Honey garlic salmon bites with a tantalizing buttery rich glaze that gets drizzled over each morsel for a punch of flavor. Each one is pan-seared to perfection and simmered in sauce then garnished with cilantro and sesame seeds before serving. They make an amazing quick and easy 30 minute dinner or can be served as an impressive appetizer. The spice level is adjustable and can go from mild to spicy to fit your preference. You’ll be licking this sauce off the plate, it’s that good!
If you’ve been making my quick and easy dinner recipes for awhile, you know salmon recipes are my jam. It’s so healthy and if cooked right can be so incredibly delicious! Plus, it cooks fast making it great for weeknight dinners. It can be served as an easy appetizer at a dinner party though just as seamlessly.
I grew up eating fresh salmon in Alaska and have lived in the Pacific NW ever since so I’ve become an expert at cooking salmon. While I love simple ways of cooking it too, nothing beats a saucy, flavor-filled stack of salmon bites and this recipe doesn’t disappoint!
The flavors might sound familiar with a soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari) based sauce naturally sweetened with honey, but that’s where the familiarity ends my friends. with smoked paprika, lemon, fresh garlic and ginger, this easy recipe is full of flavor in bite-size pieces.
Key Ingredients
A few notes on ingredients and swap options:
- As I always recommend, use wild caught salmon. To make it more affordable, choose frozen.
- Use low-sodium tamari or soy sauce. If you’re avoiding soy, you can substitute coconut aminos but may need to add a pinch of salt to the sauce before drizzling it onto the salmon bites.
- Leave out the chili garlic sauce if you don’t want it spicy at all. Add more chili garlic sauce or sriracha for a spicier option! You can also use hot honey instead of plain honey to kick it up a notch.
- You can leave out the butter or swap with a dairy-free option if needed.
- You can swap rice wine vinegar or lime for the lemon if you don’t have one on hand.
- Jarred minced-garlic and ginger works great here and saves time. If you’re really in a pinch, you can substitute garlic powder or ground ginger but I don’t recommend it.
- If you don’t like or have cilantro, substitute sliced green onions, parsley or even fresh dill.
How to Make Honey Garlic Salmon Bites
- Make the sauce by adding all sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisking together.
- Marinate the salmon cubes in the sauce while the pan comes to temperature. Add oil and swirl to coat the pan.
- Sear salmon cubes for about 2 minutes, adding butter into the pan alongside the salmon. It goes fast so work quickly!
- Flip each salmon cube over to the other side, then quickly add the sauce and let it come to a simmer.
- Remove salmon pieces from the pan to a serving plate using a thin metal spatula.
- If the sauce is still thin (which it probably will be), let it continue simmering in the pan for a few minutes. Once it has thickened, drizzle it onto the salmon cubes, garnish and serve.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t crowd the pan or the salmon will steam instead of sear. Use a large bottomed pan so you have enough room.
- Salmon cooks quickly so move fast. By the time you’ve added all salmon pieces to the pan, it will almost be time to start flipping the ones you put in first.
- Use a thin metal spatula for flipping so the seared edge doesn’t stick to the pan.
- Avocado oil work better than olive oil or sesame oil due to it’s high smoke point. If you do need to substitute another oil type, reduce the temperature a little bit.
Can I make this recipe in the air fryer?
Yes it can and I know it was all over Tiktok BUT mine is better. 😉 Making it pan seared makes it crispy and lets you create that thick, glaze style sauce. You can skip the sauce altogether and just go with the marinated salmon chunks but it really is what makes this recipe so finger licking good!
All of that being said, if air fryer is your preference, here’s how you make honey garlic salmon bites in the air fryer:
- Preheat air fryer to 400° (205° C).
- Add quick marinated salmon cubes to air fryer basket or tray leaving space between each one (can line with parchment paper to make clean up faster).
- Air fry for 4-6 minutes until cooked but not overly dry.
- While salmon is cooking, simmer marinade in a small sauce pan over medium heat, whisking to prevent burning, until it reduces and thickens (3-5 minutes).
- Gently toss salmon cubes in sauce, garnish and serve immediately.
What to Serve With Salmon Bites
Serve with fresh jasmine rice or quinoa and veggies like this easy air fryer broccoli. Alternatively you can serve as a saucy appetizer – it’s always a hit with guests!
Storing and Reheating
As with most salmon recipes, while still technically edible for 3-4 days, leftovers are best eaten within the first 2 days. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds – 1 minute, a skillet with for 1 minute per side, in the air fryer at 350 degrees F for about 4 minutes or the oven at the same temperature for 5-6 minutes.
If you love easy delicious Asian inspired salmon recipes? I have several you’re bound to love! I have two sheet pan salmon dinners, a miso butter salmon recipe and a gochujang Korean salmon, that come together in under 20 minutes.
Crispy, Saucy Honey Garlic Salmon Bites in a Skillet
Equipment
- Medium bowl
- Large rimmed skillet
- Flat spatula for sautéing and flipping
Ingredients
- 1 lb. salmon filet skin and bones removed and sliced into 1 inch (2.5cm) cubes
- 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice fresh squeezed
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced or grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce or ¾ teaspoon sriracha
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 Tablespoon butter or dairy free butter
Garnishes (optional)
- Sesame seeds
- Chopped cilantro
- Chili crisp oil, sriracha or garlic chili sauce (optional to make spicier)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl mix tamari, lemon juice, paprika, honey, garlic, ginger, and chili sauce. Whisk until honey is dissolved. Add salmon cubes to the mixture.
- While salmon cubes marinate for 5 minutes, bring a large rimmed skillet to medium-high heat. Add avocado oil and tilt pan to spread oil. It should be hot enough for the oil to spread but not so hot that it smokes.
- Place salmon cubes into the pan, reserving marinade. Let sear for about 2 minutes. If using butter, add to pan now and let it melt alongside the salmon cubes.
- Flip each salmon cube over using a flat thin spatula. Pour marinade into pan and let come to a simmer, mixing with the butter (if using) while salmon finishes cooking (1-2 minutes). Tilt pan to spread the sauce around and coat all of the cubes.
- Remove salmon pieces from heat to a serving plate or onto individual plates or bowls.
- If sauce is too thin, return pan with sauce to the heat and let simmer for another 1-2 minutes to thicken.
- Use a basting brush or spoon to spread any leftover sauce onto the salmon cubes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped cilantro and serve right away.
Notes
- To prep salmon, remove any bones with tweezers and use a sharp knife to peel the salmon skin away.
- It’s best eaten fresh but can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and rewarm or eat cold.
- To make in the air fryer:
- preheat to 400° (205° C).
- Add quick marinated salmon cubes to air fryer basket or tray leaving space between each one (can line with parchment to make clean up faster).
- Air fry for 4-6 minutes until cooked but not overly dry.
- While salmon is cooking, simmer marinade in a small sauce pan over medium heat, whisking to prevent burning, until it reduces and thickens (3-5 minutes).
- Gently toss salmon cubes in sauce, garnish and serve immediately.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
I made these salmon bites for dinner and they came out absolutely delicious! I used wild caught salmon and this was definitely a hit for dinner. I followed the instructions closely and I’m glad I did because they do cook faster than you think. Pan seared is definitely the way to go though. I’ve always had trouble dressing my salmon with a tasty sauce, and I’m a huge fan of this one. I will be making this more often as it can go with many different sides or just eaten as a solo snack! Thanks for the awesome recipe Christy!
Thank you so much for trying the recipe and coming back to let met know how it turned out!