This Balsamic Grilled Salmon with Strawberry Avocado Salsa is a fresh and healthy summer meal. It is sweet, savory, and delicious! This meal is Whole30, paleo, and gluten free.

Let’s keep the fresh, summery recipes rolling! I am a huge fan of sweet and savory dishes. Any type of protein topped with a delicious, fruity salsa is my love language! This Balsamic Grilled Salmon with Strawberry Avocado Salsa has the most incredible flavors. The marinade can be used for steak, chicken and other types of of fish, as well. You can make the salsa ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. The avocado may start to turn brown, but the acid from the lime juice should keep it green for at least a day.

How should I cook the salmon?

First we need to marinade it for at least an hour. Bring it to room temperature before cooking, if possible. There are various methods for cooking the salmon:

Grilling:

Heat your grill to 375-400 degrees. I’ve found the best way to grill salmon without it sticking or falling apart is to create a foil packet. It creates moist, delicious flaky salmon without drying it or creating a mess. Create a foil packet by placing the salmon on top of a piece of heavy duty tin foil and folding up the sides. Discard the extra marinade. If your piece of foil isn’t big enough to wrap all the way around, just place another piece on top and fold it underneath so the salmon is completely enclosed. Place the packet on the grill for 13-18 minutes (depending on the thickness of your salmon) until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Make sure to check it before the 13 minute mark. If it’s close, you can remove the packet and let it continue cooking as it rests off the grill. The salmon should flake easily with a fork.

*If you prefer to not have your salmon directly touch the foil, you can simply place a piece of parchment paper inside the foil to act as a barrier. Some have health concerns regarding using tin foil for cooking/metals leeching into food, but I personally think it’s ok to do in moderation.

*You can also place the salmon directly on the grill; just make sure to oil the grill really well to prevent sticking!

Pan searing:

Heat some olive oil or avocado oil in a non-stick pan (very important) over medium high heat. Add the salmon skin side up and cook for 4 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes until the sides are crispy and the middle flakes with a fork (but is still slightly opaque). Please note this may cause a bit of smoke from the marinade and might create a little bit of a mess in your pan, but it does work. Cleaning the pan just may take a little elbow grease and scrubbing 🙂

Baking:

Remove the salmon from the marinade and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You can cook the salmon at 450 degrees for 11-14 minutes until it flakes easily with a fork.

Balsamic Grilled Salmon with Strawberry Avocado Salsa

What kind of salmon should I buy?

I prefer to buy wild-caught salmon vs farmed. Farmed salmon is much higher in fat, containing a lot more omega-6 and three times the amount of saturated fat. It also has 46% more calories — mostly from fat. Wild salmon is higher in minerals and generally better for you. (source)

Wild caught salmon is a vibrant pink color, where as farmed is might lighter. It is slightly more expensive, but the health benefits are worth it to me.

What Ingredients Do I need to Make this Balsamic Grilled Salmon with Strawberry Avocado Salsa?

For the salmon:

  • 1.5 lbs wild-caught salmon. You can leave the skin on or use skinless.
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Olive oil
  • minced garlic
  • dijon mustard
  • salt

For the salsa:

  • strawberries
  • 1 avocado
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 1 jalapeno pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 lime
  • coconut aminos

 

If you make this salmon, be sure to tag me on Instagram @maryswholelife so I can see your creations! Looking for some other weeknight summer meal ideas? Check out these Steak & Pineapple Kabobs, or Whole30 Carne Asada Bowls!

xo,

Mary

*This post contains affiliate links. This means if you use my links to make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Mary’s Whole Life!

Balsamic Grilled Salmon with Strawberry Avocado Salsa

This Balsamic Grilled Salmon with Strawberry Avocado Salsa is the perfect healthy weeknight meal. It is Whole30, Paleo, and gluten free.
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Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs wild caught salmon filets, either a whole piece or cut into smaller fillets
  • 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp sea salt

Strawberry Avocado Salsa

  • 1 cup diced strawberries
  • 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
  • ½ red onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp coconut aminos, can sub honey if not Whole30

Instructions
 

  • Combine the salmon marinade ingredients and whisk well. Place the salmon fillet(s) skin-side up in a dish with the marinade, and spoon some of it over top of the salmon. Place it in the fridge and let it marinate for 1 hour (minimum).
  • Make the salsa: combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Place into the fridge until you're ready to serve.

Grilling:

  • Heat your grill to 375-400 degrees. I recommend using a foil packet to cook the salmon. Use a large piece of tin foil and place the salmon on top. Discard any remaining marinade. Fold up the sides and place another piece of foil on top to create a packet. Make sure the salmon is completely enclosed. Place the packet onto the grill and cook for 13-18 minutes until the salmon reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Be sure to check it often to ensure it doesn't overcook. Let the salmon rest for 5 minutes, then serve topped with the salsa.

Pan Searing:

  • Heat some olive oil or avocado oil in a non-stick pan (very important) over medium high heat. Add the salmon skin side up and cook for 4 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes until the sides are crispy and the middle flakes with a fork (but is still slightly opaque). Please note this may cause a bit of smoke from the marinade and might create a little bit of a mess in your pan, but it does work. Cleaning the pan just may take a little elbow grease and scrubbing 🙂

Baking:

  • Remove the salmon from the marinade and place it on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. You can cook the salmon at 450 degrees for 11-14 minutes until it flakes easily with a fork.

Notes

*See blog post above for alternative cooking methods/times. You can also place the salmon directly on the grill; but just beware that it may stick unless it is oiled VERY well.
*To avoid your food directly touching the tin foil, place a piece of parchment paper on top of the foil to create a barrier. Just make sure none of it is sticking out of the foil when you start grilling, or the paper will burn!

Nutrition

Calories: 453kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 16g, Cholesterol: 94mg, Sodium: 591mg, Potassium: 1193mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 262IU, Vitamin C: 36mg, Calcium: 48mg, Iron: 2mg