Ginger Soy Glazed Salmon (Printable)

Pan-seared salmon fillets with a sweet ginger soy glaze and optional toasted sesame garnish.

# What You Need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 skin-on salmon fillets, 6 oz each
02 - 1/2 tsp kosher salt
03 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Glaze

04 - 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
05 - 2 tbsp honey
06 - 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
07 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
08 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
09 - 1 tsp sesame oil

→ Garnish (optional)

10 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
11 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
12 - Lemon or lime wedges

# Steps:

01 - Pat salmon fillets dry using paper towels and season both sides evenly with kosher salt and black pepper.
02 - Combine soy sauce, honey, grated ginger, minced garlic, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in a bowl; whisk thoroughly until blended.
03 - Place a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, adding a small amount of neutral oil if desired.
04 - Arrange salmon fillets skin-side down in the hot skillet and sear undisturbed for 4 minutes until skin crisps.
05 - Flip fillets carefully and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
06 - Reduce heat to medium-low, pour glaze over salmon evenly, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes while spooning glaze over fillets until salmon is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly.
07 - Remove from heat and serve immediately, spooning extra glaze over each fillet. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, sliced green onions, and citrus wedges as desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 25 minutes, which means you can make something genuinely impressive on a random Tuesday without stress.
  • The glaze caramelizes into something magical that tastes like you spent hours developing it, but you really didn't.
  • Salmon gets a beautiful crispy skin and stays incredibly moist inside, and honestly, that's the texture dream.
02 -
  • The biggest mistake I made early on was moving the salmon around in the pan—letting it sit untouched is how you get that incredible crispy skin that makes people stop and notice.
  • Don't cook the salmon all the way through in the searing stage; it finishes cooking in the glaze, and that gentle carryover cooking keeps it moist and tender instead of dry.
03 -
  • Make the glaze before you start cooking the salmon so you can focus entirely on getting that skin crispy—multitasking is the enemy of perfectly seared fish.
  • If your glaze seems too thin after cooking, you can remove the salmon and let the glaze reduce for another minute over the heat to concentrate its sweetness and body.
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