A Salmon Dish That Puts a Crispy Spin on Chia Seeds

Show: Chopped
Chia salmon

Chia Crusted Salmon w Soy Bok Choy

Photo by: Petrina Tinslay

Petrina Tinslay

For this week's Chopped Dinner Challenge, the chefs in our Food Network Kitchen chose to feature the basket ingredient of chia seeds. Some people may recognize chia seeds as a novelty of the ’80s, where you spread the seeds on clay figures and then watched them sprout green foliage. Chia seeds have become very popular in the health food market in the past few years because they're actually quite good for you, packed with healthy fats, fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. Usually chia seeds are mixed into yogurt, oatmeal, juice or tea, but this recipe for Chia-Crusted Salmon with Soy Bok Choy uses the seeds as a crispy baked coating, creating a new spin for your family that's both healthy and flavorful.

This recipe couldn't be simpler. Start with 4 skinless salmon fillets. Combine mustard, Sriracha, and salt and pepper and then rub all over the salmon. Spread the chia seeds on a plate and lay the salmon down onto the seeds, pressing to coat.

Heat some vegetable oil in a large skillet. Sear the salmon with the seed side down until a nice crust forms. Then transfer the fillets to a sheet pan and bake in the oven until cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes.

While the salmon bakes, make the side dish. Add bok choy, soy sauce and maple syrup, along with some water, to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, until the bok choy is tender, about 8 minutes. Then uncover and allow the liquid to evaporate and form a glaze, about 4 to 6 minutes. Serve the salmon fillets with the bok choy.

Chopped Dinner Challenge

The Chopped Dinner Challenge is a series of recipes showing you how easy it is to cook like a winning Chopped competitor. Every week, FN Dish will showcase a recipe created by Food Network Kitchen that uses at least one of the Chopped basket ingredients, plus basic grocery goods and simple staples. Consider it your very own Chopped challenge. Just take this frequent tip from the judges: Don’t forget to season!

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