This Chili Lime Salmon with Mexican Spiced Sweet Potatoes and a refreshing cucumber and avocado salad is a perfect quick, easy and delicious Whole30 weeknight meal!
My favorite kind of Whole30/Paleo recipes are the ones that are naturally so. Basically meaning that you don't have to enlist any "tricks" to try and substitute non-compliant ingredients because all the ingredients were already compliant to begin with. This Chili Lime Salmon with Mexica Spiced Sweet Potatoes and Cucumber Avocado Salad is one of those recipes!
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How to make this recipe in only 30 minutes.
The key to getting dinner on the table in 30 minutes is to follow the steps exactly.
Start with the sweet potatoes and get them in the oven.
While they are cooking, prep the salmon (which needs about 5 minutes less cooking time than the sweet potatoes).
Then while both the salmon and sweet potatoes are in the oven prepare the salad.
And wala! A delicious, healthy dinner in under half an hour!
More Whole30 Recipes for you to love!
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Sharp Knife
- Vegetable Chopper (optional): I LOVE my Fullstar Vegetable Chopper and use it all the time. It gets a really even dice on the sweet potatoes. But you can obviously just use a knife and a cutting board instead.
- Two Baking Sheets
- Citrus Juicer (optional): I highly recommend this Oxo Juice Squeezer. You can totally just use your hands but a Citrus juicer makes it so easy.
- Basting/Pastry Brush (optional): I like to brush the seasoning onto the salmon using these silicone basting brushes. But you can also just use your hands.
Ingredients
Chili Lime Salmon
- 1 ½ to 2 pounds of salmon: Make sure to buy the deboned kind and pay careful attention to any stragglers, especially if you're serving to little ones. I also recommend checking through any pieces you serve to kids just to be sure. (Something we've learned from personal experience! Luckily our kids are pretty good about pointing them out, or at least spitting them out.)
- Spices: This recipe replies on a combination of Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Paprika for its delicious flavor.
- Lime: You'll use both the zest and juice so give it a good wash!
- Olive Oil: Avocado oil will also work or you can use ghee (or butter if you're not Whole30/Paleo)
Mexican Spiced Sweet Potatoes
- 2 ½ to 3 pounds of sweet potatoes
- Spices: I absolutely love the flavor of these sweet potatoes and make them as a side dish with other proteins as well. The combination of Chili Powder, Cumin, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Oregano, Paprika and Cinnamon gives these potatoes a uniquely warming flavor that I love.
- Olive oil or other compliant oil
Cucumber & Avocado Salad
- English Cucumber: English, or hothouse, cucumbers work perfectly for this dish.
- Avocado: Because you're mixing the avocado chunks with the rest of the salad you are looking for avocados slightly before peak ripeness. Which, to be honest, is generally how I prefer them anyways. I really only buy ultra ripe avocados for guacamole, which is not the consistency we want here.
- Lime: This gives phenomenal acidity to the dish.
- Cilantro: I often hear that cilantro is one of those ingredients that you either love or hate. I happen to love it, especially in this salad. However, if you are a cilantro hater than feel feel to substitute some fresh parsley.
Frequently Asked Questions
While this recipe does have spice, it isn't overwhelming. My 2 year old eats both the salmon and sweet potatoes without issue.
If you are a heat love feel feel to up the amount of chili powder or add some cayenne for an extra kick.
u can even dice up some jalapenos and add them to the Cucumber and Avocado Salad for even to the sweet potatoes before they cook.
Technically yes. It won't harm you or anything. But this is not a recipe that results in crispy salmon skin so it's definitely a bit soggy. I usually serve the fish without the skin for this dish.
Made this recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments!
Recipe
Chili Lime Salmon with Mexican Spiced Sweet Potatoes and Cucumber Avocado Salad
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cutting board and knife
- 2 Baking sheets
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
Mexican Spiced Sweet Potatoes
- 2.5 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and diced about 6 cups
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Chili Lime Salmon
- 2 lb salmon filet, deboned
- 1 small lime, zested and juiced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Cucumber & Avocado Salad
- 1 large English cucumber, quartered and sliced to about ½ inch thickness
- 1 large avocado, cored and diced 2 small avocados will work as well
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- ⅓rd to ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the sweet potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Mix together the sweet potato spices in a small bowl and set aside.Arrange the diced sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet and pour ¼th cup of olive oil on top. Stir to coat. Sprinkle the sweet potato spice mixture over the top of the sweet potatoes and stir until evenly coated. Place the pan on the top oven rack (the salmon will go on the rack below) and back for approximately 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender. You may want to shake them a few times while baking to help them cook evenly.
Prepare the chili lime salmon
- After the sweet potatoes are in the oven, prepare the salmon. Remove the salmon from the fridge and pat dry with a paper towel. Spray or brush a little olive oil onto a baking sheet and place the salmon skin side down. Season the top of the salmon with a little bit of salt and pepper. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix together zest and juice of 1 lime, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder. ½ teaspoon paprika and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir into a paste. Rub or brush the spices evenly onto the top of the salmon. Place in the oven with the sweet potatoes on the bottom rack and cook at 425 degrees F for about 15 to 18 minutes or until the salmon is cooked. and flaking.
Prepare the Cucumber & Avocado Salad
- Combine ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and the juice of 1 medium lime in a bowl and mix to combine. Fold in cucumber, avocado and cilantro until well coated. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.
Serve and enjoy!
- Serve the salmon over the Mexican Spiced Sweet Potatoes and top with the Cucumber & Avocado Salad. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Audrey
This is so good!
Jill
I love salmon and this seasoning sounds so good. I need to try this for dinner next week!
Nayomi
This sound completely up my street. Sweet potatoes with chilli marinated salmon. YUM - I will be trying this soon
Linda
Oh my....this salmon is all I need for a quick weeknight dinners. Light, delicious, and full of flavors!
Adriana Martin
What a nice and colorful option. So healthy without compromising on the flavors. Time to get some salmon and make this for lenten.
Kim Guzman
That looks so cool and refreshing. I love the combination of chile and lime. You've got an entire meal when you include the yummy cucumber avocado salad. Restaurant quality at home. Yum!
Addison
Such a unique and delicious flavor combo! So healthy and flavorful!