Citrus Herb Salmon with Orange Red Onion Salsa

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

One of my favorite things about winter is all the gorgeous citrus that comes into season. And, since I love to cook, of course, it's so fun to find new and interesting ways to incorporate citrus into any meal, sweet or savory!

For example, this Citrus Herb Salmon with Orange Red Onion Salsa recipe uses juice from Sunkist^® Minneola Tangelos and Sunkist Delite® Mandarins in the marinade, and chunks of Sunkist Cara Cara Oranges in the salsa topping. The Cara Cara Oranges are super sweet and mellow, which complements the more bold flavors of the Minneola Tangelos and Mandarins in the marinade.

If you're a citrus lover like me, buy & save now at SunkistShopperHub.com, where you can find coupons, recipes, and shop ingredients!

Recipe ingredients

As I mentioned, for this recipe I used three types of citrus: Minneola Tangelos, Mandarins, and Cara Cara Oranges.

Minneola Tangelos

• The juice of the Minneola Tangelos is used in the salmon marinade. I recently found out that Minneola Tangelos are actually a cross between a grapefruit and a tangerine, did you know that? And in fact, Minneola Tangelos are the juiciest of all citrus varieties! They have a bold, tangy flavor, which is why I like using them for the marinade; it imparts a lot of flavor in a short time.

• Minneola Tangelos usually have a recognizable knob-like formation at the stem, and they are available from mid-December through April/May. They are high in vitamin C and are an excellent source of folate, as well as low in fat and have no cholesterol, sodium or saturated fat!

Mandarins

• In addition to the Minneola Tangelo juice, I also used some juice from Mandarins in the marinade. Mandarins are sweet and juicy, which helps to balance the more assertive flavor of the Minneola Tangelo juice.

• Mandarins are seedless and super easy to peel. In fact, my 2 and 4-year-old can actually peel these by themselves, which for kids who need 90% of things done for them is a nice little break for me! So, Mandarins are pretty much always around in my house. You can recognize Mandarins by their flat-round shape and deep orange, smooth glossy skin.

• Mandarins have a fairly long season and are available November through May. They are an excellent source of vitamin C and are a good source of fiber; 11% for 2 Mandarins (148-gram serving size)! Mandarins are fat-free, saturated fat-free, cholesterol-free, and sodium-free.

Cara Cara Oranges

• Finally, I decided to have a little fun and use Cara Cara Oranges in the citrus red onion salsa that goes with the broiled salmon. Cara Cara Oranges are extremely sweet, with a lower level of acidity than other citrus, which I think works well with the bracing flavor of the raw red onion and jalapeño.

• While my kids really love the Mandarins, Cara Cara Oranges are actually my favorite. I always scoop them up when I see them at Harris Teeter; we are in prime season now as they are available from December through May.

• Cara Cara Oranges are cool because they look like a regular navel orange on the outside, but the flesh is a gorgeous pinkish shade! This is from the natural presence of the antioxidant lycopene. So, it's a super sweet orange, has a beautiful pink hue, AND antioxidants. What's not to love!?

• Also, did you know that Cara Cara Oranges are branded by Sunkist as The Power Orange® because they offer the most vitamin C of all Sunkist citrus varieties? With only one Cara Cara Orange (154-gram serving size), you get 100% of the daily recommended vitamin C!

You can find these Sunkist citrus products at Harris Teeter; in my store, they were located right in the center of the produce aisle. Harris Teeter is one of my go-to grocery stores because the store is always bright and orderly, and it makes shopping a stress-free experience.

Step by step photos

1. Make the marinade for the salmon: juice the Mandarins and Minneola Tangelos, then mix with the herbs, oil, salt, and citrus zest. I used cilantro this time, but you could use parsley, dill, tarragon, or any combination of these!

2. Place the salmon in the marinade and let sit in the fridge while you prep the next steps. But, only let the salmon marinate for about 15 minutes, if you let it go too long the acid in the citrus will change the texture of the salmon.

3. While the salmon is marinating, prepare the orange red onion salsa. Cut the skin off the Cara Cara Oranges with a knife, enough to remove the white pith. Then cut the flesh into small bite-sized pieces. Combine with the diced red onion, herbs, salt, oil, and seeded jalapeño (this is optional if you like a little spice!).

4. Once the salmon is done marinating, remove the pieces from the marinade and pat them dry with paper towels. Place them on a baking tray, skin side down, and sprinkle with salt. Broil for 10 - 11 minutes, or until there is nice browning on the outside and the fish is cooked through, flaking easily with a fork.

5. Now all that's left to do is remove the salmon to a platter and top each piece with the Cara Cara Orange red onion salsa! You can serve any additional salsa on the side.

Tips and tricks

• Make sure to set the broiler up so the oven rack is about 7 - 8 inches from the top of the oven. For my oven, this was the third slot from the top. I found that this helps the fish cook more evenly without the outside getting too dark.

• Also, don't forget to pre-heat the broiler for 5 - 10 minutes before cooking the salmon!

• The salmon pieces I used here were nearly 2 inches thick at the thickest part; if your salmon pieces are less thick or smaller than 6 ounces each, it will take less time to cook so be sure to pull the pieces a few minutes early to check for doneness.

• If your salmon pieces are browning unevenly, you can rotate the tray front-to-back halfway through the cook time.

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