How to make Mediterranean salmon – a quick overview
First, the salmon is seasoned with smoked paprika, dried oregano, and red chili flakes and pan-seared on the stovetop until tender and flaky.
Then, you will combine cooked rice with chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, olives, lemon juice, and feta cheese in the same skillet where you cooked salmon.
Add the salmon on top, and your dinner is served! 30-minutes, one-pan! The cleanup is a breeze.
Mediterranean salmon is like a Summer on a plate – bursting with flavors, and colors, and packed with so many good-for-you ingredients! It is sure to become a family favorite with both kids and adults!
Why make it
Healthy recipe. Salmon is packed with protein and is a great source of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. It’s also a natural food source of vitamin D. This recipe also features veggies and is packed with fiber (chickpeas). It’s healthy, gluten-free, high-in-protein, high in fiber, and appropriate for a Pescatarian diet.
30-minute one-pan meal. Mediterranean salmon is a quick and easy recipe that takes only 30 minutes (and one pan!) yet tastes and looks like a restaurant-quality main course! It’s a great choice for a simple weeknight dinner, and the cleanup is minimal. Or, serve it for special occasions (parties, anniversaries, holidays) to impress your family and friends.
Flexible and easy to adjust. This recipe will work with other types of fish, such as trout, halibut, cod, or sea bass. You can use couscous, orzo, or small-shaped pasta instead of rice. As far as the veggies, the sky is your limit. Add/subtract your favorite veggies or whatever veggies you need to use up. My favorites are tomatoes, artichokes, asparagus, bell peppers, and spinach.
Ingredients
Salmon
2 lb salmon fillets
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil divided
Mediterranean rice
1.5 cups cooked jasmine rice
15 oz chickpeas canned
6 oz cherry tomatoes (2 colors) sliced in half
⅓ cup kalamata olives sliced
¼ cup green olives sliced
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Feta cheese mixture
6 oz feta cheese diced into small cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ teaspoon dried oregano or more
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano optional
fresh oregano for garnish.
Instructions
Cook salmon on stovetop
Heat a large, high-sided skillet (I used cast iron) over medium heat for about 4 minutes to heat it up.
I used salmon fillets with skin-on. Season the top of the salmon with smoked paprika, dried oregano, dried parsley, red chili flakes, and salt, using 1 tablespoon of olive oil to rub the spices on top of the fish.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the hot skillet. Add salmon skin side up and cook on medium-high heat for 4 minutes, undisturbed.
Flip the salmon to the other side, skin side down. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat.
Carefully slide a wide spatula between each salmon fillet and the skin to carefully separate the flesh from the skin. Remove salmon (without skin) to a plate.
Remove skins from the skillet. You can eat them later or discard them if you don’t like them.
Wipe the skillet clean with paper towels.
Make Mediterranean rice in the same skillet
Add cooked rice, drained chickpeas, sliced cherry tomatoes, and sliced olives, to the same, now empty, skillet.
Add 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice and reheat on medium heat, stirring everything to combine. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, if you like.
Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
Make feta cheese mixture
In a medium bowl, combine cubed Feta cheese with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon of dried oregano (add more to taste), 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh oregano (if using).
Mix so that the herbs and olive oil coat the cubed Feta cheese.
Assemble
Add half of the feta cheese mixture to the skillet with rice and mix thoroughly.
Add cooked salmon to the skillet with rice and reheat on medium heat.
Top the rice with the remaining feta mixture. Sprinkle fresh oregano on top of the Mediterranean salmon and rice. Serve.
