I love it when I find a recipe that I enjoy eating over and over again. Especially when it is EASY! That is why I am loving this BBQ salmon salad. It’s already really straightforward, but if you prep the dressing ahead of time your salad is pretty much ready to go whenever you want it.
What You’ll Need for the Salmon:
- Sockeye salmon filet
- Trader Joe’s BBQ seasoning
- Kosher Salt and pepper
Ingredients for the Zippy BBQ Ranch:
- Greek or non-dairy yogurt
- Kinder no sugar bbq sauce
- Frozen garlic cube, or minced clove
- White balsamic or apple cider vinegar
- Chives, minced
- Dill, minced
- Dried parsley
- Onion powder
What You’ll Need for the Bowl:
- Chopped greens, I like a mixture of kale and arugula
- Balsamic vinegar
- Persian cucumber, sliced thin
- Bell pepper, diced
- Good heirloom tomatoes, chopped
- Red onion, diced
- Small avocado, diced
- Handful of fresh chopped herbs like dill, cilantro, or chives
- Cooked sockeye salmon
- Zippy bbq ranch dressing
- Optional brown rice or quinoa (not included in macros)
How to Make a BBQ Salmon Salad:
When I’m making this salad, I like starting with my protein. I usually grab sockeye salmon from the freezer section at Costco. It’s quick and easy. I love that you can pull out a fillet from the freezer when you are ready. Season it. Cook it. And then it’s ready to enjoy!
To season your salmon, pat dry, and season liberally. I like going with Trader Joe’s BBQ seasoning for that smoky BBQ flavor. Don’t worry if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s! Making your own seasoning is just an easy and yummy BBQ blend. Just sprinkle your salmon with a good coating of (about ½ tsp of each): chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and a little pepper.
Love cooking salmon so many different ways…pan fry, broil, air-fry… For this salad I air fried at 400° for 6 minutes, skin side down.
While you are waiting for your salmon to cook, chop your veggies and whip up the dressing. If you don’t mind a few extra carbs, drizzle your salmon with a little honey or sprinkle with a little brown sugar for extra YUM.
Dress it Up With Dressing
To make the zippy BBQ ranch, whisk up your dressing ingredients: Greek (or non-dairy yogurt), Kinder no sugar BBQ sauce, 2 frozen garlic cubes (or minced cloves), white balsamic or apple cider vinegar, minced chives, minced dill, dried parsley, and onion powder.
For this salad, I like using a mix of chopped kale and arugula. If kale and arugula aren’t your things you can use your favorite greens. Once the greens are chopped, toss in 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar. If you want the salad to be even yummier, try using a delicious fruit-infused vinegar. Baker and Olive have my favorite infused vinegars. The lemon vinegar would be DELISH with this salad. If you want to try Baker and Olive use my code Lillieeats for 15% off.
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Create your salad by topping your greens with each of your veggies and the air fried salmon. Then drizzle with your zippy BBQ ranch and ENJOY!
Gluten-free/Dairy-free Modifications:
As long as you use dairy-free yogurt in the dressing, this recipe is completely gluten-free and Dairy-free. I used the So Delicious non-dairy unsweetened yogurt but use your favorite plain yogurt. Unless you choose a very high-fat option, the macros will hardly change!
Serving Suggestions:
We love eating this BBQ salmon salad for a full meal at lunch or dinner…maybe even both. It’s that tasty. If you want to add some carbs, try tossing in a grain. It ALWAYS makes this BBQ salmon salad more filling and delicious!
Similar Recipes:
Choppy Chopped Green Goddess Salmon Flatbread
Salmon, Sweet Potato, and Chimichurri Salad
Soy Ginger Salmon and Asian Slaw
BBQ Salmon Salad
If you loved this recipe for BBQ salmon salad and are looking for more macro-friendly ideas, check out my cookbooks. Every recipe is full of flavor while also being healthy. I also love sharing recipes on Instagram and sometimes TikTok (we’re trying it). So make sure you’re hanging out with me to get all the yummy info.
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BBQ Salmon Salad
Ingredients
For the Salmon (1 serving)
- 1 Sockeye salmon filet (125-135 g)
- Trader Joe’s BBQ seasoning
- Kosher salt and pepper
For the Zippy BBQ Ranch (5 servings)
- 1/2 cup Greek or non-dairy yogurt (120 g)
- 2 Tbsp Kinder no sugar BBQ sauce (30 g)
- 2 Frozen garlic cube, or minced clove (10 g)
- 2 Tbsp White balsamic or apple cider vinegar (30 g)
- 2 Tbsp Chives, minced (10 g)
- 2 Tbsp Dill, minced (10 g)
- 1 tsp Dried parsley
- 1 tsp Onion powder
For the Bowl (1 serving)
- 2 cups Chopped greens, I like a mixture of kale and arugula (100 g)
- 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar (15g)
- 1 Persian cucumber, sliced thin (70 g)
- 1/3 cup Bell pepper, diced (50 g)
- 1/2 cup Good heirloom tomatoes, chopped (70 g)
- 1/4 cup Red onion, diced (30 g)
- 1/4 Of a small avocado, diced (30 g)
- Handful of fresh chopped herbs like dill, cilantro, or chives
- 4 oz Cooked sockeye salmon (112 g)
- 3 Tbsp Zippy bbq ranch dressing (45 g)
- Optional brown rice or quinoa (not included in macros)
Instructions
- Pat salmon dry and season liberally with Trader Joe’s BBQ seasoning (or see notes). Add a generous pinch of salt, and a little pepper. Air fry at 400 for 6 minutes, skin side down, while you chop your veggies and whip up the dressing. (If you don’t mind a few carbs, drizzle with a little honey or sprinkle with a little brown sugar for extra YUM.)
- Whisk up the dressing ingredients and set aside. Chop your greens and toss in 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar. (Even yummier if you’ve got a delicious fruit infused like lemon.) Top with each of your veggies and the air fried salmon. Drizzle with your zippy bbq ranch. If you want to add some carbs, tossing in a grain ALWAYS makes this more filling and delicious!
Notes
Nutrition
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