Honey-Garlic Glazed Salmon

We could tell you everything we love about this honey-garlic salmon, but we think that the fact that this recipe was one of our top recipes of 2023 and an enduring, tried-and-true favorite of  speaks for itself. This savory-sweet salmon is quick and easy enough for weeknights (ready in under 30 minutes), but is also fancy enough for special occasions (like a last-minute Father's Day surprise). If you’re a seafood novice, don’t sweat it: Searing fish might seem intimidating, but with our top tips, you’ll be a pro in no time. Here’s everything you need to know to ace this salmon dinner: 

Top tips for cooking salmon:

— Check your salmon before cooking. The average pack of portioned supermarket salmon typically doesn't have any remaining pin bones to worry about, but it's definitely best practice to double check. To check for bones, gently run your fingers along the surface of the fish until you feel a slight prick. Using a pair of kitchen or fish tweezers, firmly grip the bone and pull in the direction that it's naturally pointing.

— Get your pan seriously hot. It's important that you get your pan hot (and we mean hot), and the bottom of your pan thoroughly coated in oil. Once the fish hits the oil, you should hear a sizzle. If you don't, your pan isn't hot enough. Tip: With a hot pan comes hot oil—gently place your fillets away from you to prevent oil splatter.

— Let your salmon be. Let the fillets cook, undisturbed, for a few minutes. That (along with the high heat) is how you get that delicious crust. After about 3 minutes, use a spatula to gently lift a corner of one fillet. If it releases easily, it's ready to go. If not, give it a little more time. Flip, cook a few more minutes to get the skin crisp and the fish cooked through, and you're good to go!

The sauce (& variations).

We make our signature honey-garlic sauce with only a few staple ingredients: honey, low-sodium soy sauce, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes for a hint of heat. This simple sauce is not only ridiculously delicious, but also completely versatile! Switch out the lemon juice for lime, amp up the heat with some sriracha, skip the red pepper flakes completely if you’re not a fan, or add in some grated ginger to make things interesting. 

Serving ideas.

This recipe is perfect with a variety of sides, including roasted asparagus, bok choy, or any of our favorite side dishes for salmon, but we especially love it with coconut rice to soak up all of the delicious honey-garlic sauce. 

Storage.

If you have any leftovers, refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Made it? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!

Ingredients

1/3 c. honey

1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 6-oz. salmon fillets, patted dry with a paper towel

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lemon, sliced into rounds

Directions

SAVE TO MY RECIPES

Step 1

In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, lemon juice and red pepper flakes.

Step 2

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat two tablespoons oil. When oil is hot but not smoking, add salmon skin-side up and season with salt and pepper. Cook salmon until deeply golden, about 6 minutes, then flip over and add remaining tablespoon of oil.

Step 3

Add garlic to the skillet and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the honey mixture and sliced lemons and cook until sauce is reduced by about 1/3. Baste salmon with the sauce.

Step 4

Garnish with sliced lemon and serve.