This honey garlic salmon is salmon fillets seared to perfection and coated in a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce. The perfect easy and healthy dinner for a busy weeknight!
I’m always looking for simple seafood recipes that my whole family will enjoy. Some of our favorites include grilled tilapia, garlic butter shrimp, grilled swordfish and this delicious honey garlic salmon.
First came honey garlic chicken, which has been pinned over a million times! Then came honey garlic shrimp which is just as fabulous as the chicken version. And now I’m bringing you a new version of this favorite with honey garlic salmon. The 4 ingredient sauce just makes this dish special, and is such a great way to dress up plain salmon.
Table of Contents
Honey Garlic Salmon Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need salmon fillets, olive oil, salt, pepper, honey, garlic, soy sauce, water, cornstarch and parsley. You can also garnish the dish with lemon wedges.
How Do You Make Honey Garlic Salmon?
Heat the olive oil in a pan or large skillet. Season the salmon with salt and pepper to taste. Sear the salmon on both sides until it is golden brown and cooked through. Remove the fish from the pan and cover to keep warm. Add the garlic to the pan, then stir in the soy sauce, honey and water. Bring the sauce mixture to a simmer. Whisk the cornstarch with cold water, then add the cornstarch slurry to the pan. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook for 1 minute or until it is thick. Return the salmon to the pan. Spoon the sauce over the top of the fish. Sprinkle with parsley, then serve with lemon wedges if desired.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
- This recipe works with both fresh salmon and frozen salmon. If you use frozen salmon, be sure to thaw it completely, then use a paper towel to blot the moisture off the fillets so that they will brown nicely.
- Be sure not to overcook your salmon! The salmon is done when the flesh is opaque and it flakes easily with a fork.
- Leftovers will stay fresh in an airtight container for 2 days. Reheat leftovers over low heat on the stove or in the microwave.
- Use fresh minced garlic for the best results. The kind in a jar doesn’t have as much flavor.
Quick Tip
I recommend serving the salmon over sushi rice or sour cream mashed potatoes, with a green vegetable on the side such as sauteed broccolini.
Recipe FAQs
The best method to cook salmon is one where the exterior gets crispy while the interior stays moist and enter. This can be achieved by grilling, broiling or pan searing salmon.
Salmon pairs well with a variety of sauces. Some of the most popular options include garlic butter sauce, honey garlic sauce, creamy dill sauce, honey mustard and pesto.
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Flavor Variations
While this recipe is delicious as-is, you can easily customize the flavors to suit your tastes.
- Protein: You can use other types of firm fish such as swordfish, halibut or steelhead trout. This sauce is also great on chicken breasts or pork chops.
- Sauce: Jazz up the sauce by adding extra ingredients such as ginger, sesame oil, sriracha or sesame seeds.
- Toppings: Finish the dish with a sprinkle of sliced toasted almonds, chopped cilantro or sliced green onions.
If you’re looking for a little bit different take on salmon, you’re going to love this recipe!
More Salmon Recipes
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Honey Garlic Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds salmon fillets
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Season the salmon with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the salmon skin side up in the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until cooked through.
- Remove the salmon from the pan and place on a plate. Cover with foil to keep warm.
- Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the water, soy sauce and honey to the pan; bring to a simmer.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water.
- Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the pan and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute or until sauce has just thickened.
- Return the salmon to the pan and spoon the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges if desired.
Notes
- This recipe works with both fresh salmon and frozen salmon. If you use frozen salmon, be sure to thaw it completely, then use a paper towel to blot the moisture off the fillets so that they will brown nicely.
- Be sure not to overcook your salmon! The salmon is done when the flesh is opaque and it flakes easily with a fork.
Salmon is my favorite fish! This sauce looks amazing!
Oh gosh I wish I could eat fish because this looks amazing. So many yummy flavours in it and it is just so pretty too. Passing this recipe along to family members who would love it.
This looks wonderful and like an excellent recipe for our family! We really like salmon in our house so I’m sure this will be a hit. And it looks super easy to prepare – win for mom!
I’m definitely making this for my family! We had salmon last night, so maybe next week.
This combines so many of my favorite flavors! :D! Salmon is my favorite protein–I can’t wait to try this!
TGIF, this is exactly what I am looking for. We do meatless Friday (Fish Friday) so this recipe is perfect. The sauce really makes this dish so inviting!
Honey Garlic sauce is something we can use with toast as well as sandwiches. Instead of salmon, we will probably use it with vegetable fritters. I am sure it will be a nice side dish.
Salmon happens to be one of my most favorite types of fish and I love that it’s the one you used in this recipe! It’s awesome to know that you only need 4 ingredients, not to mention that it’s not time consuming either! Love the flavors in this dish! YUM!
I make a very similar salmon dish but use teriyaki sauce instead of honey. I’d love to try your swap since the sodium amount would be much lower. Pinning!
I love a good salmon dish and this one sounds amazing. I would totally try to make this one this weekend. The combo of honey and garlic sounds great.
I didn’t know what to cook for dinner tonight but this is definitely it. Thanks for the recipe!
Salmon has to be one of my all-time favourite fishes to eat and this sounds like an absolutely delicious way to serve it. I am going to have to give it a try for myself!
Oh this looks so good! I have never had salmon this way and really want to give it a try! My husband would love this too, he loves sea food of any kind!
This sounds like an interesting salmon recipe. The sauce is unique, I’ll have to give it a try. Seems easy enough to make if you are serving a bunch of people.
I’ve had honey garlic chicken and it was pretty tasty. My brother really likes salmon, this recipe is right up his alley.
The sauce on this salmon looks incredibly delicious! I enjoy making salmon, but I have never tried a sweet sauce like this.
We miss the fresh salmon we use to catch while living in Alaska. We will be going back this summer and will have to try out your wonderful recipe. Looks so delicious.
Yum, this would be a wonderful meal. I tend to love things with garlic, so I’d be a fan of this. I’ll have to try it soon!
I love honey garlic, it’s such a good flavor and it goes SO well with fish, chicken, and other kinds of meat. You can easily enjoy this recipe on its own or with rice! I love how easy it is to put together as well.
What a delightful meal for seafood lovers. I am lucky to live in New England and have access to all the fresh seafood I want, so making this will be easy 🙂