🐟🌶️ Cajun Salmon with Mexican Rice & Fresh Garden Salad
A perfectly seasoned Cajun salmon fillet served with fluffy Mexican rice and a crisp garden salad. This colorful meal is fresh, satisfying, and ready in about 35 minutes.
📝 Ingredients
For the Cajun Salmon
- 4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz/170g each)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 lime, cut into wedges 🍋
For the Mexican Rice
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- Salt to taste
For the Garden Salad
- 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce 🥬
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 🍅
- 1 cucumber, diced 🥒
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- Your favorite salad dressing (ranch, vinaigrette, or creamy Italian)
👨🍳 Instructions
1. Prepare the Mexican Rice
- Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the rice and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring until lightly golden.
- Stir in the tomato paste, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin.
- Pour in the chicken broth and season with salt.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 18–20 minutes until the rice is tender.
- Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
2. Cook the Salmon
- Pat the salmon dry and rub with olive oil.
- Season evenly with Cajun seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook the salmon for 4–5 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
- During the last minute of cooking, add the butter and spoon the melted butter over the salmon.
3. Make the Salad
- Combine the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion in a large bowl.
- Toss with your preferred dressing just before serving.
4. Assemble the Plate
- Spoon a serving of Mexican rice onto each plate.
- Add a Cajun salmon fillet.
- Arrange the fresh garden salad alongside.
- Garnish the salmon with a lime wedge and serve immediately.
💡 Tips
- For extra smoky flavor, grill the salmon instead of pan-searing it.
- Add sliced avocado or sweet corn to the salad for more texture.
- Adjust the amount of Cajun seasoning to suit your preferred spice level.
- Freshly squeezed lime juice over the salmon just before serving brightens all the flavors.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4
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