If you want to add more fish to your diet, bookmark my Honey Chipotle Citrus Salmon. This tempting recipe is seasoned with Heath Riles BBQ Honey Chipotle Rub and Heath Riles BBQ Simple Citrus Rub. If you like homemade salsa, you’ll love my one-of-a-kind charred pineapple avocado topping.
This recipe is healthy, filling, and tastes fantastic. Serve it when it’s your turn to cook family dinner or impress the one you love with a gourmet date night. Either way, you’ll be the most popular person in the room!
My Honey Chipotle Citrus Salmon comes together in less than an hour. How’s that for easy dining? Grilled salmon is one of my favorite meals, and I know you’ll love it too! I always think this dish tastes like Summer, but you can enjoy it all year round. Who knows, it could brighten up the coldest day!
The Ingredients
This tasty salmon comes together with less than 10 ingredients. You can find all of these things at your local grocery store! Here’s what you need to add to your shopping cart.
- Salmon. Salmon is an inexpensive fish that’s easy to acquire. My salmon pieces were 6-8 ounces, so keep in mind that your cooking time may vary based on size.
- Olive oil. When adding a binder to fish, you don’t want something that will take away from its natural flavors. Olive oil is a neutral binder that helps seasonings to stay put. I purchase extra-virgin olive oil because it's so mild in taste.
- Heath Riles BBQ Honey Chipotle Rub. I love adding a little kick to fish, chicken, and pork. This rub features high-quality peppers, dehydrated honey, and garlic. It gives the meat a brilliant golden color that looks picture-perfect.
- Heath Riles BBQ Simple Citrus Rub. Fish and citrus are a classic combination. This rub is a must-buy if you love adding lemon zest to your food! Use it on ribs, chicken, fish, and anything else that could use a festive twist.
- Salsa. For this recipe, I created homemade salsa with a tropical flair. I used charred pineapple, avocado, red onion, cilantro, and lime juice. This topping was mild, but add some jalapenos if you like a little heat.
The Smoker Setup
Here’s the main equipment I used for my Honey Chipotle Citrus Salmon. You can find more of my grilling must-haves in the Equipment and Tools section.
- Big Green Egg. This Kamada-style grill is more durable than most. You get the most bang for your buck! The Big Green Egg is a roaster, grill, smoker, and outdoor oven. It’s easy to use and has a lot of optional accessories if you like bells and whistles.
- Charcoal. I stoked the Big Green Egg with Royal Oak Charcoal Hardwood Pellets. This charcoal doesn’t use any fillers and produces pure, clean smoke. I use them just about every time with fabulous results. If you’re trying to cut down on toxins, give Royal Oak a try.
The Process for Making Honey Chipotle Citrus Salmon
You can find an in-depth demonstration of this recipe in my video and recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here’s a quick rundown of how I pulled this delicious salmon together.
- Fire up the Big Green Egg. I stoked the Big Green Egg with Royal Oak Charcoal Hardwood Pellets and fired it up to 500℉.
- Char the pineapple. I cut the pineapple into wedges, then laid them on a sheet pan. I sprinkled the fruit with Heath Riles BBQ Simple Citrus Rub. I flipped the pineapple and repeated the process on the other side. Then, I set the pineapple on the pit and let it char for approximately 2 ½ minutes on each side.
- Assemble the salsa. To assemble the topping, I combined a chopped avocado, the juice of one lime, chopped cilantro, and finely diced onion in a mixing bowl. I added a dash of Heath Riles BBQ Simple Citrus Rub, olive oil, salt, and pepper for good measure. Once the pineapple was charred, I chopped it and added it to the bowl. I set this mixture in the fridge to cool off.
- Prep the salmon. After I removed the pineapple from the grill, I brushed the grates and sprayed them with olive oil. I laid my salmon on a baking tray and flipped the fish, so it was skin-side up. I drizzled olive oil over the top and repeated the process on the other side. I seasoned the flesh side of the salmon with Heath Riles BBQ Simple Citrus Rub and Heath Riles BBQ Honey Chipotle Rub.
- Cook the fish. Once the fish was seasoned, I laid it length-wise (skin-side down) on the prepared grate and let it go until it reached 130℉. I had a total cook time of about 15 minutes. I spun the salmon halfway through to give it gorgeous grill marks.
- Cool and serve. I removed the fish from the pit and placed it on my Home-Complete cast iron platter. I topped the salmon with my charred pineapple salsa. The only thing left to do is dig in!
The Results
My Honey Chipotle Citrus Salmon came off the grill looking magazine-worthy. It had the perfect golden color, and smelled amazing. This meal tasted like a tropical vacation! The cool topping was a great contrast to the sweetly spiced fish.
Serving Suggestions for Honey Chipotle Citrus Salmon
With its fruity topping, this Honey Chipotle Citrus Salmon is a meal on its own. You can add a side salad and some crusty bread if you'd like. I prefer ciabatta rolls!
Storing Leftover Honey Chipotle Citrus Salmon
You can store leftover salmon in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the fish for 4-6 months. I don’t recommend freezing the topping, but you can refrigerate it for up to 2 days. After that, the avocado gets brown.
Equipment and Tools
Big Green Egg Kamada,Royal Oak Charcoal, Royal Oak Tumbleweeds, disposable cutting board, metal tongs, metal baking trays, mixing bowls, olive oil dispenser, ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE, Home-Complete cast iron platter, Nechtik BBQ Gloves.
