Old Bay Salmon with Peach-Avocado Salsa

Jump to Recipe

This Old Bay Salmon recipe pairs seared salmon rubbed with Old Bay Seasoning alongside a sweet and citrusy peach salsa. Easy, but so delicious!

platter of Old Bay Salmon with peach avocado salsa next to napkin and bowl of salsa and lime half

Jump to:

Why Make This Recipe
🥗 Ingredients
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
🧐 Recipe FAQs for Old Bay Salmon
👩‍🍳 Expert Tips
Other Delicious Salmon Recipes
📖 Recipe
More About Molly

Why Make This Recipe

Easy enough for a weeknight, impressive enough for company: This recipe is a keeper, whether you serve it for an everyday meal or want to impress your friends with a showstopper meal!
Great flavor combinations: The salsa combination of peaches, avocado, and lime works so well together, and pairs beautifully with the Old Bay Seasoning on the salmon.
Perfect for summer: make this when summer peaches and corn are at their peak for maximum flavor!

🥗 Ingredients

Old Bay seasoning, salmon, ear of corn, avocado, peaches, scallions, olive oil, and lime

Peaches: ripe peaches are perfect for this dish, but you could replace with nectarines as well. You can also use canned peaches, but make sure to drain well and pat dry. Substitute mangoes or pineapples when in season.
Corn: I love fresh corn in this salsa during the summer, but canned corn and frozen corn would also work.
Scallions: You can replace the scallions with minced red onion or sweet onion.
Lime juice: Fresh-squeezed is always best. If you don’t have limes, lemons/lemon juice would make a fine substitute.
Old Bay Seasoning: See below for background on Old Bay. If you don’t have it, you can replace it with a mild chili powder or perhaps a smoked paprika.

🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions

First, prepare the salsa. Peel and chop 2 peaches and 1 avocado into ½-inch chunks. Finely chop 2 scallions.

Trim an ear of corn by cutting off the top leaves and pulling off a couple of the outermost layers. Cook corn in microwave on high for 3 minutes. Let corn cool for a few minutes, then peel and cut the kernels off and into a large bowl.

glass bowl with corn kernels cut off the cob

Add chopped peaches, avocado, and scallions, and stir. Add 2 tablespoons of lime juice and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir in ¼ teaspoon of salt, and season to taste with pepper.

peach avocado salsa with corn and scallions in glass bowl with spoon

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over salmon fillets and use your fingers to spread over the tops of the fillets.

Then sprinkle 1.5 tablespoons of Old Bay seasoning evenly over the tops of the fillets, and rub in gently. Let marinate for 15 minutes.

plate with salmon fillets marinating in Old Bay Seasoning

Heat a large nonstick skillet on a medium-high setting with another tablespoon of oil. When pan is hot, add salmon flesh-side down. Sear for 3 minutes, until the top is nicely browned, then turn fillets right-side up. Turn the heat down to medium and cover pan.

Cook for another 4 minutes, and check to see if fillets are done. Use a fork to see if the top part of the salmon flakes. If it does, let the salmon sit for a few minutes off the heat and finish cooking.

If salmon does not flake at all and looks raw on the inside, continue to cook and flip the fillets over every minute or so, until they’re done. Turn the heat down if the seasoning is beginning to burn.

salmon fillets with Old Bay Seasoning seared in skillet

Serve seared salmon fillets topped with a big spoonful of avocado-peach salsa.

platter with Old Bay Salmon and peach-avocado salsa and serving fork

🧐 Recipe FAQs for Old Bay Salmon

Can I make Salmon with Old Bay Seasoning in advance?

Salmon is generally best made right before you are ready to eat it, but you can make it in advance if you need to. In that case, consider undercooking it just a tad, so that when you reheat it in the microwave or in a skillet, it will not overcook.

As for the peach-avocado salsa, that is also best made at meal time because the avocado will brown not long after it has been cut. That said, the lime juice in this salsa will help to delay the browning of the avocado. You can make the salsa a few hours in advance, then put in the refrigerator, and it should hold up.

What is Old Bay Seasoning?

Old Bay Seasoning was originally introduced over 75 years ago by a German immigrant who started the Baltimore Spice Company. His blend, called “Delicious Brand Shrimp and Crab Seasoning,” was made to support the nearby seafood market in Baltimore but was later renamed Old Bay seasoning after the Old Bay Line, a passenger ship that traveled the Chesapeake Bay line between Baltimore and Norfolk, VA.

The spice company McCormick and Co bought the rights to Old Bay Seasoning in 1900 and has produced it ever since. Old Bay is a blend of 18 herbs and spices that feature red pepper, celery salt, and paprika. In Maryland, Old Bay is a long-standing tradition, used for tossing steamed crabs in as well as seasoning crab cakes or other seafood items.

Old Bay is also used to top popcorn, french fries, potato chips, bloody marys, and more. I adore it in this Old Bay Spiced Shrimp recipe and in these Old Bay Salmon Rillettes. And of course, it's a critical ingredient in Maryland Crab Cakes.

👩‍🍳 Expert Tips

The hardest part of this recipe is cooking the salmon correctly. Unfortunately, it’s hard to give exact directions for this as the thickness of salmon fillets and the heat of different stovetops are not consistent.

My best advice is to buy the same kind of salmon fillets on a regular basis, so that you get used to how long it takes to cook them. And keep in mind that salmon will keep cooking after you take it off the pan, or off the heat, so aim to undercook it just a little and let it sit to finish the cooking process.

If you have very thin salmon fillets, cut down the recipe cook times on each side by 2 minutes, and be careful not to overcook your fillets.

One of the things I love about this seared salmon recipe is that you can play with the level of spice. You can add more or less Old Bay Seasoning, depending on your preference. And if you like things spicy, you can add a chopped jalapeño to the salsa.

Also, feel free to play with the salsa ingredients depending on what’s in season near you. That combination of a cool citrusy salsa next to the warm, savory salmon is just fantastic any time of year. If peaches and corn aren't quite at their peak try topping with this Summer Cherry Salsa instead or try this Salmon with Mango Pineapple Salsa recipe!

Got extra peaches around? Why not serve this with a super easy peach dessert, like this 3 Ingredient Peach Cobbler?

plate with single serving of Old Bay Salmon topped by peach avocado salsa with fork, napkin, and lime

Other Delicious Salmon Recipes

Do you love salmon as much as I do? If so, you may want to check out some of my other favorite salmon recipes:

And, if you'd like another gluten-free and sugar-free salmon dinner idea, try this Keto Pesto Salmon recipe! Or, switch it up with a Sauteed Sea Bass recipe featuring a delicious romesco sauce or our No Wine Shrimp Scampi recipe.

If you try this Old Bay Salmon recipe, I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment below—I read them all, and your feedback is invaluable to me. And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter. I'd love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!

Want to Save This Recipe?

Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Vanilla Bean Cuisine.

📖 Recipe

Old Bay Salmon with Peach-Avocado Salsa

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

This Old Bay Salmon recipe pairs seared salmon rubbed with Old Bay Seasoning alongside a sweet and citrusy peach salsa. Easy, but so delicious!

Ingredients

For the Salsa

2 peaches
1 avocado
2 scallions
1 ear of corn
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Salmon

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 6-ounce salmon fillets, about 1-inch thick
1.5 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning

Instructions

To prepare the salsa, start by peeling and chopping peaches and avocado into ½-inch chunks.
Finely chop scallions.
Trim corn by cutting off the top leaves and pulling off a couple of the outermost layers.
Cook corn in microwave on high for 3 minutes (leaving it in the rest of the husk).
Let corn cool for a few minutes, then peel and cut the kernels off and into a large bowl.
Add chopped peaches, avocado, and scallions, and stir.
Add lime juice and olive oil.
Stir in salt, and season to taste with pepper.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over salmon fillets, and use your fingers to spread over the tops of the fillets.
Sprinkle Old Bay seasoning evenly over the tops of the fillets, and rub in gently. Let marinate for 15 minutes.
Heat a large nonstick skillet on a medium-high setting with the remaining tablespoon of oil.
When pan is hot, add salmon flesh-side down. Sear for 3 minutes, until the top is nicely browned, then turn fillets right-side up.
Turn the heat down to medium and cover pan.
Cook for another 4 minutes, and check to see if fillets are done.
Use a fork to see if the top part of the salmon flakes. If it does, let the salmon sit for a few minutes off the heat and finish cooking.
If salmon does not flake at all and looks raw on the inside, continue to cook and flip the fillets over every minute or so, until they’re done. Turn the heat down if the seasoning is beginning to burn.
Serve salmon fillets topped with a big spoonful of avocado-peach salsa.

Notes

Tips for Cooking Salmon: It’s hard to give exact directions for cooking salmon as the thickness of salmon fillets and the heat of different stovetops are not consistent. My best advice is to buy the same kind of salmon fillets on a regular basis, so that you get used to how long they take to cook. And keep in mind that salmon will keep cooking after you take it off the pan, or off the heat, so aim to undercook it just a little and let it sit to finish the cooking process. If you have very thin salmon fillets, cut down the recipe cook times on each side by 2 minutes, and be careful not to overcook your fillets.

Make-Ahead Instructions: Salmon is generally best made right before you are ready to eat it, but you can make it in advance if necessary. In that case, consider undercooking it just a tad, so that when you reheat it in the microwave or in a skillet, it will not overcook. As for the peach-avocado salsa, that is also best made at meal time because the avocado will brown not long after it has been cut. That said, the lime juice in this salsa will help to delay the browning of the avocado. You can make the salsa a few hours in advance, then put in the refrigerator, and it should hold up.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

T-fal Dishwasher Safe Cookware Fry Pan with Lid Hard Anodized Titanium Nonstick, 12-Inch, Black

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 618Total Fat: 43gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 32gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 944mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 6gSugar: 9gProtein: 41g

Nutrition information is provided as a general reference for users courtesy of the online nutrition calculator Nutritionix.

Instagram Users: Now that you've made this pan-seared salmon with Old Bay recipe, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I'd love to see your results!

More About Molly

Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!

Learn more about me →