Cajun Salmon With Tomato Cauliflower Rice

Want a quick and easy weeknight dinner? I love making this Cajun honey and lime grilled salmon and cauliflower rice as it’s nutritious and flavorful. This meal is paleo, gluten-free, and low-carb friendly.


Paleo Cajun salmon with tomato cauliflower rice
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Salmon and cauliflower rice is such a great, healthy meal combo. You get protein and healthy fats in salmon and you get fibre, some healthy carbs and antioxidants in cauliflower rice (which you can make with extra veggies like I do). So, let me break down my salmon and cauliflower rice dinner for you. There are two parts:

  • Cajun spiced lime and honey salmon – this can be grilled, air-fried or baked .
  • Tomato cauliflower rice – pan-fried until just softened; this is gluten-free, low-carb, high in fibre!

These two dishes are individual recipes in themselves, and while this meal combo is delicious, you can use it for inspiration and switch things up. For example, swap the salmon for my Asian-inspired soy and sweet chili glazed salmon bites and make my coconut cauliflower rice instead of tomato version. Don’t love cauliflower rice or want to add another side? Check out a few healthy side dishes here.

This particular recipe is high-protein, glute-free, grain-free Paleo, and low-carb friendly. I hope you like it!

Paleo Cajun salmon with tomato cauliflower rice
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How To Make Salmon & Cauliflower Rice Meal

You will find the full recipe card below but here are some steps and pics to guide you along.

Cajun Grilled Salmon

First up, marinate the salmon fillets in a quick citrusy mix of lime juice and honey. This helps tenderize the fish and adds a punchy sweet-tart flavor. If you’ve got time, marinate it for a few hours or overnight in the fridge—but honestly, even 10-15 minutes works well for a weeknight dinner. No lime? Use lemon. No honey? Maple syrup will do!

Marinating honey lime salmon
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While the fish is soaking up all that zingy goodness, mix up the Cajun spice rub. I usually make my own with pantry spices like paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, dried thyme, and oregano. ant a little smokiness? Add a touch of smoked paprika to your spice blend.

If you have a ready-made Cajun blend, that’s totally fine too—just keep an eye on the salt level, since some store-bought mixes can be heavy-handed. Set the seasoned fillets aside while you prep the cauliflower rice.

Cajun salmon rub
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Tomato Cauliflower Rice

Cauliflower rice is way easier than it sounds. You’ve got two options:

  • Use a food processor to blitz cauliflower florets into “rice” (a few pulses is all it takes).
  • Or chop everything finely by hand if you’re processor-less. It’s a bit more effort but still doable.

I use a small hand-powered chopper to keep cleanup easy. Whatever method you go with, try to keep the cauliflower and veggies (like tomatoes, onion, and garlic) around the same size for even cooking. By the way, you can find more healthy cauliflower recipes here.

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I usually cook the tomato cauliflower rice first, then pan-fry the salmon right before serving—it cooks quickly, so you won’t risk overdoing it. The finished cauliflower rice is juicy, savory, and perfect as a low-carb base for the spiced salmon.

Ingredient swaps/tips: Want it spicy? Throw in a pinch of chilli flakes or cayenne. Use frozen cauliflower rice for convenience—just thaw and squeeze out excess water before cooking. Add capsicum (bell peppers) or chopped spinach for extra veg.

Making tomato cauliflower rice
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Here is how lovely the tomato cauliflower rice looks when it’s done. It’s a great side dish to go with any protein.

Tomato cauliflower rice
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💬 If you’ve tried this salmon and cauliflower rice recipe or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and or sign up to my Newsletter to see more of my delicious food.

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Cajun salmon and cauliflower rice
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Cajun Salmon & Cauliflower Rice

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Author: Irena Macri
Servings: 2
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Cajun
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5 from 15 votes
Calories: 552kcal
Want a quick and easy weeknight dinner? I love making this Cajun grilled salmon with tomato cauliflower rice as it's nutritious, tasty and super speedy. This recipe is paleo, gluten-free, and low-carb.

Ingredients 

  • 2 salmon fillets as big as you need for your appetite, mine were about 150 grams or 6 oz each.
  • 2.5 tbsp lime juice juice of 1 lime
  • 3 teaspoons honey

For the spice rub

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seed ground
  • 1 teaspoon thyme dried or fresh
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne red pepper
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or chipotle chill optional but adds a little smoky flavor
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil for cooking

Tomato Cauliflower Rice

  • 1 small onion white or red, finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon paprika powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seed powder
  • Pinch of chili flakes or powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ head cauliflower cut into florets and finely chopped, about 3-4 cups of riced cauliflower
  • 1 small carrot finely chopped
  • 1 tomato or 4-5 cherry tomatoes
  • 2 cloves garlic minced or diced finely
  • 1 teaspoon butter ghee or extra olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley
  • 1-2 tablespoons chopped green onion optional, for garnish

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, mix the honey and lime juice. Add the salmon fillets and coat them well on both sides. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the cauliflower rice. About halfway through, flip the salmon so it marinates evenly on both sides.
  • Mix the Cajun rub spices in a separate small bowl and set aside.
  • Make the tomato cauliflower rice. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a little olive oil and sauté the onions for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the spices. Add the chopped veggies and a knob of butter or ghee. Cook for 4–5 minutes over high heat, stirring often, until everything is tender and fragrant. Finish with chopped fresh herbs, then set aside.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the salmon from the marinade and let the excess drip off. Place the fillets on a plate and sprinkle generously with the spice rub on both sides, pressing it in gently with your fingers.
    Place the fillets in the hot skillet and cook for about 3½ minutes per side, until nicely blackened and crispy on the outside and just cooked through. In the final minute of cooking, drizzle over any remaining lime-honey marinade.
  • Serve the salmon over the tomato cauliflower rice. Garnish with cilantro and green onions or parsley.

Notes

  • Cajun spice blend: Feel free to use store-bough Cajun blend instead of making your own rub, you will need about 4 teaspoons or more.
  • Storage tips: Cooked salmon will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Tomato cauliflower rice can be stored the same way and reheated in a pan or microwave. To freeze, store salmon and cauliflower rice separately in airtight containers for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
  • Make-ahead tips: Marinate the salmon the night before and keep it in the fridge. Make the spice blend in a small jar and keep it on hand—it’s great for other proteins too. Prep the cauliflower rice a day ahead and store it uncooked in the fridge in a sealed container. Then just cook it fresh when needed.<

Nutrition

Calories: 552kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 1316mg | Potassium: 1604mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 5914IU | Vitamin C: 91mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 4mg
Keywords: Salmon Recipes, Cauliflower, Dinner Ideas
Tried this recipe?Mention @cookedandloved or tag #cookedandloved

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Irena Macri
By Irena Macri

About the author:Hi, I’m Irena Macri. I share delicious recipes that I have cooked and loved. I am a published cookbook author, have been food blogging for over 10 years and have a Diploma in Nutrition. You will find many healthy recipes as well as my favourite comfort food. More about me here | Subscribe to my newsletter and freebies

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5 from 15 votes

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Comments

28 Comments
  1. 5 stars
    I tried this recipe and now I’m hooked. This is my favorite go to recipe for cauliflower rice as it is packed with flavor. In addition to the honey salmon, I’ve paired it with blackened shrimp and talipia. So Yum!

  2. I intend to check out this recipe, but I am not sure what dried coriander is. Are you talking about dried leaves or coriander seed?

  3. 5 stars
    I made this tonight. It was amazing! I did change the recipe slightly. I omitted the tomato and added about 1 1/2 tbl sugar free, brown sugar to the rub. It gave a little bit of sweetness to the heat. We will definitely make this again!

  4. 5 stars
    Made the cauliflower rice! Nice change of pace.
    We had leftovers for another meal, but added roasted corn and grilled vegetables (peppers and zucchini)! Delicious.

  5. 5 stars
    Hi! I just made this and it is fantastic! I air fried the salmon at 400 for 6 min and it was the perfect meal. I did not have onion powder or thyme but worked with what I have. Thank you for sharing this.

    1. You’re welcome! Thanks for sharing your air fryer instructions as some people might have one. Irena 🙂

  6. Irena, I have just cooked this for our dinner Good Friday…. it was seriously delicious and another absolute winner! Thank you for a great recipe once again, I also riced some yacon (root veggie) out of my garden with cauli rice combo, it turned out a treat! Love the spices in this recipe ?????

  7. 5 stars
    This recipe looks absolutely delicious and to die for! I love grilled salmon and have been looking for something to pair it up with. The spices look just perfect!

  8. 5 stars
    Wow the flavors in this are so great! I love all of those spices in the spice rub mixed with the lime-honey flavor. So yummy! The tomato cauliflower rice is a nice addition to the meal too.

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