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Baked Whole30 Salmon with Creamy Avocado Sauce. Tender and flakey with the most delicious cilantro lime flavors, this easy salmon recipe is perfect for quick, healthy dinners, even if you aren't following a Whole30 diet and is paleo and gluten free too!

Whole30 Salmon

5 from 21 votes
Tender, flaky Whole30 Salmon. Flavored with cilantro and lime and topped with an easy avocado sauce, this baked salmon recipe is quick and delicious!
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 4 servings
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Ingredients
  

FOR THE SALMON:

  • 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets skin on or off
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped, about 2 teaspoons
  • Zest and juice of 1 small lime about 1/2 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Steamed cauliflower rice optional for serving

FOR THE AVOCADO SALSA:

  • 2 ripe avocados peeled, pitted, and cut into a rough dice
  • Juice of 1 lime about 1 1/2 tablespoons
  • 4–6 dashes hot sauce to taste
  • 1 clove garlic finely minced or grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for serving
  • 1 medium tomato seeded and small-diced, or 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes

Instructions
 

  • Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Arrange the salmon fillets in the center of the sheet.
  • In a small bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, lime zest, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Drizzle and brush generously over the salmon. (You will have some run off and down the sides, but brush what you can onto the fish.) Let the salmon stand at room temperature for 10 minutes while the oven finishes preheating.
  • Bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, about 16 to 20 minutes.* Cover and let rest 3 minutes.
  • While the salmon bakes, prepare the avocado salsa: In a large bowl, stir together the avocado, lime juice, hot sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, and cilantro. With a fork, gently crush pieces of the avocado and stir. You want them to break down a little and make the salsa creamy, but you should have plenty of chunkiness remaining. Stir in the tomatoes. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
  • Transfer the salmon to serving plates. Serve hot, topped with avocado salsa and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.

Notes

  • *The cooking time will vary based upon the thickness of your salmon. Thicker (2-inch-plus) slices will need several extra minutes, while thinner slices may cook more quickly. My salmon fillets were a little more than 1 inch thick and cooked in 18 minutes.
  • This recipe is best enjoyed the day that it is made, as salmon usually dries out when reheated. If you have leftover salmon, try serving it room temperature over a salad the next day or flaking and scrambling it with eggs.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 4Calories: 328kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 31gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 68mgFiber: 6gSugar: 2g

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