Craving some salmon but not sure how to make it great? This easy honey garlic salmon is here to bring you a ton of flavor in just about 10 minutes—and you don’t even have to fire up the grill!
Easy honey garlic salmon
You might have heard that the key to salmon—to any fish—basically boils down to this: don’t overcook it. Okay, seems easy enough, but now that I know what I shouldn’t do to it, what should I do to really make this salmon stand out?
Call me biased, but I think you should make this easy honey garlic salmon recipe. Why? It’s simple to make, uses simple ingredients, and doesn’t involve any fancy technique you need to spend weeks practicing to perfect.
That, and it ends up tasting really, really good, and you only need about 10 minutes!
10 minute dinner recipe
I’ve read recipes that claim to be ready in “about 10 minutes” and, well, they didn’t deliver. This one really does—you’re just making a delicious salmon by seasoning it simply, cooking in a skillet, and adding an easy-to-make sauce to the mix.
The only part of this meal that might end up taking more than 10 minutes is your side (I recommend rice or veggies). That said, you can have those made up or use a quicker version (microwave steamed veggies, for example) and really get this thing streamlined.
How long did it take you to make this delicious meal? Let me know about your record below.
Honey garlic salmon ingredients
Every time I taste a delicious sauce or glaze, I assume that there must be one thousand ingredients in it to achieve such a great flavor. Not so with this sauce! Aside from salmon (cut into 4 small fillets in this recipe), here’s what you need to pull this off:
- honey
- soy sauce
- garlic
- lemon juice
- water
- olive oil
- sesame seeds
- salt, pepper, & cayenne
- optional: green onion
Not bad, right? (I see you nodding.)
As long as you have a trusty skillet (I use a Lodge cast iron), you’re reading to get this show on the road.
So… what are you waiting on?
How to make easy honey garlic salmon
Here’s the whole shebang, from beginning to end:
- Sprinkle salmon filets with salt & pepper (add cayenne for extra heat).
- Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together honey, lemon juice, garlic, and soy sauce.
- Add salmon to the skillet. Cook the fillets for about 3-4 mins, skin side up, until internal temp is 145 degrees.
- Flip the salmon and add sauce to the pan. Use a spoon to scoop the juices on top of the salmon.
- Add lemon slices and sesame seeds enjoy!
- Serve with rice or veggies.
That’s it. That’s the recipe for easy honey garlic salmon.
It really is that easy, that honey-garlic, etc.
Is honey garlic salmon healthy?
Obviously, there’s a certain amount of honey present to sweeten the deal, and a ton of that stuff is going to give you a bellyache. But salmon is a really excellent source of protein, and, assuming you’re not serving this on a bed of deep fried Twinkies*, you can really make this a nutritious meal.
*I can’t officially recommend deep fried Twinkies as a base for this recipe.
What if I don’t like salmon?
Well, I’m impressed you made it this far! I would still triple dog dare you to try this easy honey garlic salmon, but if it really seems like a no-go, you might try my easy honey garlic chicken.
What should I make for dinner?
If you try this recipe and like it, please rate it below and share with your friends! For other easy meal ideas, consider one (or all!) of these Jordo’s World staples:
Easy Honey Garlic Salmon
Equipment
- cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 4 salmon filets 6 oz
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp garlic
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- pinch salt, pepper, & cayenne
- optional: green onion
Instructions
- Sprinkle salmon filets with salt & pepper (add cayenne for extra heat).
- Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together honey, lemon juice, garlic, and soy sauce.
- Add salmon to the skillet. Cook the fillets for about 3-4 mins, skin side up, until internal temp is 145 degrees.
- Flip the salmon and add sauce to the pan. Use a spoon to scoop the juices on top of the salmon.
- Add lemon slices and sesame seeds enjoy!
- Serve with rice or veggies.
Kristin Gaughan
Monday 9th of January 2023
Another quick and easy recipe that the whole family loves. We will be making this on one repeat!
Annie
Friday 12th of August 2022
So delicious and easy! I never had the confidence to make salmon before this recipe and now I’m hooked. This is definitely going to be a regular in our household!
Lori
Friday 17th of June 2022
This was amazing! I’m not a fan of making salmon at home for some reason but this sauce was so good, I’m def making this more often. Quick and tasty. Try it, it won’t disappoint.
Jen
Friday 17th of June 2022
Honey garlic is my FAVORITE way to make salmon and this recipe is perfect! I usually end up baking my salmon instead of cooking it in the skillet and it turns out perfect every time!
Kory
Friday 17th of June 2022
This is one of my GO TOs! It’s an easy, delicious and healthy recipe. Most importantly, the flavor is amazing. I keep coming back to this one again and again.