Citrus Herb Salmon with Orange and Red Onion Salsa

This post has been sponsored by Sunkist Growers. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One of the best parts of winter cooking is the arrival of bright, juicy citrus. When the days are cold and the produce aisle is filled with oranges, mandarins, and tangelos, it is the perfect time to bring fresh flavor into both sweet and savory recipes.

This Citrus Herb Salmon with Orange Red Onion Salsa is a simple, flavorful broiled salmon recipe that makes the most of seasonal citrus. The salmon is briefly marinated in freshly squeezed juice from Sunkist^® Minneola Tangelos and Sunkist Delite® Mandarins, along with fresh herbs, olive oil, salt, and citrus zest. After broiling, the fish is topped with a colorful salsa made with Sunkist Cara Cara Oranges, red onion, herbs, and optional jalapeño.

The result is a fresh and balanced salmon dinner with sweet, tangy, savory, and lightly spicy flavors. The Cara Cara Oranges add mellow sweetness to the salsa, while the Minneola Tangelos and Mandarins bring a bold citrus note to the marinade. It is an easy main course that feels special enough for company but simple enough for a weeknight meal.

If you love cooking with citrus, SunkistShopperHub.com offers coupons, recipe ideas, and ingredient shopping information.

Recipe ingredients

This broiled citrus salmon recipe uses three types of citrus: Minneola Tangelos, Mandarins, and Cara Cara Oranges. Each one brings something different to the dish, from bright acidity to juicy sweetness and beautiful color.

Minneola Tangelos

• Minneola Tangelo juice is used in the salmon marinade. Minneola Tangelos are a cross between a grapefruit and a tangerine, and they are known for being especially juicy. Their bold, tangy flavor works well in a quick marinade because it gives the salmon plenty of citrus flavor in a short amount of time.

• Minneola Tangelos often have a distinctive knob-like shape near the stem. They are typically available from mid-December through April or May. They are high in vitamin C, an excellent source of folate, low in fat, and contain no cholesterol, sodium, or saturated fat.

Mandarins

• Mandarin juice is added to the marinade along with the Minneola Tangelo juice. Mandarins are sweet and juicy, which helps soften and balance the stronger tang of the Minneola Tangelos.

• Mandarins are seedless and easy to peel, making them convenient for snacking and cooking. They have a flat-round shape with deep orange, smooth, glossy skin.

• Mandarins are generally available from November through May. They are an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of fiber, with 11% daily value for two Mandarins, based on a 148-gram serving size. They are also fat-free, saturated fat-free, cholesterol-free, and sodium-free.

Cara Cara Oranges

• Cara Cara Oranges are used in the orange red onion salsa that tops the broiled salmon. They are very sweet and have a lower acidity than many other citrus varieties, which pairs nicely with raw red onion and jalapeño.

• Cara Cara Oranges are available from December through May, making them a great winter and spring citrus choice for salads, salsas, and fresh toppings.

• From the outside, Cara Cara Oranges look similar to regular navel oranges, but inside they have a beautiful pinkish flesh. This color comes from the natural presence of the antioxidant lycopene.

• Sunkist brands Cara Cara Oranges as The Power Orange® because they offer the most vitamin C of all Sunkist citrus varieties. One Cara Cara Orange, based on a 154-gram serving size, provides 100% of the daily recommended vitamin C.

These Sunkist citrus products can be found at Harris Teeter. In my store, they were located in the center of the produce aisle. Harris Teeter is one of my favorite places to shop because the store is bright, organized, and easy to navigate.

Step by step photos

1. Start by making the citrus herb marinade for the salmon. Juice the Mandarins and Minneola Tangelos, then whisk the juice with citrus zest, fresh herbs, olive oil, and salt. Cilantro works well here, but parsley, dill, tarragon, or a combination of herbs would also be delicious.

2. Add the salmon fillets to the marinade and place them in the refrigerator while you prepare the other ingredients. Keep the marinating time to about 15 minutes. Because citrus juice is acidic, leaving the salmon in the marinade too long can change the texture of the fish.

3. While the salmon marinates, make the orange red onion salsa. Use a knife to remove the peel and white pith from the Cara Cara Oranges, then cut the fruit into small bite-sized pieces. Mix the orange pieces with finely diced red onion, fresh herbs, olive oil, salt, and seeded jalapeño if you want a little heat.

4. Once the salmon has marinated, remove the fillets and pat them dry with paper towels. Place them skin side down on a baking tray and sprinkle with a little extra salt. Broil for 10 to 11 minutes, or until the outside is nicely browned and the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.

5. Transfer the broiled salmon to a serving platter and spoon the Cara Cara Orange red onion salsa over the top. Serve any extra salsa on the side so everyone can add more if they like.

Tips and tricks

• Position the oven rack about 7 to 8 inches from the top of the oven before broiling. This helps the salmon cook evenly without the outside becoming too dark too quickly.

• Preheat the broiler for 5 to 10 minutes before adding the salmon. A hot broiler helps create better browning on the surface of the fish.

• The salmon fillets used for this recipe were close to 2 inches thick at the thickest part. If your fillets are thinner or smaller than 6 ounces each, begin checking for doneness a few minutes earlier.

• If the salmon browns unevenly while broiling, rotate the baking tray from front to back halfway through the cooking time.

For more citrus recipe ideas, coupons, and ingredient information, visit SunkistShopperHub.com.

📖 Recipe