A spicy pepper sauce for roasted harissa salmon served with sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, onion, and red bell peppers tossed in a paprika spice mixture.
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What to Season Salmon With?
Try using harissa sauce! This recipe has fire-roasted red bell pepper, tomatoes, crushed chili pepper flakes, and spices like caraway, coriander, cumin, and paprika. And this is why it is great to serve with paprika-roasted vegetables. This is probably the best harissa salmon recipe ever, that I've developed since all the ingredients pair so well.
Famous for Harissa Chicken
When I first heard of this recipe, it was for a roasted harissa chicken dish years ago. I would say you’ll find numerous recipes and variations. So it's famous for Harissa chicken but fabulous on salmon! Make this spicy salmon recipe with roasted vegetables in one shot using the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill.
It has been my go-to quick Ninja Foodi salmon recipe. Harissa is a great sauce to go with salmon and potatoes. This recipe will teach you how to cook a salmon fillet on the fly. What are your favorite fish dinner recipes? What Ninja Foodi salmon recipes have you fallen in love with?
If you love harissa, then use my Quick Harissa Sauce to make it on the fly. Make a big batch and use it for Spicy Chicken Burger with Harissa Eggplant, Portabella Mushrooms, and Onions, Shashuka-Inspired Harissa Egg Toast with Feta Cheese and Olive Oil, and Spicy Chicken Vegetable Stew with Harissa Tomato Sauce. And as a side dish or pita topper, you gotta try the Harissa Carrot Salad.
Ingredients and Instructions
First, prep the vegetables by combing the brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, and onion and season it with avocado oil, smoked paprika,d dried oregano, kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper chili flakes, garlic powder, and onion powder. Next, prep the salmon by brushing on the avocado oil and seasoning it with salt and pepper. Spoon the harissa, kalamata olives, oregano, and grape tomato mixture onto the fish. Roast both the vegetables and salmon in the air fryer. Once done, plate up and serve with lemon to squeeze on top and fresh chopped parsley.
See the harissa salmon recipe card for quantities.
Busy Folks - Become a better home cook with cooking tips to help you cook more efficiently on Cook's Notebook tab. In addition, some related detailed steps can be found there. Learn more about prepping fish.
Substitutions
- Salmon Fillet - Try rainbow trout or tilapia fillets.
Change Heat Level - Modify the recipe's heat level to your liking and learn more about the Scoville Scale and Chili Pairings.
Variations
- Harissa Chicken - Try chicken breast or thigh.
Equipment
Air Fryer - This recipe was developed using the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill. If you do not have an air fryer, you can try roasting in the oven. You have two options with different results: a sheet pan with parchment paper or a sheet pan with a sheet pan rack. The parchment paper will produce vegetables roasted in their juices and caramelization at the bottom. In contrast, the sheet pan rack will result in just roasting around the vegetables due to the hot air flowing around the vegetables. Now, the trick is not to overcrowd in whatever method you choose, but if this happens, toss in between cooking.
Kitchen Must Haves - Find other tools I use here.
Storage
- Refrigerator - To store in the fridge, you can place the fish and roasted vegetables in a shallow 2-inch container to cool down quickly. Then, store in an air-tight sealing container. The meal will last up to two days.
- Freezer - First, follow the refrigeration process mentioned above. Then, you can place it in the freezer in a labeled, airtight container.
Air Tight Food Containers - I use Glass Food Storage Containers with a plastic clipping lid to store food. For example, I always suggest glass storage containers since you can microwave them and hold food without staining the container, and the glass keeps them at a more stable temperature, which keeps the food fresher longer.
Washing and Drying Herbs Tip
For a faster prep time, try using a salad spinner. Place the herbs in the spinner's basket, fill it with water, and use your hand to move the herbs around in the water to loosen up any dirt. Lift the basket and discard the soiled water. Rince the bucket. Place the herbs back and quickly dry them by using the spinner. Dried fresh herbs are better for chopping and will be used for garnishing when sprinkled on, and it doesn't stick to the fingers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Harissa is a chili pepper paste and is spicy due to the Baklouti peppers found in the Maghreb region in Africa. You’ll find a lot of recipes involving some type of chili pepper. For convenience and sticking to making quality, quick, and easy recipes, this recipe uses chili pepper flakes that can be easily found at home or at your local supermarket.
Harissa will start with a sweet red bell pepper taste and finish with heat from the chilies. You’ll find tones of smokiness due to the smoked paprika in my recipe. When making traditional harissa, the smokiness will come from the smoked peppers.
You’ll find harissa coming in a glass jar, can, or plastic tub. I’ve found both refrigerated or stored on dried good shelves. You may find it at your local market. But if you are having difficulty, you might have a better look at African, Middle-Eastern, or Mediterranean stores. But you won’t have to search for it if you make my Quick Harissa Sauce, because this sauce is quick and easy to make.
Avocado oil is a high-smoke point oil that can tolerate high heat before smoking. Learn more about High Smoke Point Oils. In addition, it is a neutral-tasting oil and will not overpower the dish's taste.
According to HowToCook.Recipes, you can soak Brussels sprouts for at least 20 minutes to prevent too much charing during roasting.
It is a great kitchen utensil to invest in. Its blade is thin enough to go under delicately cooked fish with a wide blade to hold the fish together.
Fish Recipes
Looking for other fish recipes like this? Try these:
- Calabrian Pepper Salmon with Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce
- Seared Snapper Spicy Creole Sauce and Roasted Vegetables
- Sesame Seed-Crusted Ahi Tuna with Spicy Sesame-Soy Sauce
- Sheet Pan Citrus Chili Lime Salmon with Vegetables
Air Fryer Recipes
Looking for other air fryer recipes like this? Try these:
- Easy 15-Minute Marinade for Beef Kabobs
- Grilled Zhug Ras El Hanout Lamb Chops and Tomato Salad
- Easy Sheet Pan Spicy Miso Salmon Rice Bowl
- Spicy Greek Chicken Meatball Rice Bowl
Video
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📖 Recipe
Roasted Harissa Salmon with Paprika Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts
Ingredients
Roasted Paprika Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts
- 8 Brussels sprouts halved and soaked
- 1 medium sweet potato large sticks
- ½ medium red bell pepper large slices
- ¼ medium onion large slices
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper chili flakes
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Harissa Salmon
- 8 ounces of salmon fillets
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoon harissa sauce heaping tablespoons
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon sliced kalamata olives
- 4 grape tomatoes sliced
Optional Garnishes
- 1 lemon tips cut off, halved and seeded
- 1 tablespoon parsley leaves washed, dried, and chopped fine
Equipment
- Air Fryer Can also use an oven if an air fryer is not available.
Instructions
- Save time in the kitchen: Read the instructions thoroughly, then gather and prep all your ingredients before cooking! Learn Prepping Tips.
- Prep the Vegetables: In a large mixing bowl, combine the brussels sprouts, sweet potato, red bell pepper, and onions. Add the avocado oil, smoked paprika, dried oregano, kosher salt, ground black pepper, red pepper chili flakes, garlic powder, and onion powder; combine well and set aside.
- Prep the Fish: On a cutting board for raw fish, brush salmon with avocado oil, season it with salt and pepper, and set aside.
- Prep Harissa Olive Tomato Mixture: In a small mixing bowl, combine the harissa sauce with oregano, kalamata olives, and grape tomatoes, and set aside. Note that salt is not added to this paste mixture because the harissa sauce is already seasoned, and the kalamata olives are already salty.
- Set Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with the cooking timer for 15 minutes. When the air fryer is ready, add the vegetable mix.
- When there are only 8 minutes left, add the avocado oil brushed fish and spoon on the harissa olives tomato mixture on top of the fish, and close immediately to continue cooking.
- Serve: To plate, scoop the vegetables onto one side of the plate and lay the cooked salmon on the other side. Garnish with the halved lemon and sprinkle on the chopped parsley.
- To eat, squeeze the lemon juices onto the fish.
Video
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat to prevent foodborne illness from contaminated uncooked meats.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat to prevent cross-contamination.
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods; this can breed bacteria.
- Never leave cooking food unattended to prevent burns and fires.
- Use oils with a high smoke point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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