Sweet and Savory Perfection: Honey Garlic Salmon Recipe

Get that restaurant-quality taste with this easy pan-fried honey garlic salmon recipe that is flavorful and healthy. Best of all, you can have this delicious dish on the table in less than 20 minutes and use only six ingredients.

Salmon and tuna are the family favorite fish in our home, raw or cooked. The best thing about fish is that it cooks in minutes, which means dinner or lunch is ready in minutes.

My kids love to eat this salmon with rice pilaf or turmeric rice with a side of roasted carrots or squash. And my personal favorite is a cherry tomato or avocado salad or cauliflower rice.

Why make this salmon recipe?

• Salmon is super simple and easy to make, especially when combined with simple ingredients like these.
• Just a few tablespoons honey adds a nice sweetness to the salmon along with the rich buttery flavor. And the lemon adds a nice freshness.
• In fact, it is the brown butter flavor that sets this recipe apart from all the other recipes.
• Also, it makes for a delicious and healthy meal with basmati rice pilaf or turmeric rice with a side of veggies such as roasted carrots, broccoli, baby potatoes, or squash. And my personal favorite is a cherry tomato or avocado salad or cauliflower rice
• Leftover salmon can be stored in an airtight container and used in sandwiches or wraps.

Ingredients and substitutes

• Salmon – Always make sure to buy your fish from a trusted source. I recommend Alaskan or Pacific salmon. You want the flesh to be moist, shiny, and bright in color. The skin will usually be silvery bright. It should not have a fish smell. In fact, a fishy smell is a good indication that it has been sitting out for a long time.
  Also, leave the skin on when you pan sear it like this, as the skin prevents it from falling apart.
• Butter – Adds a nice buttery flavor as well as a wonderfully nutty flavor when browned. Therefore, I highly recommend you add the butter.
• Honey – I like to use pure honey, but you can also use maple syrup.
• Garlic – Adds a wonderful flavor. And yet, a little bit goes a long way. So, don’t put too much.
• Herbs – I am using parsley but you can also use green onions, scallions, or dill.

Honey galic salmon

• Take the salmon out of the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Cut it to size if necessary, pat dry with a paper towel.
  Pro tip – Soaking fish filets in milk for 15 minutes helps reduce the fishy smell (optional).
• On the stove top in a skillet, heat the olive oil, place the salmon skin-side down. A cast-iron skillet or this frying pan works best for this recipe as it spreads the heat evenly.
  Pro tip – Keep to medium-high heat and don’t flip the fish for the first two minutes. This will ensure you have nice crispy skin.

• Cook on medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes carefully flipping on all sides every 2 minutes (see video).
  Pro tip – Salmon is very delicate, so use tongs and don’t move and flip too often. Give it a minute on each side.
• Then, remove from the pan and set aside.
  Pro tip – We remove the salmon from the pan to prevent it from overcooking. Use a flat spatula to lift the salmon up and out of the pan.

Honey garlic sauce

• To the same skillet, on medium-low heat, add the butter and garlic, and cook for a minute until fragrant. Then, add the lemon juice and honey, and cook for another minute.
  Pro tip – Butter, garlic, and honey can all burn easily so keep the heat on medium-low and do not overcook the sauce.
• Next, add the parsley and return the salmon back to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes coating well with the sauce.
  Pro tip – Do not overcook the fish and sauce at this time as the butter will burn and the honey will caramelize.
• Remove from heat and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes before you serve.
  • The recommended internal temperature for cooking salmon is – medium 145 F to 147 F or 60 to 63°C
  • But, it can also be served at medium-rare 122 to 127°F or 50 to 53°C (this is what I served my salmon today)
    Pro tip – Resting will continue to cook the salmon further.

• Salmon Cooking Temperature
  • The salmon is done when the fish flaked with a fork and the flesh becomes pale and opaque.
  • It is recommended that salmon be fully cooked at medium, which is an internal temperature of about 145 F to 147 F or 60 to 63°C (measure at the thickest part of the fish).
  • But, salmon can be eaten medium-rare if you buy from a trusted source. The internal temperature for medium-rare should be about 122 to 127°F or 50 to 53°C (this is what I like to serve my salmon).

Salmon serving suggestions

• Today I am serving this salmon with avocado salad and skillet Hasselback potatoes.
  • You can even try other salads such as celery, carrots, cabbage, etc.
• You can also serve other side dishes such as
  • Skinny Mashed Potatoes, Oven-Baked Potato Wedges or Potato Chips
  • Garlic Parmesan Asparagus or sesame green beans
  • Easy Swiss Chard Patties or spinach potato patties
  • Roasted Lemon Dill Potatoes – or garlic roasted potatoes

More fish recipes

• Recipe for Baked Salmon
• Parmesan Breadcrumb Crusted Salmon
• Seared Ahi Tuna Steak
• Garlic Butter Salmon
• Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl
• Balsamic-Glazed Salmon
• See all salmon recipes or see more fish recipes

Frequently asked questions

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Honey Garlic Salmon

Author: Veena Azmanov

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Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 12 minutes mins

Total Time: 17 minutes mins

Calories: 468kcal

Adjust Servings Here: 2 servings

Description

Get that restaurant-quality taste with this easy pan-fried honey garlic salmon recipe that is flavorful and healthy. Best of all, you can have this delicious dish on the table in less than 20 minutes and use only six ingredients

Video

Ingredients 

½x1x1½x2x3x

• ▢ 2 (350 g) Salmon fillets ((about 6 to 8 oz each))
• ▢ 1 tbsp Cooking oil
• ▢ 1 tsp Garlic (sliced)
• ▢ 2 tbsp Butter
• ▢ 1 tbsp Lemon ((or white vinegar))
• ▢ 2 tbsp Honey
• ▢ 4 tbsp Parsley (chopped finely)
• ▢ ¼ tsp Salt
• ▢ ¼ tsp Pepper

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Instructions

• Take the salmon out of the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Cut it to size if necessary, pat dry with a paper towel.

  Pro tip – Soaking fish in milk for 15 minutes helps reduce the fishy smell (optional).
• On the stovetop in a skillet, heat the oil, place the salmon skin-side down. A cast-iron skillet or frying pan works best for this recipe as it spreads heat evenly.

  Pro tip – Keep to medium-high heat and don't flip the fish for the first two minutes. This will ensure you have nice crispy skin.
• Cook on medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes carefully flipping on all sides every 2 minutes (see video).

  Pro tip – Salmon is very delicate, so use tongs and don't move and flip too often. Give it a minute on each side.
• Then, remove from the pan and set aside.

  Pro tip – We remove it from the pan after a few minutes to prevent it from overcooking. Use a flat spatula to lift the salmon up and out of the pan.
• To the same skillet, on medium-low heat, add the butter and garlic, and cook for a minute until fragrant. Then, add the lemon juice and honey, and cook for another minute.

  Pro tip – Butter, garlic, and honey can all burn easily so keep the heat on medium-low and do not overcook the sauce.
• Next, add the parsley and return the salmon back to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes coating well with the sauce.

  Pro tip – Do not overcook the fish and sauce at this time as the butter will burn and the honey will caramelize.
• Remove from heat and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes before you serve.

  The recommended internal temperature for cooking salmon is – medium 145 F to 147 F or 60 to 63°C.

  But, it can also be served at medium-rare 122 to 127°F or 50 to 53°C (this is what I served my salmon today).

  Pro tip – Resting will continue to cook the salmon further.

Recipe Notes & Tips

• Ask the fishmonger/ butcher to clean the fish for you. Make sure he removes the pin bones. If not, use a pair of tweezers to remove them before you cook it. These small pin bones can be very unpleasant when swallowed. 
• Keep the skin on as it prevents the salmon from falling apart during cooking. 
• Score a few lines on the skin before cooking. This will prevent it from shrinking during cooking. 
• Pat dry the fish well before you season it. The seasoning will stick better and the water won’t create a big messy splatter as soon as it hits the oil. 
• Heat the oil /butter in the pan well before you add the salmon or the skin will stick to the pan. I always prefer using a non-stick frying pan for cooking fish
• Always start by cooking the fish skin side down. This will give you crispy skin,  keeps the fish moist, and also prevent you from overcooking it when you flip it 
• Use high heat at the beginning when cooking the skin. This will prevent it from sticking. But, lower the heat a minute later so the fish does not dry out. 
• Use a flexible spatula to hold the fish down when you just add it to the pan. This will prevent the skin from shrinking too much
• Do not make haste to flip the fish fillet as it will cause the skin to separate from the skin. 
• The fish will take a lot less time to cook on the other side. This is before most of the cooking happens when it is on the skin side down. 
• Note that the salmon will continue to cook even after it has been taken out of the pan

Salmon cooking temperature

• It is recommended that salmon be fully cooked at medium which is an internal temperature of about 145 F to 147 F or 60 to 63°C (measure at the thickest part of the fish).
• But, salmon can be eaten medium-rare if you buy from a trusted source. The internal temperature for medium-rare should be about 122 to 127°F or 50 to 53°C (this is what I like to serve my salmon)

 

 

Conversions Used

1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Honey Garlic Salmon

Amount per Serving

Calories

468

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

28

g

43

%

Saturated Fat

 

10

g

50

%

Cholesterol

 

124

mg

41

%

Sodium

 

185

mg

8

%

Potassium

 

875

mg

25

%

Carbohydrates

 

19

g

6

%

Fiber

 

1

g

4

%

Sugar

 

17

g

19

%

Protein

 

34

g

68

%

Vitamin A

 

1058

IU

21

%

Vitamin C

 

10

mg

12

%

Calcium

 

31

mg

3

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

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