This easy and delicious Salmon Stir Fry is a healthy, low-carb healthy weeknight meal that you can make using one pan in just 30 minutes! Enjoy tender pieces of salmon and fresh, crisp veggies like bell pepper and asparagus doused in a homemade teriyaki sauce made from soy sauce (or tamari), garlic, ginger, and other seasonings and naturally sweetened with honey. It is so easy yet flavorful, you’ll find yourself making it again and again!

Salmon stir fry is a classic, easy meal with the kind of delectable teriyaki sauce that leaves you wanting to lick that bowl clean. No joke – my kid did this! It’s salty, sweet and made with wholesome ingredients the whole family will enjoy.
When you need a quick and easy satisfying meal, fish cooks quickly so salmon dinner recipes are a weeknight godsend. When done right, salmon cooks to flaky, buttery perfection in a manner of minutes.
Cooking extra veggies alongside makes it a full meal so no need to think about sides other than a quick pot of rice. Serve it with white rice, brown rice,Korean fried rice, quinoa, 20 minute teriyaki noodles or cauliflower rice for a low-carb option. It’s one of my favorite 30-minute salmon meal recipes to date! So saucy and so dang delicious!
Ingredients
This salmon stir fry is made of easy-to-find simple ingredients and a handful of pantry staples! Here’s an image of everything you’ll need and a few notes on some of the ingredients.
- Salmon– use a good quality fresh salmon filet that is about an inch thick. Wild caught salmon is always healthier than farm raised but get the best your budget allows. Since it has a flavorful marinade, it is more forgiving than other recipes but freshness is always important when cooking fish!
- Vegetables– you will need red bell pepper, carrots, asparagus spears, and red onion. You can also substitute other fresh vegetables like green beans, zucchini, edamame, broccoli, baby corn, snow peas, sugar snap peas, water chestnuts or mushrooms. You could even add delicate vegetables like bok choy or kale at the very end if you want to. Just make sure to use the amount of veggies indicated in the recipe or you won’t have enough sauce.
- Low-sodium soy sauce or tamari– this is the base of the sauce that gives it a savory, umami flavor. Make sure to use low-sodium over regular soy sauce. You can substitute tamari sauce instead to make it gluten-free. Coconut aminos can make it paleo but will alter the flavor making it sweeter so you may need to add additional salt at the end if using this.
How to Make Salmon Stir Fry
Stir fries are one of the quickest ways to cook food! All you need is a pan or skillet and a few minutes to get this delicious veggie filled dish on your table. Let’s get started.
Steps:
- Make the teriyaki sauce. Add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, water, chili, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger together in a medium-sized bowl. Add the arrowroot and whisk until the honey and arrowroot are fully dissolved.
- Prepare the salmon filet. Remove bones using tweezers and skin using a sharp knife. Cut into 1″ cubes.
- Marinate the salmon cubes. Add the salmon pieces to the bowl and toss to coat. Set aside to marinade for about 15 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.
- Chop the veggies. Make them about the size pictured below and described in the recipe.
- Sauté the veggies. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the bell pepper, carrot, asparagus, and onion and sauté. Move the vegetables to a plate and set aside for later.
- Cook the marinated salmon. Add more oil to the same pan and sear the salmon in it. Save the marinade for later! Since the salmon only sat in the marinade for a brief time, it’s still safe to use.
- Sear the other side. Flip each salmon piece over and sear the other side until mostly cooked through.
- Add the remaining stir fry sauce and veggies. Pour the leftover sauce and vegetables into the pan. Gently toss and let cook another minute or two until the sauce has thickened.
- Garnish and serve! Remove the pan from heat and top with green onion and sesame seeds or whatever you prefer to use. Serve the stir fry salmon over rice or whatever you want to serve it with. Enjoy!
Helpful Tips
Recipe Tips
- To make your meal preparation faster, you can make the marinade ahead of time and cut/slice the veggies and salmon. Cover and store separately in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Remember to marinate salmon for at least 15 minutes before you to make the recipe but wait to do this until you’re ready to cook it. Do not marinade longer than recommended because the salmon flesh will start to break down and get a spongey texture.
- When stir-frying, you should have all your ingredients ready and within reach before you start because you will have to work fast and salmon can overcook quickly.
- Make sure your pan is medium-high heat for best results. If your pan isn’t hot enough the veggies and salmon will steam instead of sear making the dish less flavorful. If cooked over high heat, it will scorch and blacken so make sure you get it right with the vegetables before adding the salmon cubes.
- Be gentle when flipping the fish to keep each piece intact. If the cubes are still sticking to the skillet, leave them on for a few seconds to cook more. They should be easy to flip once the surface is golden and crisp.
- Do not overcook the salmon or they will turn out dry and tough to chew instead of tender and flaky. It cooks fast! The salmon pieces should still be moist when you cut into them and uniform color on the inside. If it feels tough and flakes too easily, it is overcooked. If you’re unsure, remove the pan from the heat and cut into the largest salmon cube to check for doneness.
- If you are planning to serve this with steamed rice, start cooking the rice while the salmon is marinating.
Storing
Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 days in an airtight container. You can reheat it using the microwave or a stove top over low heat. Please note that if the salmon is not fresh, it won’t last as long in the refrigerator. As with most fish, this dish is best eaten fresh, the day it is cooked. Leftovers will reheat okay for up to 2 days after.
Equipment
- 1 medium bowl to marinate salmon
- 1 Large wok or rimmed skillet
- 1 Thin flat spatula for stirring and flipping
Ingredients
- 1 lb. salmon
- 1 red pepper
- ½ red onion or yellow onion
- 2 carrots
- 8-10 asparagus spears
- 2 Tablespoon avocado oil or other high heat flavorless cooking oil, divided
Teriyaki sauce
- 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari or coconut aminos*
- 1/3 cup cold water or low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons honey or substitute coconut sugar, or brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon arrowroot see notes for substituting cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced or grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce or sriracha; add more or less based on your spice preference
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Garnishes (optional)
- Sesame seeds
- Sliced green onion
Instructions
- Add teriyaki sauce ingredients to a medium sized bowl and whisk to mix in until honey and arrowroot are dissolved.1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari, 1/3 cup cold water, 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 Tablespoons honey, 1 Tablespoon arrowroot, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1 teaspoon minced or grated ginger, 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Run your fingers across the salmon to see if there are any bones and remove using tweezers if you find any. If your salmon has skin on, remove it using a sharp knife and discard it. Cut salmon into 1” squares.1 lb. salmon
- Add salmon cubes to teriyaki sauce marinade and toss to coat. Set aside while you prepare the veggies (salmon should marinate for about 15 minutes but not more than 30).
- Slice the red pepper and onion into thin wedges, discarding the outer layer of the onion and seeds and stem of the bell pepper. Separate the layers of the onion. Peel the carrots and cut into matchstick sized pieces. Cut woody bottom ends off asparagus and discard, cutting the remaining stalks into 1-2" pieces.1 red pepper, ½ red onion, 2 carrots, 8-10 asparagus spears
- Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the bell pepper, carrot, asparagus and onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes until seared but still crisp. Remove vegetables to a plate and set aside.2 Tablespoon avocado oil
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the same pan and tilt the pan to spread the oil evenly across the pan. Add the salmon cubes in one at a time without using a slotted spoon, fork or tongs, saving the marinade for later.
- Allow the salmon cubes to sear for 2 minutes. Do not stir the salmon! Use a thin spatula to quickly individually flip each salmon cube over and sear the other side for an additional 1-2 minutes until until outside is seared and inside is almost fully cooked. Be careful not overcook since the salmon will continue to finish with the rest of the ingredients.
- Pour the teriyaki sauced used for the salmon into the pan and let come to a simmer for 1 minute (necessary for food safety), then add vegetables and gently toss to coat everything in sauce. Let cook for another 1-2 minutes until sauce has thickened, stirring very gently to keep salmon from breaking up.
- Remove the pan from heat and top with desired garnishes (I like sesame seeds and green onion) or plate and then garnish. Serve immediately over rice, brown rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice or whatever you prefer.Sesame seeds, Sliced green onion
Notes
Nutrition
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