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.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
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.
Joyce Carole says
I make a lot of salmon, I’m not used to using recipes, but, this sounded so good and so easy I thought I’d try it! My measurements weren’t exact because I only made two eight pieces, but to my surprise, it was delicious and my husband loved it! Fast and easy, thank you!!
Lisa andrews says
Very delicious my family said they would eat that salmon anytime and easy on workdaysโ๏ธ๐๐๐
Amy o says
I have always been too scared to make salmon but this recipe looked do-able to an insecure cook like me. This came out amazing! It kinda all came together real quick but I made it thru! Thank you so much! I cannot recommend this enough!
Mary says
Love this. What flavor! And so easy. My husband was dissappointed that I only cooked 2 pieces of salmon. I think we are going to be buying a lot more!
John says
Can this be prepared without using butter?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested making this sauce without butter, so I can’t say for certain, but my guess is it will work, but will lose some richness and flavor.
Pat says
This was so delicious and also very easy to make. Will definitely make again! Thank you!
Kim Dugger says
Amazing flavors!!
Edward Sommerman says
Great taste it’s now a new family favorite I’ve made it six times and everyone loves it.
Karla says
We loved this salmon. Our sauce was a bit watery but we loved it. We cooked it to 145F. We used a cast iron pan and went from stove top to oven. It was very quick and minimal effort! My husband asked me to save this recipe in my recipe cards.
Terri says
Very good. It was so good that there were any leftovers. Yummy!
Renee says
Quick, easy, delicious!
Mary says
I followed the recipe exactly and the fish was nice although I had to let it rest for several minutes to get it cooked to medium doneness. The sauce however was a burnt mess. If I try this again I will use the pan method so I can keep a closer eye on the sauce. Iโm not sure what happened. I am an experienced cook.
Suzanne says
Same as Mary – the sauce in the pan burns to a char after only a few minutes under the broiler. Gotta be careful cooking with sugar (in this case, honey). Glad I caught it in time. Otherwise a tasty combo of ingredients. Served it over steamed rice and furikake.
Sara says
Very good – will make/eat again.
Leslie says
I wanted to leave a rating because this was so yummy (and I’ve tried several different glazes for salmon). I think this was the tastiest one! Also, if anyone likes to do “sheet pan” dinners, I did cook it a little differently. I made the sauce in a saucepan on the stove, but I cooked the salmon all in the oven and just painted the sauce on (a few times during the cooking). I cooked it with some brussel sprouts and cut up sweet potatoes (which I started earlier due to cook times). Just in case anyone was wondering if this works well, it does! Thank you for the easy and delicious recipe.
Bernie says
Wow! Thanks Mike for your idea of doing this by baking. I always look at the comments to get different ideas. This one is a keeper. ๐
Bernie says
Oops! My comment was for Leslie not Mike. Thanks Leslie๐
Mike says
Wow, quick, easy and delicious! My very picky wife enjoyed the dish. It went very well with a cab sav. Thanks for sharing. Mike
Barbara says
Delicious, but mine was watery too. I’m thinking it was because my fish was frozen, not fresh. The sauce was gobbled up! Next time, I will thicken the sauce a bit more before I add the fish.
Georgia says
Itโs now part of our weekly rotation. Everyone loves it and even my picky eater is going for seconds. Thank you for sharing.
Try it out – fast, easy and scrumptious. You will not be disappointed.
Bill Bailey says
OMG this was DELICIOUS!! Iโm not a Salmon fan, but this will be cooked again! We followed the recipe and it was perfect!
We live on the east coast of Florida and I am an active salt water fisherman so we eat lots of fresh fish, but obviously Salmon does not swim in our waters! Wife bought this at local grocery store and I agreed to try it, I was pleasantly surprised! Thanks for a great recipe!
Stacy says
Having 3 twenty-somethings at home who LOVE salmon, I have to double this recipe. Its always a hit! I do leave out the water so it thickens up better. I like that there’s no “junk” ingredients in this recipe. Quick and perfect for any night of the week!
Christine says
Absolutely delicious!
Kendra says
My family loved this recipe. My college aged son said it was as good as any restaurant salmon he has ever had. We have eaten in many highly rated seafood restaurants so that is high praise.