes! We use canned chipotle in adobo sauce for a spicy chipotle kick.
Recipe Variations
Try these fun variations for a different spin on this salad!
- Swap out chicken for salmon – if you’re not fan of salmon, boneless skinless chicken breasts work great in place of the salmon!
- Skip the chipotle – if you don’t like spicy, just skip the chipotle and you’ll have a perfectly fine regular ranch dressing.
- Swap out salad add-ins – don’t have black beans or corn on hand? Just add an extra handful of whatever fresh veggies you have on hand!
Make Ahead Instructions
The beauty of this salad is that it can be served while the salmon is hot OR cold. Meal-preppers, unite!
Cook the salmon, build the salad, make the dressing and store separately in the fridge up to 5 days. When ready to serve, arrange salmon on top of salad and drizzle dressing over top.
The flavors packed into this salad are nothing short of mind-blowing! The spice rub on the salmon is so flavorful with just a bit of spice and the creamy chipotle dressing just takes this salad over the top.
Kicking boring salads to the curb once and for all! This is a bandwagon you wanna hop on.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Watch this salad made step-by-step on Google web stories!
A few more incredible salads to add to your menu!
Blackened Salmon Salad with Chipotle Ranch
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Ingredients
Blackened Salmon
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lb skinless salmon fillets (about 3-4 pieces)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
Salad
- 6 cups spring green mix
- 1 medium avocado, pitted and diced into 1/2-in cubes
- 1 medium tomato, diced into 1/4-in cubes
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) corn, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
Chipotle Ranch
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon 2% or skim milk
- 1 tablespoon minced chipotle in adobo sauce (plus 1 tablespoon sauce)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Blackened Salmon
- In a small bowl, combine all spices. Rub spice mixture evenly all over salmon fillets.
- In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat vegetable oil until shimmery. Add salmon to pan and sear 3-4 minutes on each side, flipping once until salmon is cooked through.
- Remove salmon from pan and set aside to cool while you prepare the salad and dressing.
Salad
- In a large serving bowl, combine all salad ingredients. Divide between 4 serving bowls. Arrange salmon fillets on top. Set aside for a moment.
Chipotle Ranch
- Combine all ranch ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. Season dressing with salt and pepper to taste.
- Drizzle dressing over assembled salads and serve immediately. Enjoy!
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