This Panko Crusted Salmon is coated with a plant-based egg-free avocado mayonnaise and breaded with Japanese style panko breadcrumbs - great weekday dinner
You know that feeling when you create a dish out of nothing that completely blows you away with the ease and flavor?! That happened with this Panko Crusted Salmon recipe! It feels like a fancy and gourmet meal, but really it just involved simple breading and pan-frying.
How do you make panko crusted salmon
First, you’ll start by mixing vegan mayo with dijon mustard, salt and pepper and I smothered that all over the salmon fillets. That marinade is what helps to keep it moist while frying it up.
Then I liberally sprinkle the panko breadcrumbs and rosemary mixture on top and patted down with the back of a spoon to make sure it adheres to the salmon. Totally optional, but lemon zest on top of these salmon fillets get crispy caramelized when fried, and that’s just the type of yumminess you need on your salmon amiright?
When you fry the panko crusted salmon, you may notice that some of the panko breading may come off. But that’s normal because the avocado mayo is no perfect glue, so just scoop up whatever gets stuck to the pan, and top the salmon with it.
To the same pan, you can then quickly sauté some asparagus with a bit of salt, pepper and lemon juice. There’s already so much flavor and olive oil in the pan so don’t mess with it too much. I like cooking them for just 2-3 minutes until they lightly soften and brighten in color.
There’s something about this panko crusted salmon that totally screams salmon avocado tempura roll from a Japanese restaurant! I swear, it’s not just me…my husband and I and our friends tasted it too. This time they were the ones tooting my horn telling me how epic this meal was. Woohooo for unsolicited compliments!
More salmon recipes:
- Salmon Burgers
- Honey Lemon Salmon
- Sheet Pan Lemon Garlic Salmon
- Garlic Cilantro Oven Baked Salmon
- Salmon Burgers
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Panko Crusted Salmon recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
This Panko Crusted Salmon is coated with a plant-based egg-free avocado mayonnaise and breaded with Japanese style panko breadcrumbs - great weekday dinner
- 1 Tbsp vegan mayo I like the Chosen Foods brand
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 4 6 oz salmon fillets
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp rosemary
- Lemon zest optional)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch asparagus spears
- 1/2 lemon
- Cooked rice for serving
- Green onions for garnish
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper and whisk to combine.
- In another bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs with the rosemary and toss to combine.
- Spoon the mayonnaise mixture evenly over the salmon fillets to coat them. Then sprinkle the panko mixture over the salmon and press down firmly with the back of a spoon to adhere the breadcrumbs to the salmon.
- Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium. Transfer the fillets to the pan carefully, with the panko side down.
- Cook the salmon for 3-4 minutes. Flip over and cook for an additional 3 minutes until desired doneness. Remove from the pan and plate over rice, if desired.
- In the same pan used to cook the salmon, add the asparagus, season with salt, pepper and the juice of half a lemon. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with the salmon fillets and rice with sliced green onions, if desired.
- Make Ahead: The mayonnaise mixture and the panko mixture can be made in advance and you an also coat the salmon in advance, but for best results pan-fry the salmon just before eating.
- Storage: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
