Pineapple Plank Grilled Salmon

with Strawberry Pineapple Avocado Salsa

Fresh salmon, seasoned to perfection and grilled on a pineapple “plank” (the outside skin of the pineapple) over hot coals for a juicy, tender flake, finished with a fresh zesty strawberry pineapple salsa with cilantro and creamy avocado. Serve this with coconut rice or cilantro lime rice or, for a low carb option, cauliflower rice cooked in coconut oil.

Long ago, I think probably before my (now adult) kids even existed, I decided that grilling fish should be a thing that happens at my house. I found this cookbook called Fish on the Grill. It had all sorts of creative ideas for grilling fish, but strangely, it wasn’t there that I discovered this method of cooking fish, although the book DID grill fish over slices of lemon, lime, orange or onion. How is this so different? I don’t know … somehow saving the outside of a pineapple for grilling fish (or chicken … or pork) seems a mile away from slices of lemon or onion. Why that is a leap of logic in my mind, I’m not sure, but I’m sure glad that someone thought about using pineapple as a plank for grilling fish. Someone blogged about it. I saw it somewhere. I don’t recall where. I wish I could give the original author credit for the idea, but I honestly don’t know where I discovered it anymore. I remember when I saw it, I couldn’t WAIT to try it.

But, because the timing never seemed to go right on saving the pineapple planks and grilling fish nights, it didn’t happen. Like, literally for years after I discovered the idea. I’ve done other fruit variations of this like my Apple Grilled Walleye (you’d be amazed at how much of the apple flavor the fish soaks up!) and Pesto Grilled Fish Tacos (where the fish is grilled on lemon or lime slices). Putting thin slices of fruit under your fish to keep it moist and help it hold together (rather than sticking to the grill) is a fabulous technique that also adds loads of flavor. Still I waited for the day when I got to try pineapple as my grilling “plank”.

The BEST way to grill salmon

So I was SO pleased when just after the last time I cut up a beautifully ripe pineapple, a gorgeous warm spring WEEKEND day happened just slightly later and the pineapple planks were oh so ready. And now that I have salmon in my regular rotation (and so readily on hand), I was totally dying to grill me some salmon. So I started up the grill, got some pizza dough ready for daughter’s grilled pizza (because if I’m firing up the grill, it can’t be JUST for me!) and got ready to get my salmon on. (Oh, and feed my youngest too, while I’m at it!)

(Pineapple plank salmon is pictured here with my kids’ favorite comfort food: egg rice, which is simply basmati rice with slightly under-cooked scrambled eggs mixed in. The eggs finish cooking in the hot rice.)

How does pineapple plank salmon taste?

The salmon had just a faint taste of pineapple and a lovely smoky flavor, but it was completely cooked through, yet it was perfectly tender and flaky, fall apart tender and absolutely wonderful with not even a hint of dryness. The reason my salmon fillet looks a little short is because the thin end of it actually separated from the rest … and then accidentally fell into my mouth. Ooops! (and YUM!) 😉

BTW, I happen to know that fresh pineapple freezes well because I froze some for my kiddo’s pizza, so I froze the rest of my pineapple planks for next time. I can’t wait to make this again! It was super satisfying, so delicious and it felt so good that I was supporting my health goals all at the same time. As I ate, I kept piling on more and more salsa because I just loved the bursts of juice with the hint of heat in contrast with the cool, creamy avocado with the perfectly grilled salmon. (BTW, I skipped the rice. In my mind it’s just carbs my body doesn’t need. My calorie needs are very small … I want to make sure every bite I eat is full of flavors I love along with things my body needs.)

So without further ado, here’s that amazing recipe. I think you’re going to love it.

Pineapple Plank Grilled Salmon with Strawberry Pineapple Avocado Salsa

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 26 minutes
• Yield: 1- 2 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the strawberry pineapple salsa:

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh pineapple
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh strawberries
• 2 Tablespoons chopped red onion.
• 2 Tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
• 1 campari tomato, chopped (with juices)
• 1 Tablespoon pineapple juice (preferably fresh)
• 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon finely chopped jalapeno (adjust the amount of peppers to the amount of heat you like)
• 1/3 of a large ripe avocado, cut into pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the salmon:

• 1 – 2 Pineapple “planks” (the skin of the pineapple)
• 1 – 2 salmon fillets
• Old Bay Seasoning & TJ’s 21 Seasoning Salute & freshly ground pepper

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Instructions

1. Obtain a perfectly ripe pineapple. Cut off the skin in large slices, saving the pineapple “planks”, then chop up the rest of the pineapple into bite-size pieces.
2. Stir together all the ingredients for the salsa except the avocado. Set aside.
3. Sprinkle both sides of the salmon with seasoning. Fire up the grill, and once hot, set the pineapple plank on the grill. Set the salmon on top of the pineapple plank. Grill for 5 minutes, then flip the salmon and grill for a few more minutes, just until the salmon flakes when poked with a fork.
4. While the salmon is cooking, chop up the avocado and add to the salsa.
5. Serve salmon hot, topped with strawberry pineapple salsa, with rice or salad on the side as desired.

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Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

© Copyright 2019, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.