Sticky sweet and garlicky, this glazed salmon recipe comes together in just 20 minutes, and in one pan. Hands down, the most addicting salmon ever!
This ultra easy salmon recipe is a winner when it comes to weeknight dinners!ย We love easy main dishes, like my Honey Lime Shrimp, and Blackened Tilapia Bowls.ย This is one of myย Dinnerย recipes youโll definitely want in your recipe rotation!
HONEY GARLIC SALMON RECIPE
Have you ever made a recipe that truly surprised you?ย Normally I’m not a huge salmon lover, but after one bite of this ultra tender salmon, I was absolutely in love.ย I literally did a little dance in the kitchen because I finally found a way that I can enjoy salmon!
We all know how nutritious salmon is… loaded with omega 3’s, high in protein and tons of vitamins, so I’m glad I can enjoy those benefits.ย And now, so can you!
You won’t believe how such a simple recipe can pack SO much flavor.ย Each bite is full of sweet and savory flavors and delicate textures.
HOW TO MAKE GLAZED SALMON
I know some people, myself included, worry about pan-searing a salmon filet, going to flip it over, and…. well now your beautiful filet is mangled and in several pieces.
For that reason, I kept this recipe simple… so simple in fact, that there is NO pan-searing.ย No flipping required.
- Pat salmon filets dry and season with spices on all sides.
- Heat butter and oil, then add garlic, water, soy sauce, sriracha, honey and lemon juice.
- When hot, add salmon filets (skin side down if your filets have skin), and cook 3 minutes.
- While salmon cooks, use a spoon to baste the filets.
- Broil for 5-6 minutes, until salmon is sticky sweet, slightly charred, and cooked to desired doneness.
COOKING TIPS FOR SALMON RECIPES
- Buy good salmon – I prefer to buy fresh salmon from the grocery store, instead of frozen filets in bags, since those tend to be very thin.ย Cooking Light has a great article on how to pick the best salmon at the grocery store.
- Use it quickly – Salmon can go “off” or bad pretty quickly, so I prefer to buy my salmon no more than 1 day ahead of time.
- To skin or not to skin – if you decide to pan-sear your salmon, leave the skin on (and sear skin side first).ย The skin provides a layer of protection against the hot pan, and it’s a LOT easier to slide a spatula underneath crispy skin than underneath tender flesh.ย Plus, you’ll get crispy skin!ย To cook this recipe as written, it really doesn’t matter if your filets have skin or not.
- Don’t overcook – Salmon is prone to overcooking, and the line between not done enough and dry and overdone is pretty fine.ย The USDA recommends salmon be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 F degrees.ย ย However, different peopleย prefer their salmon to be more rare or more well-done, like a steak.ย To be on the safe-side, I stick to the USDA’s recommendation.
VARIATIONS OF THIS RECIPE
- Pan-Sear – if you’d prefer, season salmon as directed, then pan sear in the pan.ย Flip over and sear on the other side, then remove to a plate.ย Add sauce ingredients to pan and cook until warmed through.ย Add salmon back to pan and spoon sauce over the salmon.
- Bold Lemonย – feel free to add lemon zest to the sauce, or even add a few slices of lemon to the pan while you cook and broil the salmon for a more bold lemon flavor.
- Try Lime – switch the lemon juice for lime juice for a slightly different flavor.
- Green Onions – I love to top these salmon filets with some sliced green onions for a different flavor twist.
MAKING HONEY GARLIC SALMON AHEAD OF TIME
I think this recipe tastes best when made right before eating, but you can whisk together the sauce ahead of time if you’d like.
However, this salmon recipe also tastes amazing cold, on top of a salad.ย So if that’s your intention, then yes, make it a few hours to a day ahead of time ๐
STORAGE
Any leftover salmon should be refrigerated in an airtight container and consumed within 3 days.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR THIS RECIPE
- 12โณ wide skilletย โ I love this pan, and love that it’s oven and broiler safe (a must for one pan recipes).
BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT OTHER READERSโ COMMENTS FOR TIPS AND REVIEWS.
AND DONโT FORGET, IF YOUโVE MADE THIS RECIPE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING LETTING ME KNOW HOW YOU ENJOYED IT!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
SALMON
- 4 (6 oz each) salmon filets
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
- 1/4 tsp blackening seasoning (optional)
SAUCE
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3 Tbsp water
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sriracha sauce
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Pat salmon dry, then season with salt, pepper, paprika and blackening seasoning (if using). Set aside.
- IMPORTANT: Adjust oven rack to middle position, then preheat broiler. If you broil this with the rack up high the sauce will burn.
- Add butter and oil to a large, oven-safe skillet over MED-HIGH heat. Once butter is melted, add garlic, water, soy sauce, sriracha, honey and lemon juice and cook 30 seconds or so, until sauce is heated through.
- Add salmon, skin side down (if using salmon with skin), and cook 3 minutes. While salmon cooks, baste frequently with sauce from the pan by spooning it over the top of the salmon.
- Broil salmon for 5-6 minutes, basting with sauce once during the broil, until salmon is caramelized and cooked to desired doneness.
- Garnish with minced parsley if desired.
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Chef Tips
- If you'd prefer, season salmon as directed, then pan sear in the pan.ย Flip over and sear on the other side, then remove to a plate.ย Add sauce ingredients to pan and cook until warmed through.ย Add salmon back to pan and spoon sauce over the salmon.
- A couple of readers have reported having a watery sauce, which I've never personally encountered during all the testing for this recipe. If you feel the sauce is a bit watery, you could reduce the amount of water used, or simmer the sauce a bit before adding the salmon.
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Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Laura says
Amazing recipe Amanda, Thanks for the great tips and sharing this with us!
Bill says
OMG! Fantastic flavor–its the best glaze I’ve ever had on salmon!
Judy says
I do a lot of cooking everyone loves. I thought I would try your Honey Garlic Salmon recipe. It was great!! Everyone loved it, so it going in my special recipes book.Thanks.
Olga says
I made this for dinner tonight with broccoli and brown rice/quinoa mix. It was scrumptious! I made it on my cast iron pan. The only substitution I made was that I used sambal oelek instead of Sriracha because that’s what I had in hand. Delicious!
Tracy says
This was so easy and delicious!! I made it using the pan sear method.
Justyna says
Made it exclusively on the skillet! Delicious ๐
Krystal says
Wow! First time ever tasting salmon, and Iโm so happy it was an incredible one thanks to this simple and delicious recipe Thank you!!
Judithmoon says
Amandaโs Miracle Salmon.
Iโm writing this recipe down, and that is itโs name.
I cooked this in a well-seasoned cast iron pan, and I DID broil it in the oven.
Insanely good.
Ridiculous.
Make it NOW!!! Your tastebuds will be floating on Cloud 9, and you can pretend that it was endlessly complex to make. Because that is exactly what it tastes like.
Thank you, Amanda!
deb says
It was tasty but our sauce was really thin? followed recipe to a t…could it have been since we used low sodium soy sauce?
Shelly says
Loved it!!! Broke up the pieces of salmon into a salad with avo and feta, and poured the sauce over the salad, added a bit of coriander to salad it was delicious
Lorraine says
Excellent Salmon dish my family loved it, lots of flavour and kick, will definitely be making this dish again
Ellen says
It was pretty good. Didnโt get as caramelized as Iโd hoped though. Also I made my own blackening and discovered that it includes all of the other spices that one is supposed to season with so I just used it.
Michel says
Thanks for this excellent recipe. Have made it several times and always a huge hit. We are having a larger dinner party next week (10 people) and I was wondering how you would adapt the recipe for preparing it in couple of glass bottom pans. Would you just follow the basic recipe, heat the sauce in a 375 oven, add the fish, baste and then broil? Would it caramelize as nicely?
Amanda says
So glad you enjoy this salmon recipe as much as we do! I’ve only made this recipe as written, so I can’t say for certain how it would work heating the sauce in the oven. If you have two large skillets, I would probably prepare the recipe as directed through step 3, then transfer to the glass baking dishes and proceed with step 4.
Damian says
WOW! That was amazing, thank you for sharing, I’m well happy… will check out your other recipes!
Dee says
OMG Amanda! This was a gourmet meal made in little or no time! My whole family loved it. I doubled the recipe and it’s all gone! Making this again in a couple days. All I can say is OMG! Thank you sooo much, Amanda!
Dee says
OMG! This was to die for. A gourmet taste with little or no time! My whole family loved it. I added garlic roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli with pepper jack cheese. All I can say is OMG! Making this again in a couple days. Thank you sooooo much! OMG!!!
Myra says
Upped the garlic and used granulated garlic instead. OMG! Thank you so much.
K D Froyd says
Absolutely delicious. We used the lime variation making it taste rather unique. The whole family loved it.
Elia Vargas says
Loved this, it came out perfect… definitely will make again the family loved it as well, my honey said that I out did my self on this one…๐โค
Angela Barrow says
Not usually a salmon fan but this is amazing!