This 5-ingredient honey garlic salmon recipe has succulent salmon marinated, basted and drizzled in an addictive sweet and savory sauce. The delicious salmon comes together in 20 minutes and pairs well with a side of veggies for a quick healthy weeknight dinner.
Today we’re making some honey garlic salmon with a 4 ingredient sauce that can be built on and customized to your tastes for more flavor. The sauce is divided in half with half used as a marinade and basted on while baking the salmon for maximum flavor. The other half of the sauce is used as a finishing drizzle to smother the salmon.
Pair the salmon with some veggies on the side like hibachi vegetables, broccoli, green beans, asparagus, or brussels sprouts and something starchy like rice, mashed potatoes, or crispy garlic Parmesan smashed potatoes for a balanced quick weeknight meal. If you own an air fryer, head on over and grab the 8-minute version of air fryer honey garlic salmon.
For more salmon recipes try this light lemon garlic pasta with salmon, an indulgent creamy garlic butter salmon or creamy salmon pasta, the flavor-packed air fryer honey mustard salmon, or the restaurant-quality balsamic-glazed salmon.
How To Make Honey Garlic Salmon (1 Min Video)
Ingredients in Honey Garlic Salmon
HONEY GARLIC SALMON RECIPE TIPS
- Salmon – I used about two 8 oz. fillets which is about 1 lb. of salmon. You can tell the salmon is done cooking when it is no longer translucent (red or raw) but opaque (pink). If the salmon flakes easily when pressed down gently with a fork (aka it separates easily along the white lines that run across the fillet), it is cooked! Alternatively, you can use a meat thermometer and check for doneness at the internal temperature of 145° F.
- Sauce – Divide the sauce into two parts. One part is for marinating and basting while baking and the other is for drizzling over the salmon once it’s ready to serve.
Recipe Notes:
If the drizzling part of the sauce is too runny for you, use a cornstarch slurry and heat it over the stovetop until reduced to your desired thickness.
- Baking – You can use a baking sheet or an oven-proof skillet like a cast iron pan. The pan method also works beautifully if you decide to sear your salmon before baking.
- Searing – I seared the marinated salmon in a skillet over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes to brown it a little before baking. You can also get the same crispy tops by broiling the salmon for 1-2 minutes in the oven once it’s done cooking. This step is optional, depending on how you like your salmon and how much work you want to put in. I like crispy tops for the added texture so it was worth the extra step for me.
- Honey – If you don’t have regular honey sitting in your pantry, you can substitute it with maple syrup.
- Soy sauce – Regular or low sodium soy sauce both work. You can also substitute soy sauce with tamari.
- Garlic – It’s always best to go with fresh minced garlic but you can substitute it in a pinch with garlic powder.
- Ginger – Ginger adds a little warmth to the honey garlic sauce and is a staple in Asian cuisine. It is optional though so if you’re not a fan, you can skip this and it will not break the recipe. Otherwise, use fresh minced ginger or a few dashes of powdered ginger.
- Stovetop method – Marinate the salmon then sear the salmon on both sides until cooked. Pour in the remaining sauce, toss to coat the salmon fully in the sauce and simmer until the sauce has thickened.
- Leftovers – The salmon will keep in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
Customize It!
- Add more flavor – Add a few shakes of smoked paprika for more flavor.
- Balance the sweetness – Add 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to cut the sweetness of honey and balance it out.
- Add some heat – Spice it up with a dash of red pepper flakes.
- Add some zest – Brighten up the flavor with a drizzle of lime or lemon juice or add some lemon juice slices while baking.
- Add some smokiness – Add a few drops of sesame oil for a slightly smoky sauce.
- Garnish– Add some parsley, green onions, or sesame seeds as toppings before serving.
What to Serve with Honey Garlic Salmon
Honey garlic salmon pairs well with a side of veggies like some hibachi vegetables, this oven-roasted garlic Parmesan broccoli, simple sauteed green beans, some lemon pepper asparagus, or some brussels sprouts. Add something starchy on the side like rice, mashed potatoes, or these crispy garlic Parmesan smashed potatoes for a balanced meal.
And that’s about it. Enjoy your salmon dinner and let me know how you liked it, what substitutions you made, or what you paired it with in the comments below!
MORE SALMON RECIPES TO TRY
- Air Fryer Honey Garlic Salmon
- Air Fryer Honey Mustard Salmon
- Balsamic-Glazed Salmon
- Lemon and Parmesan-Crusted Salmon
- Salmon Piccata
- Creamy Garlic Butter Salmon
Did you make this recipe? Rate it!
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Honey Garlic Salmon
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
This 5-ingredient honey garlic salmon recipe has succulent salmon marinated, basted and drizzled in an addictive sweet and savory sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. salmon fillet
SAUCE
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced/ 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced (optional)
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
Instructions
- Combine the sauce ingredients and divide the sauce in half.
- Marinate the salmon in half of the sauce for 15-30 minutes.
- Arrange salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet or oven-proof skillet and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon.
- Baste the salmon with the leftover marinade halfway through.
- Dish and serve the salmon hot drizzled with the remaining sauce.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- For crisp and caramelized salmon, sear the salmon over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes before baking or broil at the end for 1-2 minutes until browned.
- If the drizzling part of the sauce is too runny for you, use a cornstarch slurry and heat it over the stovetop until reduced to your desired thickness.
- Add more flavor – Add a few shakes of smoked paprika for more flavor.
- Balance the sweetness – Add 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to cut the sweetness of honey and balance it out.
- Add some heat – Spice it up with a dash of red pepper flakes.
- Add some zest – Brighten up the flavor with a drizzle of lime or lemon juice or add some lemon juice slices while baking.
- Add some smokiness – Add a few drops of sesame oil for a slightly smoky sauce.
- Garnish – Add some parsley, green onions, or sesame seeds as toppings before serving.
- If you own an air fryer version, try out the air fryer version of honey garlic salmon.
- Scroll up to RECIPE TIPS for more useful tips, suggestions and ingredient substitutions.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
Comments & Reviews
Looks delicious….beautiful photos too.
Love the music….thanks.
Agnes Obel
Thanks, Gary. Riverside by Agnes Obel is such a beautiful song. I’m guessing you got it from my ‘About’ page!
This Salmon is delicious! I used half the marinade to….. Ummmmm…. Marinate (lol) the fish, I used the other half over the top at the end. So I split the recipe and used half to marinate, used that half over the fish about halfway through, and without reducing I poured the rest over the top at the end. I also baked the fish on a bed spinach and kale, served it with loaded mashed potatoes and garlic green beans, it was amazing! I can’t wait to have it again.
You marinated the salmon with the marinade? How marinating! (couldn’t resist) 😉 Glad you enjoyed it, Kerri!
Hey There, Thanks for this glorious recipe.
Just want to ask is it possible to grill the salmon for a little while for the grill marks and then marinate and bake it
or marinate the salmon and grill it for the grill marks , then later on bake it ?
just wanna present it as a grilled salmon :p
You’re welcome, Sigan! I suggest either marinating and grilling in place of searing then finish it off with baking if you want to go the baking route. Or you could grill it the entire way after marination and baste it with the other half of the sauce while doing so. Eyeball the salmon after 5 minutes each side to see if it’s done when grilling, depending on the heat of your grill. If you want more sauce to drizzle later, you could double the sauce in the beginning and use 1/3 for marination, 1/3 for basting and 1/3 for drizzling. Hope this helps!
I just made this tonight and it was delicious!! The sauce was so flavorful! I think it could probably marinate a little longer, but other than that I have no criticisms! I made sautéed asparagus to go with it, and drizzled the sauce over them too, and the flavor was amazing! Will definitely make again!
Thanks for trying it out, Laurie. Asparagus is perfect for it!
Could the ginger be substituted for something else like cinnamon, or even just left out all together?
Heya Stephanie! Best to leave out ginger altogether if you don’t have it. The ginger element is to add a savoryness to the salmon, not the holiday sweetness that most folks are used to!
Didn’t notice if this has been asked before but what do we do of we don’t have ginger at all? Can we substitute it for nutmeg or cinnamon or we just eliminate it from the recipe? Thank you!
If you don’t have ginger, just leave it out. The ginger pairs well with the sauce to add a little depth to the flavor but it can work without. If you have problems stocking up fresh ginger as a staple, I use ginger paste in squeezy bottles under the brand ‘Gourmet Garden’, which can be found in the vegetable aisle near the fresh herbs. These can keep for a long time and are reusable.
Hi
I just wanted to say that i’ve tried your recipe and it turned out realllllllly good!!
Definitely doing it again.
Thanks again
Hey thanks for trying it out, Abdulla! I’m glad to hear you liked it.
What a wonderful recipe ! This is now the only way I cook salmon and it comes out perfectly every time. If you’re trying to introduce more fish into your family’s diet, this will be your go to recipe. When I’m not in a hurry, I do sear the salmon but I’ve made it the other way too. Searing is my preferred method because the carmelization adds another layer of flavor. I also double the amount of fresh ginger because we enjoy the taste and I always double the amount of sauce because it’s so delicious !
Thanks for the comment and trying it out, Karen!
Do you wear before putting the marinade on it or after it marinates?
Sear it after marinating the salmon!
can i substitute the soy sauce for something else?
If you’re gluten free, you can use tamari instead of soy sauce. If you’re worried about the sodium content of soy sauce, there are low sodium types out there. If you just don’t like soy sauce in general, try and look for something that is salty to balance off the sweetness of the honey.
So easy and so good! I’m not a super confident cooker, but this was perfect! Thanks so much!
Yay! Always happy when it turns out good for people, especially new/kinda new cooks!
This turned out sooooo yummy! Thanks for posting…I will def be making this one again 🙂
I’m glad it turned out great for you, Ann! You’re absolutely welcome 🙂
I’m sorry. I plan on making this tonight. Are you supposed to marinate it for 15 to 30 minutes prior to ever putting it in the oven?
I sent you an email with the answer since I was on the go but I’ll reply here as well! Yup, you marinate it in the fridge for that amount of time prior to baking it. Good luck, Ann!
I made this tonight and it was delicious!!! I think I reduced the sauce a little too much, but it was good regardless! And everyone ate it! My 3 boys loved it! The youngest (3 years) loved it so much, he tried to eat the salmon on his brothers plate! Lol! I paired it with some rice, and a simple spinach walnut Apple salad. Delicious! I will be making it again for sure 🙂 and only 5 ingredients, so easy! Thank you!
It’s always a success when people start stealing food! That’s when you start beaming with pride over your dining table. 😀 The salad sounds wonderful, I do love walnuts!
so delicious! just made this tonight for myself, fiancé, and my 5 year old son. we all loved it! I served the salmon and sauce over a bed of brown rice, and sautéed asparagus w/ parmesan on the side. I just wish I would have tripled the salmon recipe instead of doubled – I want more! thank you! just stumbled upon your site though google searching, you have gained a faithful follower! I’m excited to browse the rest of your site 🙂
Thanks, Molly! All those sides sound amazing paired with salmon. Salmon and asparagus are such good food partners. Adding Parmesan to it makes it even more delicious! I wonder why I never thought of that. Ooh and paired with some lemon rind would be great! Have fun trying out the other recipes and I hope they work out for you 🙂