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!!
I love it when I look at your recipes and they only have a handful of ingredients and sound amazing! As we say, you don’t need 1000s of ingredients to make something lipsmaking
“We”, as in Italians?! 🙂 YES it is so true. It is quite the mantra for Japanese cooking too, though it’s very different to Italian in that there are things like Kaiseki and Bento boxes which have lots of varieties so while each item might be easy to make, there’s a lot of things to be made!! This is a pretty classic flavour combo though. I’m trying it for drumsticks tomorrow! 🙂
how very delish! I adore salmon and this sauce looks great.
Thanks so much! I love salmon too. Definitely my favourite fish! 🙂
Nagi, I just bought a beautiful salmon yesterday. I’m glad I didn’t cook it today, I would have missed the great sauce to try. I now know what I’m gonna serve for dinner tomorrow. Can’t wait!
I hope you do!! I really think you will enjoy this – and it’s just so crazy easy!! 🙂
Salmon is my favorite fish, and so I’m always on the lookout for a great recipe. This one certainly fits the bill! Quick, easy, delicious – what could be better? Great flavors in the sauce (I have all of that in my pantry) all I need is the salmon! I know what I’m having for dinner next week 🙂
Thanks so much Kathleen! Hope you do try it! 🙂
Easy + Delicious = serve it to me! Nothing wrong with that. These days I prefer it when crunched for time, especially if it’s this. 🙂
Thanks Kevin!! Same here – on a day to day basis, I stick with the simple stuff. I have a handful of recipes like this up my sleeve! 🙂
Never be embarrassed when your meal looks THAT GOOD! Straight out of a magazine! Delicious!
Awww, thanks so much Jessica! Magazine? You’re making me blush! (With absolute pride!!) 🙂
Never been embarrassed when your meal looks THAT GOOD! Straight out of a magazine! Delicious!
Just made it with some of last years salmon out of the freezer, stir fry vegetables and rice. Excellent!!! Love the sauce with everything! I’ll have to remember to make extra sauce next time. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Nancy!! I love the sauce with everything too!! Thank you for coming back to share your thoughts! 🙂
Just made it with some of last years salmon out of the freezer, stir fry vegetables and rice. Excellent!!! Love the sauce with everything! I’ll have to remember to make extra sauce next time. Thanks for sharing!
Fabulous as always – Nagi – just love those flavours and colours!
Thanks so much Rachel! You’re too kind! I bet YOU have a killer “go to” salmon recipe…popping over to find out! 🙂
Do your recipes upload immediately into your app? Looks wonserful
Hi Dianne! I wish it did, but it doesn’t! I wanted to make a recipe collection app where you could collect recipes from anywhere! 🙂
I always go for salmon & steamed veg mid-week: quick, easy, delicious. normally only use my flavoured butter, but your sauce sounds heavenly. Pinning!
I make salmon with flavoured butter a lot too! I actually keep herb garlic butter in my freezer all the time. It’s my “go to” flavouring! 🙂
Oh my goodness, I’m tickled with your salmon recipe and cooking tips — thank you! This is going to be on my menu this weekend… ingredients in stock, appetite chomping at the bit. (Good things come to those who wait… 😉 Again, thanks!
Thanks so much for your enthusiasm Kim! I’m so glad you like the look of this….I would love to know what you think when you try it!! 🙂
My friend, you never cease to amaze. If this dish is half as mouth-watering as your photos, I need to make it immediately!!
Thanks Marissa!! Trust me, it tastes BETTER than the photos!! 🙂
We love salmon at our house and simple and easy recipes!!! Will be trying this one! Thanks!
Thanks Kim! I’d love to know what you think if you do try it! Honestly tastes like it has so many more ingredients in it! 🙂
Perfection Nagi. Easy. Beautiful and I am sure delish!
Thanks Mila! And YES it is seriously delish!!:)
Oooh this sounds great! Have you ever tried it with ginger and/or fish sauce? I think that could be yummy.
Hi Heather! Yes, most definitely! Ginger is a fab addition or sub for garlic. I found that using only fish sauce made it too fishy but if you sub 1/2 tbsp of soy with fish sauce, the sauce gets another dimension to it! 🙂
Five ingredients, 15 minutes? Sold! Easy and fast often makes the best food. This looks superb — thanks.
Thanks John!! Love easy and fast, just gotta pick out the winners from the crowd! I find so many 5 ingredient recipes either taste flat or require a packet of ranch or tub of cream….you know what I mean! 🙂
This looks delicious and I always have the ingredients you use for the sauce. Can’t wait to try this, especially love your tips on cooking perfect salmon either the skin on!
Thanks Sandra! After spending a fortune on salmon and ruining it, I decided I had better learn how to cook it properly 🙂 Have never looked back!
If you are going to be embarrassed about this recipe then I should be embarrassed about ALL of my recipes, Nagi. Love recipes as simple as this! It’s often just as valuable to be given a good idea for dinner as it is a more involved recipe.
Love your salmon-cooking tips, too. My pet hate is being served overcooked fish in a restaurant. I usually cook salmon in the oven at home, but I do the same as you. Cook it until it’s just barely cooked, and then let it continue cooking for a few minutes out of the oven as you serve up.
Absolutely stunning photos again, Nagi!
YES! That’s my rule too – cook it until it is barely barely cooked and it finishes cooking as it rests. And there is nothing more disappointing than overcooked fish in a restaurant….I have to say, I have sent one back before. I felt terrible, but it was $25 and there was no way I was eating overcooked fish at that price!! 🙂