This honey garlic salmon is perfectly savory, sweet, and sticky. With the use of simple ingredients all put together in one pan, this will for sure be one of your new recipe staples!

Honey Garlic Salmon

If you’re craving for a quick-and-easy salmon recipe that’s both delicious and can be prepared in just 20 minutes, then look no further.

This salmon recipe is ultra tender, glazed in a sticky and garlicky sauce that pairs perfectly with a bowl of warm rice and veggies. It’s the ultimate weeknight dinner!

For this recipe, I like to cut my salmon fillets into about 1 – 2″ thick pieces. This allows for both a quicker cooking time while still keeping the insides moist and flaky. Of course, feel free to cut the fillets to whichever thickness or size you prefer.

Tossing the salmon with a light coating of potato starch is also another thing that I like to do with the fillets. You could also use cornstarch or rice flour as a substitute, but the principle is the same: the starch coating helps to lock in the salmon’s juices and allows it to yield a light and crisp sear/crust on the outside.

Finally, the honey garlic sauce helps to bring the whole dish together. It’s absolutely addictive and you could optionally add some chili pepper flakes as well for some spice, which just adds that little extra kick and depth of flavor to our amazing sauce.

If you’re a fan of our 20-minute meal series, then here’s a couple more that you’ll love:

Ingredients

Servings: 2-3 people

Salmon fillets, cut into 1-2″-thick pieces
~1/4 cup potato starch, for coating (can be substituted with cornstarch or rice flour)
1/2 tsp salt, to taste
1/2 tsp ground black pepper, to taste

Honey Garlic Sauce

2 tbsp unsalted butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tbsp honey
1.5 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp chili flakes
2 tbsp water

Instructions for honey garlic salmon

In a bowl, mix together the potato starch, salt, and pepper until evenly combined.

Pat the salmon fillets dry, then toss into the seasoned potato starch mixture until lightly coated.

In an oiled pan over medium heat, pan-fry the coated salmon fillets for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until just cooked-through. Set aside and drain the remaining oil from the pan.

Melt the butter. Saute the minced garlic for about 1 minute, or until fragrant and golden. Add in the honey, soy sauce, lime juice, chili flakes, and water. Bring the sauce to a boil, then simmer on medium heat until thickened, about 1-2 minutes.

Return the cooked salmon back to the pan. Continuously spoon the honey garlic sauce over the fillets to baste.

Serve with a bowl of warm rice and fresh veggies. Enjoy!

Final tips

Don’t overcook: Because we cut the salmon fillets into relatively thin slices, be sure to watch the timing to ensure you don’t overcook the salmon. Overcooked salmon becomes super-firm and dry, while perfectly cooked salmon is flaky, moist, and is fairly easy to break apart with a fork. Remember that the salmon will continue to cook in the final step when we baste the sauce, so I usually undercook the salmon very slightly to make sure it’s perfect when serving.
Watch the sauce: Be aware of your heat when simmering the sauce. If your heat is too high, the sauce will reduce too quickly and you could risk scorching/burning it, which can taste incredibly bitter and overpowering. Try to keep your heat to around a medium, and remember that the sauce will get slightly thicker as it cools. If you find your sauce has become too thick, add about a teaspoon of water at a time to loosen it up!
Serving suggestions: I love going the classic route and serving the salmon with a bowl of warm rice and some broccoli or sliced cucumbers. This recipe, however, is super versatile! Here are a couple ideas you can serve this honey garlic salmon with:
- Salads
- Wraps
- Sandwiches
- Noodles or Pasta