Honey Soy Salmon

This Honey Soy Salmon recipe is the perfect weeknight meal! All you need is 6 ingredients and 15 minutes to whip up this insanely flavorful dish that pairs perfectly with rice and a vegetable. 

This honey soy salmon might just be my favorite salmon recipe. Ahhh, bold claim, but it’s true! See, I like salmon prepared in all ways, including but not limited to baked, roasted, flaked, and even in burger form. But what I really like is when a recipe–any recipe–can be prepared in under 15 minutes, and that’s exactly what this salmon recipe is.

If you’re someone like me and you’re always trying to switch up your dinner rotation, you HAVE to add this salmon into the mix. It’s perfectly flakey with just the right amount of flavor, and the sauce is sticky the way a honey-based sauce should be.

WHY THIS HONEY SOY SALMON IS THE BEST

• The whole recipe comes together in under 15 minutes
• You only need 6 ingredients!
• The honey soy sauce is INSANELY flavorful
• It’s a one skillet kind of dinner, meaning less dishes for you to clean up afterward

HOW TO MAKE HONEY SOY SAUCE

As much as I love a good store-bought sauce, nothing really beats homemade sauce. Plus, this sauce in particular is just four ingredients and super easy to whip up.

Simply add all of the ingredients to a bowl and whisk them together. The arrowroot/cornstarch helps thicken the sauce; you won’t notice it at first, but once you heat it up it’ll be nice and thick vs. thin and runny.

HOW TO FULLY COOK SALMON IN A SKILLET

If you’re anything like me, you love pan-fried salmon (like in this chipotle salmon kale salad). Well, think of this salmon recipe as similar, except you don’t flip the salmon at all. Instead, you’ll add the salmon skin side down to your skillet, place a lid on the skillet then cook the salmon for 4-5 minutes, or until it looks like it’s mostly done.

You don’t have to fully cook it because after the 4-5 minutes, the salmon will cook for an additional 3 minutes or so (after the garlic and sauce are added), at which that point, it should be fully cooked.

TIPS AND TRICKS

ANY nonstick skillet works for this recipe. I tend to use my cast iron skillet because I love it, but any will work! Just make sure you use a skillet that has a lid.

If you’re using fresh salmon, simply use as-is. If you’re using frozen salmon, make sure to follow the thawing instructions on the packaging. Sometimes I remember to thaw salmon in the refrigerator overnight, but often times I just quick thaw it.

If the salmon fillets are on the larger size, use a sharp knife to slice them down the middle so you end up with three or four pieces of salmon vs. two.

To check for doneness, flake the salmon with a fork. If it’s done, it should flake very easily. If it takes a little work to bread off a piece, simply cook the salmon for 1-2 more minutes.

OTHER TASTY SALMON RECIPES

• Garlic Salmon Salad
• Bacon-Wrapped Salmon
• Pan-Seared Salmon Burgers

FOOD TO PAIR WITH HONEY SOY SALMON

• Easy Weeknight Broccoli
• Pan-Fried Brussels Sprouts
• Garlic Broccoli Steaks
• Broccoli Rice Stir Fry
• Cauliflower rice
• Your favorite kind of rice

*Originally published: April 2014 | Updated: February 2020

Honey Soy Salmon

This Honey Soy Salmon recipe is the perfect weeknight meal! All you need is 6 ingredients and 15 minutes to whip up this insanely flavorful dish that pairs perfectly with rice and a vegetable. 

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Ingredients

• 10 oz. salmon fillets* (approx. 2-3 salmon)
• salt and pepper
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• green onions for garnish

for the sauce:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch

Instructions

• Thaw salmon according to instructions on the package.
• Heat a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat with 1 tbsp oil, then add the salmon skin side down. Place a lid on the skillet and cook the salmon for 4-5 minutes.
• While the salmon is cooking, prep the sauce: whisk all sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
• After the 5 minutes is up, add garlic to the skillet and cook the salmon for 1 more minute.
• Reduce heat to low, then pour the sauce over the salmon and cook for 1-2 more minutes or until the sauce thickens.
• Sprinkle green onions over the salmon before serving and enjoy!

Notes

*If the salmon fillets are on the larger size, slice them in half (which is what I did for this recipe!)

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: honey soy salmon, salmon

Author: Erin