Honey garlic salmon! An easy salmon recipe that comes together in 20 minutes. Not only is this honey garlic salmon recipe quick to make, but it is also simple and only requires everyday ingredients. A perfect fish dinner recipe for a busy weeknight!
Salmon is one of my favourite fish to cook and I can proudly say I make the best pan-seared salmon ever. If this is not one of the easiest salmon recipes to cook, I don’t know what else! I know many people worry or shy away from frying salmon but don’t, it is very easy to achieve without breaking the fish. I will walk you through how to cook salmon in a bit.
Why This Recipe Works
Honey garlic salmon recipe is a simple salmon recipe that doesn’t require much to make
It is super quick and easy
You can have it from the kitchen to the table in 20 minutes.
It is perfect for weeknight dinner with minimal prep time. This easy salmon recipe is the answer to a busy night when you fancy a fish recipe
Honey Garlic Salmon Ingredients
Salmon fillets
Garlic cloves
Honey
Soy sauce
Lemon Juice substitute with vinegar
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil substitute with olive oil
Chilli powder, just a pinch for a bit of a kick.
How to Sear Salmon
Use a non-stick pan/skillet to avoid “stories that touch” and you would save on oil too. Non-stick pan means less oil to cook and healthy delicious food.
It is important that the salmon is dry before adding it to the pan. Pat it with a kitchen towel to get rid of any visible moisture.
Season the fresh salmon fillet with salt and pepper
Add oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat for about a minute until shimmering hot. Swirl it around the skillet for good coverage.
Add the salmon fillet with the salmon skin down to the skillet and sear untouched for at least 3 to 4 minutes, flip to the other side and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes. If you fancy, you can fry all sides of the salmon fillet. Flip the salmon to its sides and sear for another 20 seconds each (you can never find this procedure elsewhere but I’ve tried this many times and it worked without overcooking the fish). Please note: the thickness and size of the salmon would determine how long to sear or cook it for. My salmon fillet was 120g and the thickest part was about 1.5 inches
How to Know If Salmon Is Cooked
Uncooked salmon looks raw, translucent and red (obvious right)
Salmon will change colour to pink as it cooks and when fully cooked. When pan searing salmon, it is important to judge by the thickness of the fish. Therefore, I recommend searing the fish untouched for at least the first 3 minutes before flipping. When you have cooked the salmon for about 6 minutes check for doneness. Insert a sharp knife or fork to the thickest part of the fish or use your finger. The fish should be opaque and should fall apart at this point, however, be mindful not to overcook it. You don’t want it to be in-between as the fish continues to cook once you take it off the heat. A well-cooked salmon should fall apart or separate easily and no longer translucent.
If in doubt, use a thermometer, its internal temperature should read between 130F to 145F/ 54C to 62C.
How To Make Honey Garlic Salmon
First, you need to pan sear the salmon fillets
Mix honey, soy sauce and lemon juice together in a bowl
Add minced garlic to the skillet, then pour over the honey garlic soy sauce (with some lemon slices if using) and cook for another minute or until the sauce begins to thicken up.
Take it off the heat and serve immediately with other sides of choice like plain white rice, mashed potatoes or salad and lemon wedges. Add the honey garlic sauce for more deliciousness. Remove salmon skin if you want
How to Serve This Fish Recipe
Honey garlic soy salmon is perfect with rice
Never failing Creamy garlic mashed potatoes
Steamed vegetable like this stovetop broccoli
Not a fan of salmon or looking for another protein options for this recipe, why not try this honey garlic pork chops
If you made this recipe, don’t forget to leave me feedback. Tag me @thedinnerbite on Instagram and save away to your Pinterest
Honey Garlic Salmon
Equipment
- non-stick frying pan
Ingredients
- 2 fresh salmon fillets skin on mine was 120g each
- 2 garlic cloves minced about 1 teaspoon
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
- Juice of 1 lemon about 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper to season
- Pinch of chilli powder
Instructions
- Pat the salmon with kitchen towel then season it with salt and pepper.
- Add honey, soy sauce, chilli powder and lemon in a small bowl and mix to combine then set-aside
- Place a skillet over medium-high heat, add oil and heat until shimmering hot. Place the salmon on the hot skillet skin side down and cook untouched for 3 minutes. Flip to the other side and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. (be careful so you don't break the fish)
- Add minced garlic to the skillet and move around quickly (to avoid burning) for about 20 seconds then pour the sauce over the salmon and continue to cook for another 1 minute or until the sauce begins to thicken up. Lighten the sauce with water if it becomes too thick for your liking or until desired consistency is achieved
- Serve salmon with the sauce and any other side of choice and a garnish of chopped spring onions or parsley
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE RATE IT AND LEAVE ME A COMMENT. USE #THEDINNERBITE OR TAG @THEDINNERBITE ON INSTAGRAM SO I CAN SEE YOUR PHOTOS, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR CREATIONS. THANK YOU!
I made this last night and it was very delicious. I will be trying the sauce of chicken wings soon. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank for the feedback, I use the honey garlic sauce on chicken wings too and I can tell you it is delicious.
Hello! How much garlic do you use? It’s not in the ingredients list.
Thank you, Caroline, for pointing my attention to this. I used about 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Recipe now updated with the measurement.