Easy Honey Garlic Salmon is a throw together recipe cooked in one pan using only a handful of ingredients!
This perfect sweet and savoury, five-ingredient garlicky sauce with a hint of lemon will become your family’s new salmon obsession. This tasty honey garlic salmon can be whipped up in only 15 minutes.
It’s no secret you all are loving this Browned Butter Honey Garlic Salmon two years after posting it, way back when Cafe Delites was still a baby. Following the success of our Browned Butter Honey Garlic Salmon video recipe, a few readers have been writing in to ask if there is any possible way to avoid browning butter.
This recipe does exactly that!
HONEY GARLIC SALMON RECIPE
If you’ve tried some of our other honey garlic recipes like our Easy Honey Garlic Shrimp, Easy Honey Garlic Chicken or our Easy Honey Garlic Pork Chops, you are absolutely going to love this super easy recipe!
To be honest, the browned butter, mixed with that sweet honey garlic sauce is what made our popular browned butter salmon recipe stand out from the rest. But, because the people have spoken, we have simplified this honey garlic salmon recipe and there’s nothing wrong with simplifying a recipe! In fact, you guys are going to love this one, if not more than the previous one.
PAN-SEARED SALMON
The salmon gets cooked right in the sauce. There’s no searing or frying first. Why? Because a lot of people get anxiety at the thought of frying then flipping salmon and having the fillets fall apart on them halfway through cooking.
But how do I get the same crispy edges from searing? Well, once the salmon is half way done, you’re going to broil your fillets for a couple more minutes (or grill them if you’re in Australia) for that extra golden, crispy and caramelised finish.
HONEY GARLIC SAUCE FOR SALMON
This recipe is perfect for when you have no idea what to cook. Grab some salmon fillets and rest assured, you likely have most of the ingredients in the pantry or refrigerator already.
- Butter? ✔️
- Garlic? ✔️
- Honey? ✔️
- Soy Sauce? ✔️
- Lemons? ✔️
For a stronger, lemon flavoured salmon, add the wedges into the pan when your sauce is bubbling (you will get all of the flavour from the lemon skin). For a milder flavour, leave them out.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH HONEY GARLIC SALMON
We have so many delicious sides that would pair perfectly with your salmon. Try our Crispy Garlic Roasted Potatoes, Buttery Sautéed Green Beans, or our Grilled Asparagus.
Craving More Honey Garlic Recipes?
Easy Honey Garlic Chicken
Honey Garlic Butter Salmon In Foil
Honey Garlic Sriracha Chicken
Easy Honey Garlic Salmon
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets wild caught, about ½ pound or 250 grams each, skin off or on
- ¼ teaspoon salt to season
- ¼ teaspoon pepper to season
- ½ teaspoon paprika mild, sweet or smokey
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped or minced
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh squeezed, plus extra to serve
- 2 lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
- Arrange oven shelf to the middle of your oven. Preheat oven to broil/grill settings on medium heat.
- Season salmon with salt, pepper and paprika. Set aside.
- Heat the butter in a skillet or pan over medium-high heat until melted. Add the garlic and sauté for about a minute, until fragrant. Pour in the honey, water and soy sauce; allow the flavours to heat through and combine. Add in the lemon juice; stir well to combine all of the flavours together.
- Add the salmon steaks to the sauce in the pan; cook each fillet (skin-side down if there's any skin) for 3-4 minutes or until golden, while basting the tops with the pan juices. Season with salt and pepper, to taste (if desired).
- Optional -- Add the lemon wedges around the salmon (adds a stronger lemon taste). Baste salmon one more time then transfer the pan to your oven to broil / grill for a further 5-6 minutes, or until the tops of the salmon are nicely charred, and the salmon is cooked to your liking.
- To serve, drizzle with the sauce and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with steamed vegetables; over rice or with a salad.
Brandi says
I LOVE this recipe and have used it the past couple of times I made salmon, but every time I try to sear the fish in the beginning the salmon sticks to the pan and falls apart. Do you have any extra tips for that? Broiling in the oven doesn’t sear it as good as the stove. 🙁
Paul says
Excellent. Skin was crispy just from baking it on a sheet with Parchment paper. I added a squeeze of lemon to the melted butter and squeezed it on top after I baked it.
Bev says
Made this tonight 27/06/2021 and OMG it was absolutely gorgeous will definitely be making it on a regular basis 😊😊
Bill Berkan says
Easy, quick, elegant and superb. Definite repeat,
Thanks so much
(not the first recipe I favor from you)
Justin H says
This is honestly one of the best salmon recipes I’ve ever come across. Very easy to cook and it didn’t take long. This is a great dish for all levels of cooking skills.
Christine S. says
This was honestly way too delicious to be as easy as it was. I made it exactly as instructed and it needed no changes. If I was feeling a little spicy I could totally see some red chili flakes popping it up to firecracker level, but it is perfectly savory as is with just a touch of sweetness. Not too heavy and lets the flavor of the salmon shine through.
Karin says
I don’t usually comment but this was unbelievably delicious!!!! i felt like i was eating a restaurant salmon, it has been a long while since i enjoyed salmon this much. The best part is my daughters who usually don’t love salmon asked for seconds! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Jim says
This works well if your fillet is skinless but if there is skin this recipe will make it soggy because you are basically boiling/steaming the salmon in all the liquid. I think it’s better to crisp up in the salmon skin-side down first, without any sauce, and afterwards add the wet ingredients and invert the salmon so the skin is upright above the sauce and stays dry.
SusanK says
Great way to cook salmon, but a little sweet for my taste. Next time, I will cut the honey to 2 1/2 T. , add a little more water and a little more soy sauce.
This recipe makes a beautiful presentation.
Lady says
Hard to believe such a simple recipe could yield such an amazing dish! The key is that broiler step! Don’t skip it! That char on the skin is perfection!! Definitely making this one of my go-to’s!!