When you can achieve sweet, savory, sticky Honey Garlic Salmon perfection at home, why would you ever need to go out? Bonus: This easy weeknight recipe is done in just 20 minutes!
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Restaurant-worthy honey garlic salmon at home!
Crispy on top, succulent inside, and bathed in a smoky-sweet sauce, this honey garlic salmon recipe outshines much of the salmon you’ve ordered at restaurants. Once you taste it, I bet you’ll think twice about ordering salmon from someone else’s menu too!
- So Easy, It’s Practically Effortless. Even if you’ve never cooked salmon before, I promise you can make this recipe—and my Pesto Salmon—with rip-roaring success. (For an excellent overview of baking salmon, check out my How to Cook Salmon).
- Quick Too! This dish comes together in just 20 minutes, so it is a great weeknight recipe.
- That Glaze, Though. While I rarely repeat meals—with salmon variations ranging from Teriyaki Salmon to Broiled Salmon, we have plenty to choose from—this honey garlic glaze has become a regular. The glaze is deep and sassy with smoked paprika, honey, and a heap of fresh garlic, and this recipe makes plenty of it.
5 Star Review
“Just made this salmon tonight, and it was delicious! Very tasty, quick and easy. Will definitely make it often!”
— Danielle —
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Salmon. With a tender, flaky texture and delicious flavor, salmon fillets are an excellent lean protein option.
- Honey. Honey adds scrumptious natural sweetness to the glaze and helps it caramelize to perfection. (I also love it in both this Miso Glazed Salmon and this Honey Glazed Salmon with soy sauce.)
- Lemon Juice. For acidity and brightness.
- Minced Garlic + Spices. Minced cloves of garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt add wonderful flavor to the glaze.
- Parsley or Green Onion. I love to finish off this salmon dish with a shower of freshness. Both parsley and green onion are tasty choices.
How to Make Honey Garlic Salmon
Prepare. Let the salmon fillets come to room temperature, and pat dry.
Make the Glaze (photo 1). Whisk the honey garlic glaze ingredients together in a small bowl.
Sear. Season the salmon with salt and pepper (photo 2). Heat an oven-proof skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat to high heat. Start cooking the salmon skin side up (photo 3).
Flip. Once browned, flip each fillet over (so it’s now skin side down). Turn off the heat.
Bake. Baste the salmon fillets with the honey-garlic mixture (photo 4). Move the skillet to a 450 degree F oven, and bake for 4 to 5 minutes. Serve with parsley or green onion and lemon. ENJOY!
Leftover Ideas
Leftover salmon is tasty served on a salad (like this Ramen Salad) or over Vegetable Lo Mein or Cauliflower Fried Rice.
What to Serve with Honey Garlic Salmon
- Vegetable Sides. Keep it simple with easy sides like Grilled Broccoli, Sautéed Green Beans, or Roasted Eggplant.
- Salads. Pair your honey garlic salmon with Asian Cucumber Salad on the side, or serve the fillets atop Asian Cabbage Salad.
- Grains. White Rice and Brown Rice will soak up all that delectable glaze, or make a pan of Egg Fried Rice.
- Asian-Inspired Dishes. I love this salmon with Cabbage Stir Fry or Zucchini Stir Fry, too.
Easy Honey Garlic Salmon
Video
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Ingredients
- 4 (6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons hot water
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 6 cloves minced garlic about 2 tablespoons
- 1 ¼ teaspoons smoked paprika
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh parsley or green onion for serving
- Lemon wedges optional, for serving
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Let the salmon rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. With paper towels, pat it dry on both sides.
- In a small mixing bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, hot water, lemon juice, garlic, smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper. Keep near the stove.
- Heat an ovenproof skillet (cast iron is ideal) just large enough to hold the salmon comfortably over medium high—you don't want the salmon to overlap, but you also don't want there to be too much extra room around the salmon or the sauce may burn.
- Sprinkle the salmon with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (wait to season the fish until just before adding it to the pan).
- Once the skillet is hot, add the olive oil. Swirl to coat the pan, then add the salmon, skin-side up/flesh side down. When lowering the fish into the pan, move it in a direction away from you so that you aren’t splattered with oil. Sprinkle the skin side of the fish with a generous pinch of additional salt.
- Cook the salmon for 4 minutes without disturbing it, until it is browned and releases easily from the pan. With a thin spatula (a fish spatula is perfect), carefully turn over each fillet. Turn off the heat.
- Pour the honey mixture over the salmon fillets. With a spoon, baste the top of the fish with the sauce for 1 minute.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until the salmon flakes easily with a fork, about 4 to 5 more minutes for 1-inch fillets; if your salmon is thicker or thinner, you will need to adjust the cooking time accordingly. Salmon is done when it reaches 145 degrees F on an instant read thermometer and flakes easily with a fork. Do not overcook or the salmon will be dry (once I get close to 145 degrees F, I remove the salmon to a plate then cover it and let it rest a few minutes so the carryover cooking finishes the job).
- Sprinkle the salmon with parsley or green onion and squeeze additional lemon over the top if you like. Enjoy hot with more pan sauce spooned over the top.
Notes
- INGREDIENT NOTE: If your honey starts to get very dark, don’t panic! It is just the sugar caramelizing, and your fish should not taste burned. If this happens, it may be that your skillet is too large (so the honey cooks more quickly) or too hot. Take it as a learning for next time and enjoy your salmon.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftover salmon in an airtight storage container for up to 2 days.
- TO REHEAT: Honey garlic salmon can be very gently reheated in a skillet over medium-low heat.
Such an incredibly easy and delicious recipe! We had it for dinner tonight. I ended up transferring it to a roasting tin lined with foil, since I wasn’t sure I could put my pan in the oven. I had preheated the tin with the oven, so that no heat would be lost in the transfer. My husband and 2 year old really liked it! Thanks for a great one that we will definitely make again!
I am so so happy to hear it, thank you for sharing!
Way easier to prepare than I thought it would be. Super tasty and it made me look like a star cook! ? Thank you, Erin!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Jen! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
WOW this recipe is so good! Even my toddler loved it. The sauce is the PERFECT amount of sweetness with a teensy bit of spice and it was seriously so yummy. It was also incredibly easy!
I’m SO happy that you enjoyed it, Jessica! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Delicious and simple. I’d recommend this to anybody. Perfect week night dinner but tastes like something you’d get at a fancy restaurant. Amazing!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Madeline! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Absolutely amazing! I’m new to eating Salmon and when I saw this recipe with honey & garlic I had to try it. The flavors of the sauce are so delicious and cooking it in the cast iron skillet first gave it a nice sear. Definitely a keeper! So good!
I’m so happy that it was a hit, Donna! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I loved it. Thanks so much. I will make this again and again!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Mary! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
You did it again !!!!! Your a blessing this was wonderful. Thank you.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Dottie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Erin this recipe is incredible. I made it for a date and she raves to everyone we meet about how good of a cook I am and brings up this dish in particular!
One thing I wanted to ask: is there a way to turn extra honey glaze into a dipping sauce? Sometimes my salmon is a little dry (pulled mine at 130 and let it rest) and I thought a dipping sauce on the side might be a good addition.
If not, no worries, I’ll be making this recipe for the rest of my life anyway.
I’m SO happy that you enjoyed it, Kent! I think you could make a little extra glaze and turn it into a dipping sauce if you’d like.
Absolutely love this recipe! I’ve been using Well-Plated for a while now and still have not found a recipe I don’t like! Thank you for creating these great and easy dishes! The only problematic issue I have is now my girlfriend thinks I can cook haha
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Mitch! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Excellent recipe! I doubled the sauce the second time making it since the sauce is so good. Served with Brussels sprouts and brown rice which were also great to top the sauce with. Thanks, Erin! And go Irish!!
Hi Nicole! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This was my first time making salmon and this recipe made it so easy!!! Not to mention it turned out AMAZING. I will definitely be adding this meal to the dinner rotation!
So glad to hear this, Courtney! Thank you for this kind review!
simple and delicious!
Hi Lori! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Just made this salmon tonight, and it was delicious! Very tasty, quick and easy. Will definitely make it often!
Hi Danielle! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Hi. I don’t have a cast iron frying pan. Can I use a frying pan and transfer it to another pan for the oven? Will it still taste as good?
Hi Tracy! I’m sorry I have only tested this recipe as written so it would be hard for me to say. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
The garlic honey salmon was delicious
Hi Kittie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
My fiancé and I made this over the weekend together and it was honestly one of the best salmon meals we’ve made together in a while. It was so easy and so delicious that I ended up making it again the next day. Highly recommend it!
Makes me so happy to hear, thank you Abby!
I made this with hopes that the honey taste wouldn’t be overwhelming and it wasn’t!! It was perfect. I served it with the Spinach and Apple salad.
Glad you enjoyed it Betty!
I’m obsessed with this recipe. It was so quick and easy. The flavors were amazing. I made this dish for my family and they were in love with it. I’m still thinking about how good it was days after. I can’t wait to make it again.
Yay! Thank you Trish!
LOVE all your recipes
Thank you Elida!
Been eating a lot of salmon during my pregnancy since it’s so nutrient dense and have tried several variations of this recipe. This one’s definitely the best . So delicious and easy!
Great to hear, thank you Bella!
Came across this recipe while looking for a different way to prepare salmon. It was truly as good as everyone says. It will now be my go-to salmon recipe. The sauce is so good! Salmon cooked perfectly. I served with sautéed corn, red pepper, shallot and green onion.
Makes me so happy to hear, thank you Sally!
I tripled this recipe for my family and cut one large salmon into smaller filets. This is one of the best meals we’ve had. This recipe is divine.
Great to hear, thank you Paula!
Excellent recipe. I just retired so I’m trying my hand at cooking so I need something simple. This recipe was very simple, but resulted in a flavorful sauce that enhanced the salmon rather than covering it up.
So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Leah!
I made this for my roommate and I earlier and it was so GOOD! So easy to make but still packs so much flavor, I was pleasantly surprised.
This has to be the best salmon recipe I have ever had. And so easy to make. My husband loved it too! ..He ate every bite. Now that’s something to brag about! 😁
Yay! So happy to hear this Sheryl!
Trying to find healthier options for dinner. My family is not a fan of any type of fish. Made this for dinner tonight, and it came out really good! I’m so glad I found this and tried it. Incredible flavors – sweet and tangy. I will definitely make this again soon. Thanks
Yay! Love to hear it, thank you Lorie!
I am obsessed with the flavors in this dish! Easy and delicious. I served it with green veggies and steam rice, so very simple and genuinely done in about 12 mins. Thank you so much!
Great to hear, thank you Julia!
I really enjoyed this recipe. Been trying to eat more salmon for health benefits and this is so flavorful! Simple ingredients you already have at home. Easy to prepare and delicious. We serve it on a bed of rice and veggies.
SO delicious!!! And like all other Erin Clarke recipes, so easy to follow! Going into our regular meal rotation for sure!
Yay! Thank you Colleen!
Delicious and easy! We had skinless salmon and it still turned out great. A perfect weeknight dinner.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Brooke!
I have a lot of anxiety about cooking fish, but wanted to incorporate more salmon into my diet without spending exorbitant prices at restaurants. My first attempt was a disaster, using a pre-packaged, pre-sauced piece of salmon. It was disgusting. Decided to try again with this recipe, using your hot honey. (Side note: my husband is anti-salmon and usually refuses to eat it). Anyway, I made this recipe and really appreciated all the tips and detailed instructions. Result? WOWZA, a huge success!! And my husband decided to “taste” it, actually raved about it, and went back for thirds! Thank you, Erin, for putting so much time and effort into your recipes, essentially making them fool-proof for those with anxieties or lacking experience.
This! This makes me so happy to hear! I am so glad you both enjoyed the salmon! Thank you Sandy!
Super simple and so tasty Our new favourite!
Great to hear, thank you Brenda!
This is such a great recipe! I tried it tonight and my husband was so impressed. I cooked some jasmine rice and roasted broccoli and brussel sprouts. Such a tasty meal! This recipe is going into my rotation for sure!
So happy to hear, Jenniffer! Thank you!
Hi Erin, the first time I made this,I thought I was supposed to sear the skin side, then flip and sear the top side, which I did before baking. BTW, delicious! Now I’m reading that I sear top side, then turn heat off and pour sauce on. I did that, put it in the oven and the skin was mushy and not crispy, slightly raw. Plz advise . Seems like I read two versions. I want to really get this down! Thanks
Hi Molly, in Step 6 you’ll see it says, add the salmon, skin-side up/flesh side down. Step 7 you’ll flip it over meaning skin will be side down and then you’ll place it in the oven. We aren’t really going for a crispy skin in this recipe. You want crispy on the top. Also what was the internal temperature of the salmon at the point where you say it was slightly raw? This will help determine if you need to cook the salmon a littler longer. Hope this helps!
Heated the pan exactly how the recipe stated…. Filled my apartment with smoke and burnt the salmon!
I’m so sorry to hear you had trouble, Julie. We didn’t experience that with this method, but you might need to turn the heat down slightly to avoid that next time. Hope this helps!
This recipe was fabulous and easy! I made it for 5 guests. The salmon was tender and juicy. Sides were sautéed vegetables and mashed potatoes. Thank you so much! I would love more easy delicious recipes like this.
Sounds perfect, Molly! Thank you for sharing!