My Mango Salmon Salad is your new go-to salad for clean eating. Perfectly cooked blackened salmon is paired with juicy mangoes, creamy avocado, quinoa, brown rice, crunchy tortilla strips, and a zesty lemon agave vinaigrette.
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Craving something fresh and filling? Calculated at 635 calories and 35g of protein, my Mango Salmon Salad checks all of the boxes!
Visit my Spicy Mango Salsa post for a quick and easy recipe to add to this delicious salmon salad.
If you've ever had the Mango Avocado Salad from Rubio's, you know how good it is! It's my favorite salad on their menu, and now you can make a copycat version at home.
This salad is a nutritional win because it's macro-balanced, meal-prep friendly, and comes together in under 30 minutes.
For more macros-friendly salads, check out my Blackened Chicken Salad, Tuna Caesar Salad, and Mexican Tuna Salad.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Great Macros: This recipe comes in at 635 calories and 35g of protein.
- Meal Prep Friendly: Cook your salmon ahead of time and store it separately from the salad base. Assemble everything the day of and drizzle with dressing right before serving for maximum freshness and crunch!
- Rubio's Copycat Recipe: If you like their mango avocado salad, now you can make it at home.
Ingredients And Substitutions
Here is a visual overview of the Mango Salmon Salad Ingredients. Scroll to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Salmon - I portioned the salmon into 4-ounce portions for 28g of protein. Try making this salad with blackened chicken or shrimp.
- Blackening Seasoning - My homemade seasoning mix contains cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper.
- Quinoa - ⅓ cup of dry quinoa equals 1 cup of cooked quinoa.
- Brown Rice - ½ cup of dry brown rice equals 1 cup of cooked brown rice.
- Green Leaf Lettuce - Rubio's uses green leaf lettuce in their salad, but romaine or mixed greens are another great option.
- Radicchio - A leafy vegetable that adds nutrition and color to salad mixes.
- Avocado - We used ¼ avocado per serving for healthy fats.
- Tortilla Strips - You can fry corn tortillas in avocado oil or cook them in the air fryer.
- Mango Salsa - Use my spicy mango salsa recipe.
- Lemon Agave Dressing - Lemon zest, lemon juice, and agave come together to make the most delicious salad dressing.
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
- Spices: If you don't like blackened salmon, use your favorite seafood rub or season it with salt and pepper.
- Proteins: Swap out salmon for chicken or shrimp.
- Greens: Use romaine lettuce or mixed greens.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Follow these cooking steps and let me show you how to make a salmon salad with mango and avocado.
I use an air fryer to cook the salmon and tortilla chips in this recipe, and it's completely optional. If you want to know what air fryer I use, it's the Ninja Double-Stack Air Fryer (affiliate link).
For more air fryer recipes, check out my Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon and Air Fryer Swordfish.
Step 1. Blackened Salmon. Mix seasoning spices in a small bowl and sprinkle over both sides of the salmon filets.
Step 2. Cooking Salmon. I cooked the salmon in my air fryer at 390°F(198°C) for 10 minutes. You can also blacken salmon in a cast-iron pan. Whatever cooking technique you choose, remove the salmon when it reaches 135°F(57°C) to allow it to carry over cook.
Step 3. Tortilla Strips. Cut corn tortilla into strips and fry in oil until crunchy or air fry at 390°F(198°C) for 5 minutes.
Step 4. Lemon Agave Dressing. Add the lemon zest, juice, vinegar, agave, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a blender. Blend until smooth and fully emulsified.
Step 5. Assemble the salad. In a large salad bowl, add 2 cups of green leaf lettuce and ½ cup of radicchio. Top with ¼ cup each of quinoa, brown rice, tortilla strips, and mango salsa. Add ¼ of sliced avocado and a blackened salmon fillet, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons of lemon agave vinaigrette.
Chef Tips
- Cooking Salmon: Remove salmon from the air fryer, pan, or oven when it reaches 135°F(57°C) and let it carry over cook.
- How to meal prep: Portion salad into 4 meal-prep containers and keep dressing separate.
- Use Ripe Mangos: A ripe mango should give slightly when pressed and have a tropical aroma.
Recipe FAQ's
Yes! Swap out salmon for chicken or shrimp.
Divide the salad into four meal prep containers, keeping the dressing separate to prevent the greens from getting soggy. I also like to store the tortilla chips in small zip-top bags to keep them nice and crunchy.
Start by slicing off the top and bottom of the mango so it can stand upright on your cutting board. Use a sharp knife or vegetable peeler to remove the skin. With the mango standing upright, carefully cut the flesh away from the flat, oval-shaped core, making slices as close to the core as possible. Discard the core, then dice the mango slices into bite-sized pieces.
More Salad Recipes
If you tried this Salmon Salad Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
📖 Recipe
Mango Salmon Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Blackened Salmon
- 4 4-ounce salmon filets
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salad
- 10 ounces green leaf lettuce chopped
- raddichio
- 1 cup cooked quinoa ⅓ cup dry quinoa
- 1 cup cooked brown rice ½ cup dry brown rice
- 1 cup mango salsa
- 1 avocado sliced
- 1 cups corn tortilla strips fried or air fried
Citrus Agave Dressing
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 3 tablespoons agave
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 clove of garlic grated
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup extra virgin Olive oil
- ¼ cup avocado oil
Instructions
- Cut the leaf lettuce and radicchio. Wash and dry in a salad spinner. Cook brown rice and quinoa according to the package instructions.
- Salmon. Mix seasoning spices in a small bowl and sprinkle over both sides of the salmon filets. Spray salmon lightly with cooking spray and air fry at 390°F(198°C) for 10 minutes.
- Tortilla Strips. Cut corn tortillas into strips and fry in oil until crunchy or air fry at 390°F(198°C) for 5 minutes.
- Lemon Agave Dressing. Add the lemon zest, juice, vinegar, agave, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a blender. Blend until smooth and fully emulsified.
- Assemble the Salad. In a large salad bowl, add 2 cups of green leaf lettuce and ½ cup of radicchio. Top with ¼ cup each of quinoa, brown rice, tortilla strips, and mango salsa. Add ¼ of sliced avocado and a blackened salmon fillet, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons of lemon agave vinaigrette.
Notes
- Please note that the nutritional information is an estimate. I like to use MyFitnessPal for exact macros.
- Salmon: If you don't have an air fryer, use a cast-iron pan to blacken the salmon. To save time, buy a store-bought blackening seasoning.
- Tortilla Strips: Fry tortilla strips in canola, vegetable, or avocado oil if you don't have an air fryer.
- Mango Salsa: Here is my Spicy Mango Salsa recipe, or just add diced mangoes to the salmon salad.
- Meal Prep: Keep the dressing and tortilla chips separate for maximum freshness when meal prepping.
Nutrition
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Mike Cleavenger says
A summer salad that is not only delicious but high in protein!