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Baked salmon fillets topped with fresh red cranberry citrus salsa, toasted pecans, and chopped parsley on a white platter.

Baked Salmon with Cranberry Salsa

Juicy baked salmon fillets topped with a sweet-tart fresh cranberry-citrus salsa and toasted pecans. A quick 25-minute Mediterranean diet meal perfect for weeknights or festive holiday dinners.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 380
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salmon:
  • - 4 salmon fillets about 6 oz each, skin-on or off
  • - 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil EVOO
  • - 1 tsp sea salt
  • - 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • - 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
Salsa & Topping:
  • - 1 cup fresh cranberries finely chopped
  • - 1 small orange or Granny Smith apple finely diced
  • - 1/4 cup red onion finely minced
  • - 1/4 cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley or cilantro finely chopped
  • - 1 jalapeño seeded and finely minced (optional)
  • - 1 tbsp raw honey or pure maple syrup
  • - 1/3 cup pecans toasted and roughly chopped

Method
 

Prep Oven & Fish:
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pat salmon fillets completely dry with paper towels.
Season Salmon:
  1. Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil over fillets. In a small bowl, combine sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Rub seasoning evenly over each fillet.
Bake:
  1. Bake for 12–15 minutes until internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C) and fish flakes easily with a fork.
Make Salsa:
  1. In a bowl, combine chopped fresh cranberries, diced orange or apple, red onion, fresh herbs, jalapeño, and honey. Stir well and let sit 10 minutes.
Toast Pecans:
  1. Toast pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–5 minutes until fragrant and golden brown, stirring constantly.
Assemble & Serve:
  1. Plate warm salmon fillets, spoon fresh cranberry salsa generously over the top, and sprinkle with toasted pecans and fresh parsley.

Notes

- Salmon Cooking Tip: For extra moist fish, pull salmon out at 135-140°F and let residual heat complete cooking during a 3-minute rest.
- Make Ahead Instructions: Cranberry salsa can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Keep pecans separate until ready to serve to preserve crunch.