Sticky Salmon with Avocado Greens.

This sticky salmon kale salad is one of my favorite easy weeknight meals. The salmon is savory and sticky – it practically melts in your mouth. The kale salad is buttery from the avocado and fresh and lemony. Together, they’re a match made in heaven!

This meal is on repeat around here!!

Simple salmon with a sticky pan sauce served with a lemony kale salad loaded with creamy avocado. It’s the best combination when you want a satisfying, delicious meal! 

This is my favorite way to make salmon. When I say I make it this way weekly, I am serious. We adore this!

And it could not be more simple, because the stickiness really only comes from two ingredients: honey and water. 

YES.

That is it.

Now, of course, I add a few other spices on the salmon to change the flavor, depending on what else we are having for dinner.

For this reason, I cover the salmon in smoked paprika and garlic powder, which when combined with salt and pepper, is pretty much my howsweeteats house seasoning. Howsweeteats dust, if you will! 

I love this combo because it’s very sweet and smoky, almost BBQ sauce-like, without being saucy. 

The other thing I like to do is sear the salmon in butter. I find that searing it in a little bit of butter gives it such a fabulous brown color. This alone makes it just look more appetizing, you know? That golden color, a little bit of crust – you can’t beat it!

See how deeply golden my salmon and sticky sauce look? That is just from using the spices and searing it in the butter. Get some color on it! 

So needless to say, I serve this salmon with just about EVERYTHING. I eat it for lunch leftovers. I wrap it up in nori sheets with rice. Serve it with potatoes.

And today, I’m showing you my favorite avocado kale greens that come together so super fast.

Eddie doesn’t love avocado, so in real life, I might just be eating this salad alone. However, he does love kale salad. So he will skip the avocado and throw the salmon on top of the simple lemony greens. It’s still so, so good. 

Fresh lemon, a touch of honey, some dijon – all massaged into the kale. Top it with buttery avocado and boom – you’re done.

I love serving these two side by side. The salmon is savory, hot and sticky. The salad is cold, refreshing and chewy. They work so well together and are a great complement! 

Sticky Salmon Kale Salad

Sticky Salmon with Avocado Greens

Prep Time: 25 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 40 minutes mins

This sticky salmon kale salad is one of my favorite easy weeknight meals. The salmon is savory and sticky - it practically melts in your mouth. The kale salad is buttery from the avocado and fresh and lemony. Together, they're a match made in heaven!

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5 from 6 votes

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Ingredients

sticky salmon

• 4 salmon filets
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ⅓ cup honey
• ⅓ cup water

avocado greens

• 1 large head of kale, stems removed and shredded
• 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced

Instructions 

• Pat the salmon dry with paper towels.
• Season the salmon filets all over with salt and pepper. Season with the smoked paprika and garlic powder.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted and hot, add in the salmon in a single layer. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until it’s very golden and seared on that side. Gently flip, adding the remaining tablespoon of butter if needed. Sear again for 1 minute.
• Whisk together the honey, water and garlic. Pour it into the skillet and let it bubble and simmer. This will help to cook the salmon too. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, flipping the salmon again if you wish. You want to cook until the mixture is sticky and the salmon is opaque in the center. Turn off the heat.
• Place the kale in a large bowl. Add a drop of olive oil and massage the kale with your hands for 2 to 3 minutes. This removes the toughness and bitterness.
• To make the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, honey, dijon, a big pinch of salt and pepper and the garlic. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.
• Drizzle the kale with some of the dressing, tossing well. Add in the avocado. Add another pinch of salt and pepper, and a little more dressing. Serve with the salmon!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Author: How Sweet Eats

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