This Honey Garlic Salmon is a terrific way to serve salmon that is just sooooo crazy quick and soooo crazy delicious! Head here to see all my quick and easy salmon recipes!
Honey Garlic Salmon recipe original published March 2015. Refreshed with new photos and video in 2017.
HONEY GARLIC SALMON SAUCE
This Honey Garlic Salmon recipe is all about the sauce. Just four simple pantry essentials in the right proportions – soy sauce, honey, garlic and vinegar.
I used to just whisk up the Sauce and pour it over pan seared Salmon. Then I started adding the sauce into the skillet with the salmon, and that’s even better, so I decided it was time to refresh this recipe (which I posted originally posted in March 2015!) plus I’ve added a recipe video.
When you first mix up the sauce, you won’t think it’s anything special. In fact, it’s pretty flat tasting just as it is. There are some sauces that steal the limelight in a dish – like Sweet & Sour Sauce and the Lemon Cream Sauce in this baked fish.
And then there are other sauces that are designed to compliment the dish it’s served with, rather than taking centre stage itself.
This Honey Garlic Sauce is one of those (as is Garlic Butter with salmon!) Once it’s cooked with the salmon and it caramelises…. WOWEE!!!
HOW LONG TO COOK SALMON?
3 to 4 minutes on the first side and 2 to 3 minutes on the second side for a standard fillet that’s about 2.5cm / 1″ thick at the thickest part.
This will yield a salmon that is perfectly cooked to medium rare – so the flesh flakes when you cut into it, it’s beautifully moist and coral inside rather than a pale pink / white.
Salmon is a fatty fish so it’s more forgiving if overcooked slightly. But when perfectly cooked, it’s a thing of beauty!!
This Honey Garlic Salmon recipe is a firm favourite in my household – and it’s been a reader favourite for many years now, ever since I first published it!
It’s a terrific quick and easy way to cook salmon that makes the most of all that we love about salmon – it’s juicy flesh, the salmon flavour, and how the surface caramelises beautifully when seared with the right sauce.
For a quick and easy meal, serve it with a side of steamed vegetables, like broccolini or asparagus shown in the photos. Add some bread or mashed potato for mopping up the sauce, and you’ve got a quick dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes! – Nagi xx
More fish recipes!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Honey Garlic Salmon recipe video!
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Honey Garlic Salmon (5 Ingredients, 15 Minutes)
Ingredients
Sauce
- 4 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (all purpose or light soy sauce)
- 1 tbsp white vinegar (or sub with any other vinegar except balsamic)
- 1 large garlic clove (or 2 small) , minced
Salmon
- 2 salmon or trout fillets, skinless (6oz / 200g each)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Optional Garnishes
- Sesame seeds
- Finely sliced chives or shallots/scallions
Instructions
- Take salmon out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking. Pat salmon skin dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Whisk together the Sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Drizzle oil in a non stick fry pan and heat over medium high heat (or just under, if your stove runs hot). Place salmon in the pan, and cook the first side for 3 – 4 minutes until golden. Turn, then cook the other side for 2 – 3 minutes or until golden.
- Pour Sauce over salmon. Cook for 1 minute or until it starts to thicken slightly. Check the side of the salmon to tell how cooked through the middle is – I like mine medium rare inside. (Note 1). If Sauce thickens too much before your salmon is cooked to your taste, just add water 1 tbsp at a time.
- Remove onto serving plates.
- Serve salmon drizzled with Sauce, sprinkled with sesame seeds and chives/shallots, if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
Currently in Fiji and receiving the usual daily reports from Dozer’s boarder – all is well and there are (apparently) no signs of separation anxiety. Hmph!!
Terrific recipe.
Another home run Nagi!
Thanks again.
This made a brilliant dinner tonight!
That sauce is so delicious and easy to make
one of the best and simple salmon recipes I’ve used. Double thumbs up from my partner as well.
5 stars! Easy, delicious and fast. Doesn’t get any better than that. The family loved it. Will definitely make this agin and again.
Loved this recipe it was easy and delicious and I will definitely make it again.
I LOVED how easy this was to make!!! And it was soo tasty!!! Soo grateful to Nagi for all her yummy recipes!! None of your recipes have failed me!!! Thanks soo much!!!
My new and latest favorite. I was looking for a different way to cook salmon. I didn’t measure the ingredients for the sauce, just sort of eyeballed it. I used plain rice vinegar instead of white vinegar. After cooking and eating my dinner, I went back to the pan I cooked it in. There was quite a bit of sauce left and as it had cooled it got thick and I peeled it up and ate it. I have discovered a new candy! Honey Garlic Candy. So good. Thanks, Nagi.
This is the household favourite. It never fails. Been cooking it for many times and it’s always the best. Thank you so much.
This recipe is easy and tastes amazing! I served it with a roast pumpkin and spinach leaf salad. This will definitely be a go to recipe . Thanks 🙂
We absolutely love this and have made it many times. It is just delicious, like we went to a restaurant and paid $100 for our dinner. Thank you to the whole team for giving us this amazing recipe. ❤️
Another winner from Nagi!
I used ocean trout (I don’t love salmon) and served with slightly burnt mashed potato ( on purpose to get a sort of smokey flavour) steamed broccoli and bok choy. The sauce was delicious a tad over cooked which made it gloriously sticky😋 yum yum
Hubby will not eat seafood but this is his only exception ~ he loves it. I serve with steamed rice and green salad. Speeding dinner winner.
A family favourite. Easy to cook and every time a success
Oh my goodness – this recipe is YUM! I had this tonight with steamed broccoli florets and mashed potato.
Thank you Nagi
This recipe is a favourite of mine. The dish never fails and tastes better than the sum of its parts!
Would it be OK to leave the skin on the salmon?
Sorry I meant to say the recipe doesn’t call for it but I leave it on and cook it skin side down.
Yes that’s what the recipe calls for. Skin side down first to crisp up.
Tonight I made pan seared salmon on placed it on top of rice to which I added steamed spinach. I poured honey garlic sauce on top.
I had cooked the rice as per you had thought me and then froze it. The rice was so lovely and fluffy.
Thank you Nagi.
This sauce is so good and easy! Fish cooked perfectly. Served with sautéed corn, red pepper, shallot and green onion. 😋
Thanks Nagi and Dozer!
You’re my favolite chef.
Nagi I just love your recipes – thank you..
I cooked your Honey Garlic Salmon for dinner tonight ‘adored it’