This Salmon BLT Salad is a family favorite and perfect for summer grilling or anytime of year! Perfectly seasoned salmon is either pan fried or grilled and layered with greens, crispy bacon, avocados and tossed in a Whole30 compliant chive ranch dressing. It’s paleo, low carb, and keto friendly too!
Who’s a fan of crispy skin-on salmon? I remember realizing I could actually cook salmon with the skin on and it was life changing! I’ve been borderline obsessed ever since (and it’s been awhile!)
For this recipe, you can cook the salmon either with or without the skin. I know not everyone shares my crispy skin obsession!
Either way – this salad is definitely going to become a favorite! Flavorful seasoned salmon that you can pan fry or grill, crispy bacon, greens, avocado, onions and tomatoes.
Plus a tangy chive ranch dressing that’s totally dairy free, Whole30 compliant and paleo that you can whisk together in less than a minute.
What You Need To Make This Salmon BLT Salad
Simple, delicious ingredients and the perfect spices make this salmon BLT salad out of this world delicious! Here’s what you’ll need to prepare the salad:
Dressing:
- unsweetened almond milk
- paleo mayo (homemade or store bought)
- lemon juice
- dill
- garlic
- chives
- Sea Salt & black pepper
Salmon:
- Individual salmon fillets, skin on or off
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- smoked paprika
- teaspoon black pepper
- bacon fat, avocado oil, or ghee
Salad:
- mixed greens of choice
- cherry tomatoes
- bacon, cooked until crisp
- avocado
- red onion
How to Make Salmon BLT Salad with Chive Ranch Dressing
Pat the fillets dry with paper towel. In a small bowl, mix together all the seasonings. You can make the salmon on the stovetop in a skillet or on the grill. If grilling, brush generously all over with the oil before beginning. If pan frying, the oil is for the skillet.
Heat the grill or skillet to medium high heat. Add oil to the skillet. In a skillet, place the salmon skin side down (if you chose skin) and cook about 3 minutes on each side, adjusting for preference and thickness.
If grilling, brush grill with oil and place the salmon flesh side down on the hot grill. Cook about 3 minutes, then carefully flip and cook skin side down for another 3-4 minutes, adjusting for thickness and preference.
Remove to a plate and assemble the salad. Layer the greens with tomatoes, bacon, sliced avocado and red onion and place salmon on top. Drizzle all over with as much of the dressing as you like (dressing below) and garnish with extra chives if desired.
How to Make Dairy Free Ranch Dressing
Making a Whole30 compliant, paleo dairy-free ranch dressing is super easy!
I use a base of paleo mayo (homemade or store bought) and unsweetened almond milk. The almond milk keeps it drizzly (I use coconut cream for a dip.).
Whisk together the almond milk, mayo, lemon juice and dill until smooth. Stir in the garlic and chives, then season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. It’s that simple! And so tasty.
You may hav a little bit more dressing than you need, but it’s definitely always better to have more than not enough!
If you want to keep any extra dressing for another use, place it in a sealed jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Ready for a delicious salad with lots of protein, healthy fats and of course tons of flavor? Yes! Let’s go!
Salmon BLT Salad with Chive Ranch Dressing {Paleo, Whole30, Keto}
Salmon BLT Salad with Chive Ranch Dressing {Paleo, Whole30, Keto}
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup plain unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup paleo mayo homemade or store bought
- 1 Tbsps lemon juice
- 1 tsp fresh minced dill or 1/4 tsp dried
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 Tbsp chopped chives
- Sea Salt & black pepper to taste
Salmon:
- 1 lb individual salmon fillets skin on or off (3-4 fillets)
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tbsp bacon fat avocado oil, or ghee
Salad:
- 6 cups mixed greens of choice roughly chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 6 Slices bacon cooked until crisp and crumbled or chopped
- 1 medium avocado thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
Instructions
Dressing:
-
Whisk together the almond milk, mayo, lemon juice and dill until smooth. Stir in the garlic and chives, then season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
Salmon:
-
Pat the fillets dry with paper towel. In a small bowl, mix together all the seasonings. You can make the salmon on the stovetop in a skillet or on the grill. If grilling, brush generously all over with the oil before beginning. If pan frying, the oil is for the skillet.
-
Heat the grill or skillet to medium high heat. Add oil to the skillet. In a skillet, place the salmon skin side down (if you chose skin) and cook about 3 minutes on each side, adjusting for preference and thickness.
-
If grilling, brush grill with oil and place the salmon flesh side down on the hot grill. Cook about 3 minutes, then carefully flip and cook skin side down for another 3-4 minutes, adjusting for thickness and preference.
-
Remove to a plate and assemble the salad. Layer the greens with tomatoes, bacon, sliced avocado and red onion and place salmon on top. Drizzle all over with as much of the dressing as you like and garnish with extra chives if desired. Serve right away. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Want More Whole30 Salad Recipes? Try One of These!
Crispy Buffalo Chicken Salad with Cilantro Ranch
Crispy Chicken Salad with “honey” Mustard
Caramelized Onion Chicken Kale Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing
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Wendy K says
Your recipes are always delicious and approachable! I made this tonight with massaged kale like the chicken Caesar Salad. Delicious! Everyone loved it!
Kelly says
How do you make your own mayo?
Joy says
Great recipe. The dressing is a challenge to make yourself. I love this website for recipes. It’s disappointing that there’s about 40 bots on each page tracking me.
Kara says
Excellent! I’m not a big fan of salmon, but I try to sneak it in my diet anyway. Flavors all paired together perfectly.
Christie Kovarik says
I made this last night and my husband and two young boys LOVED IT! Definitely in our regular rotation and I will be using the delicious dressing on many other things!
Abby says
Super delicious and easy to make! I loved that it’s so different from other dinners we make. You can do most of the prep earlier in the day and then just toss it together at dinner time. Highly recommend!
John Robert says
Bacon? Is PALEO?
mapquest directions says
Flavors all paired together perfectly. Thanks for sharing.