Guatemalan · beginner
Guatemalan Pan-Seared Salmon With Roasted Pepitoria Salsa
Crispy salmon fillets paired with a traditional Guatemalan sauce made from toasted pumpkin seeds, charred tomatoes, and zesty lime.
- PREP TIME
- 15 min
- COOK TIME
- 15 min
- SERVES
- 4
Good things
start in the kitchen.
LET’S MAKE IT
Step by step
- 01
Toast the raw pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, shaking frequently, until fragrant and lightly popped. Let cool, then coarsely grind in a food processor or spice grinder.
- 02
Heat a dry cast-iron skillet over high heat and char the halved tomatoes skin-side down for 5 minutes until blackened. Transfer to a cutting board and chop finely.
- 03
In a medium bowl, combine the ground toasted pepitoria, chopped charred tomatoes, diced red onion, fresh cilantro, lime juice, and half the sea salt. Stir well to form the salsa.
- 04
Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides with the remaining sea salt.
- 05
Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Place salmon skin-side down and sear for 4 minutes until crispy.
- 06
Flip the fillets and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until cooked through. Serve immediately topped generously with the pepitoria salsa.
A LITTLE KITCHEN KNOW-HOW
Pepitoria Toasting
Dry-toasting pumpkin seeds to release aromatic essential oils before crushing them into a textured salsa base.
Notes from the kitchen
- Toast pumpkin seeds gently on medium heat; they pop and burn quickly if left unattended.
- Keep the skin on the salmon to get a sturdy, crispy crust that contrasts nicely with the crunchy pepitoria salsa.
- Original home-cooking adaptation inspired by Guatemalan; regional versions vary.
- Use halal-certified meat, poultry, stock, sauces, cheese and other processed ingredients. Check labels and avoid cross-contamination. Recipe screening is not halal certification.