Spicy Honey Glazed Salmon Salad

Get ready to tantalize your taste buds with our Spicy Honey Glazed Salmon Salad! This isn't your ordinary salad--- It's a vibrant mix of succulent salmon fillets coated in a sweet + spicy glaze, kale, jalapenos, cherry tomatoes + creamy avocado. With every bite, you'll experience a burst of fresh flavors that'll leave you craving more. And don't forget that delicious creamy Cucumber Dill Sauce drizzled right on top! Totally Gluten-free + Dairy-free. Vegan Option.

Salmon is my go-to protein because it's not just tasty but also super healthy. I love the sweet + spicy kick of honey + chili --- Especially in dishes like Hot Honey Baked Chicken Breasts and Spicy Honey Sweet Potato Wedges. That's what sparked the idea for this Spicy Honey Glazed Salmon Salad—all on a bed of a delicious hearty salad, bringing together the perfect mix of sweetness + heat.

If you're into honey in savory dishes, you've got to try my Skillet Honey Garlic Baked Chicken Thighs, Hot Honey Apple Cheddar Bacon Grilled Cheese, Hot Honey Garlic Dinner Rolls, and Honey Garlic Shrimp with Broccoli. And for those who love a bit of heat, dive into my Cajun seasoning or add a taste of Jamaica with Traditional Jamaican Green Seasoning!

Alright, let's circle back to this salad—it's hearty, dairy-free, and a real crowd-pleaser for the whole gang. The best part? You can totally customize it to fit everyone's taste. And that cucumber dill sauce? It's the magic touch that brings everything together so nicely. By the way, if you're itching to add more salmon to your weekly rotation, I've got some awesome tips for cooking salmon!

Jump to:

• Why You Will LOVE This Spicy Honey Glazed Salmon Salad
• How To Make Spicy Honey Glazed Salmon Salad
• Ingredients
• Why + How to Massage Kale
• What Can Be Used Instead of Kale in this Salad?
• What Is Sockeye Salmon?
• Sockeye vs Atlantic Salmon
• Can Sockeye Salmon Be Cooked From Frozen?
• How To Shop For Fresh Sockeye Salmon
• Can I Add More More Ingredients to this Salad?
• Spicy Honey Glazed Salmon Salad Q + A's
• Love Seafood? Try These Delicious Recipes Next!
• MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?
• Spicy Honey Glazed Salmon Salad

Why You Will LOVE This Spicy Honey Glazed Salmon Salad

• Sweet, spicy, and oh-so-satisfying!
• An epic explosion of taste with every forkful!
• Incredibly versatile--- customize it with your favorite veggies + protein options, making it a hit for everyone.
• Packed with vitamins + antioxidants
• Super delicious + colorful
• Works as a main meal OR side!
• Perfectly creamy thanks to the cucumber dill sauce!

How To Make Spicy Honey Glazed Salmon Salad

Ready to make this tasty Spicy Honey Glazed Salmon Salad? First things first, let's gather and prep our ingredients! While there are a few steps involved, trust me, it's totally worth it, and you can even use some of these ingredients for meal prep.

Ingredients

The ingredients for this salmon salad recipe are simple and easy to customize based on what’s in your kitchen:

SPICY HONEY GLAZED SALMON:

• Salmon. Wild-caught Sockeye.
• Extra virgin olive oil. Adds richness and depth while promoting a golden, crispy texture.
• Raw honey. I find raw organic honey to have the best flavor. Nate's Organic is a great option!
• Sriracha sauce. This adds the heat and spicy element!
• Tamari sauce. (You can also use soy sauce)
• Sea salt + black pepper.
• Smoked paprika.
• Garlic powder.

SALAD:

• Kale. De-stemmed + roughly chopped (You can use green or red or both)
• Red onion. Chopped.
• Sliced jalapenos. Remove the seeds if you don't like things too spicy!
• Chopped walnuts. Toasted brings out the best flavor.
• Cherry or grape tomatoes. You can make my Herb roasted tomatoes for more flavor.
• Avocado. Cubed or sliced.

CUCUMBER DILL SAUCE/DRESSING [DAIRY-FREE]:

• Vegan mayonnaise. I love using Follow Your Heart Veganaise . It is super creamy and smooth but feel free to add your fave if you prefer.
• Cucumber. Peeled + chopped.
• Dill. Dry or freshly minced.
• Sea salt + black pepper. Rounds out the flavors!
• Garlic cloves. Infuses a strong garlic aroma and flavor.
• Almond milk. Helps to make the sauce creamier. You can use your fave plant-based milk. Learn how to make homemade almond milk!

SHOP MY FAVORITE TOOLS FOR BAKING, ESPECIALLY FOR THIS SALAD!

Here, I’ve curated a list of baking essentials that I use to achieve my favorite baked goods, especially with this Spicy Honey Glazed Salmon Salad. Everything from whisks, blenders, knives, and more. SEE THEM HERE!

Why + How to Massage Kale

When it comes to massaging kale, it's usually recommended because kale is known for being tough and fibrous, which makes it sometimes hard to chew and digest. However, massaging the kale softens it a great deal and helps the flavors to be more pronounced which works hand in hand with the other ingredients.

My easy method to massage kale is to add the de-stemmed and chopped kale to a large bowl and then drizzling it with 1-2 tsps of lemon juice or Extra virgin olive oil and using your clean hands, rubbing the leaves together gently for about 2-3 minutes. They should look glossy and slightly reduced in volume when massaging is achieved.

What Can Be Used Instead of Kale in this Salad?

Although kale is the most common veggie that I love to use as my salad base, you can definitely use other greens such as romaine lettuce, spinach, collard greens, bokchoy, etc. for a nice twist! When it comes to vegetables, there are so many benefits as we all know. While some veggies pack a greater punch when it comes to nutrients, I’ve curated a special list of our Top 12 Favorite Healthy Green Leafy Vegetables! Most of these are super popular while others are underutilized in many dishes.

What Is Sockeye Salmon?

Sockeye Salmon is also known as Kokanee salmon and sometimes just called red salmon. It is a wild Pacific fish that is a little bit smaller than most other types of salmon. Sockeye salmon has a very rich texture and tons of flavor.The meat of a sockeye salmon is lower in fat than farmed salmon and it is higher in vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.

Sockeye vs Atlantic Salmon

The main difference between the two: Wild sockeye salmon develop their robust qualities in a vast marine ecosystem, swimming thousands of miles over a lifetime in an epic hunt for food. This is in stark contrast to farm-raised Atlantic salmon, who are typically confined to a net pen — often situated in polluted, coastal waters — where they’re fed engineered pellets that can never truly replace a wild diet.

Of course, the other difference is in their taste: Atlantic salmon is less tasteful than Sockeye salmon and doesn't pack as much as a punch. Overall, Sockeye has more of a crab-like taste to it and is often considered firm in texture.

Can Sockeye Salmon Be Cooked From Frozen?

Yes! You can actually put your wild salmon right into the oven from the freezer. Add about 8-10 minutes to the cooking time to account for the cold temperature of the fish. I also like to loosely cover the salmon when baking from frozen, tenting it with foil to trap the moisture as it cooks a little longer.

How To Shop For Fresh Sockeye Salmon

I have a little secret for you about seafood: It is almost always frozen immediately after being caught. Freezing fish either right on the fishing boat or at the docks helps kill bacteria and prevent the delicate fish from spoilage. Even the "fresh" fish in the grocery store has usually been frozen and then thawed. So, unless you are lucky enough to live near a sockeye salmon breeding ground, you should skip the "fresh" fish section in your grocery store and go straight to the freezer section for your fish. The frozen sockeye salmon in the grocery store will cost less and it will be the same, high quality.

Can I Add More More Ingredients to this Salad?

Definitely! This is a great recipe to mix and match the ingredients/toppings. For added nutrients, fiber, and color, add your favorite veggies + protein.

Here are some additions that would go well in this salad:

• Beans + legumes (i.e. chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, etc.)
• Other greens (i.e. spinach, lettuce, mixed greens, arugula, mustard greens, etc.)
• Swap out the salmon for another protein --- Shredded chicken, hot honey baked chicken, shrimp, steak works well!
• Tofu, mushrooms, tempeh, etc. (Great meat alternatives)
• Homemade croutons, baked tortillas, or pita chips
• Roasted veggies (i.e. asparagus, sweet potatoes, zucchini, butternut squash, etc.)
• Cheese, either dairy or plant-based (feta cheese would be especially nice in this salad)
• Herb roasted tomatoes
• Nuts + seeds (i.e. pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, etc.)
• Sweet potatoes or roasted butternut squash
• Grains like farro, quinoa, couscous, etc.
• Boiled or poached eggs
• Candied bacon

Spicy Honey Glazed Salmon Salad Q + A's

Love Seafood? Try These Delicious Recipes Next!

If you enjoyed this Spicy Honey Glazed Salmon Salad recipe, definitely throw these mouthwatering seafood recipes onto your "must-make next" list:

• Jamaican Spicy 'Pepper' Shrimp
• Creamy Lobster Bisque
• Honey Garlic Shrimp with Broccoli
• Spicy Cajun Shrimp, Kale + Cauliflower Rice
• Savory Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
• Best Easy Blackened Shrimp Po’Boy
• Parmesan Garlic Shrimp Scampi with Linguine
• Jerk Lobster Rolls (Sweet & Spicy BBQ)

MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?

If you tried this Spicy Honey Glazed Salmon Salad recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. And don't forget to tag @orchidsnsweettea_ on Instagram  and hashtag it #orchidsandsweettea! I love hearing from you!

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