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!!
Amazing, everyone loved it!
I love hearing that George!! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it! N x
This is a terrific recipe-and fast! I made it in December and then couldn’t wait to make it again!!
So pleased to hear that Leslie! N x ❤️
Thank you, Nagi, can’t wait to try this. Just stmbled across this recipe and wonder would this go well with my favorite crwam spinach with garlic and pepper on nutmeg? Thanks!
Love you so much darling Nagi…..! You’ve added to my wealth of dishes not just a meal, but a sumptuously delicious healthy dish…! Thank you, thank you and thank you..! Everything is as easy and delicious as described..,!
Man, this is amazing and a quick delicious meal! Ive served it with plain white rice and sautee spinach, got the whole meal ready in 25 min! Will be part of my everyday recipes! Thanks!
That’s so terrific to hear Daiane! Thank you for letting me know! N xx ❤️
I had almost as much fun eating this great dish as I did reading your website! I look forward to trying another recipe.
That’s so great to hear Jon! Thanks for letting me know – N x ❤️
Bomb!!!
🙌🏻
this was delish.. I used it more as a glazed because I did a dry rub Cajun mix on the salmon and went together perfectly I’m thinking about trying this glaze also with chicken.. thank you for posting this delicious recipe
Oooh yes to using this with chicken! N xx
Hi Nagi,
This was last night’s dinner. It was delicious! I did skin-on salmon and did the skin crispy, though, and it worked so well!
Thanks!
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback Sarahanne, I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed this! N x ❤️
This was absolutely delishious! I didn’t have white vinegar so I used a orange champagne vingeratte and it was amazing! I make salmon all the time and I think this is my favorite recipe so far. Thanks!
That’s wonderful to hear Victoria! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed this – N x ❤️
Super easy and delicious! My family loved it and said to always make salmon with this sauce. I used to do a brown sugar and soy recipe but this one is better. I added an extra clove of garlic and used sea salt. This is a keeper!!
That’s so terrific to hear Neva!!!! Thanks for taking the time to let me know – N x ❤️
With skin salmon work okay for this recipe?
Hi Monnette! If you mean salmon with skin on, then YES! 🙂 N x
This looks like a very tasty way to cook salmon but I am puzzled about how to pat the skin dry when the fillets are specified as skinless!
I mean the surface! 😂
I’m trying this for dinner tomorrow. I’m a dude..cooking dinner for my wifey & 2 hungry boys…Bula!
Have to double as it’s the 4 of us…this looks good and quick.
Thank you.
So delicious. It was a winner recipe for our guests. I’ll make it again and again. Thank you!
That’s terrific to hear Jasya! So glad you enjoyed this, thank you for letting me know! N x
Hiya, trying to figure out how to serve this for a main meal, what would you serve with this? I’m thinking something a long the lines of brown rice or maybe even a rice stir fry with some vegetables. Any suggestions? I would love to give this a go, it’s very different to what I’ve been used to cooking. Thank you.
Hi Craig! Brown rice would be terrific, as would normal mashed potato (not sweet, it’s too sweet). I personally would serve it with a fresh veggie side, like steamed or charred asparagus and a leafy green salad. 🙂 N x
I’ve never been very successful at cooking delicious salmon, but this recipe is amazing!!
I doubled the sause and garlic, and served with Jasmine rice. I wouldn’t change a thing and will be making this again very soon!!
Thank you for this wonderful dish and easy to follow instructions and comments!!!
That’s so wonderful to hear!! Thanks for letting me know Jeff – N x ❤️
I usually never leave comments on recipes that I try but this is so amazing!! It’s my go-to salmon recipe and I’ve honestly made this recipe 4 times since I discovered it!
That’s so wonderful to hear!! Thanks for letting me know Cynthia – N x ❤️
Nagi, this is my new favorite salmon recipe! I had tried a glazed honey salmon dish at a restaurant awhile back and was craving it for dinner the other night. As I looked up recipes, I came across yours and gave it a try. I was very pleased at how the glazed honey sauce came out. It tastes just like how they make it at the restaurant. My boyfriend even commented that he likes the new recipee, and he is a man of few words. I printed this and saved it to our family recipe binder as a keeper. Thank you so much for sharing!
That’s so wonderful to hear!! Thanks for letting me know Annisa – N x ❤️
Just made it and it is the best salmon I’ve ever had! Thank you so so much!!!!
Glad to hear that Tara! Thanks for letting me know! N x ❤️