Sweet, savory and tangy, this Sesame Ginger Salmon is simple and flavorful. If you’re looking for a quick and easy weekday meal that will leave you feeling nourished and satisfied, this is it! Quick and easy to make, this recipe will sure become a family favorite!

The beautiful glaze on this Sesame Ginger Salmon is one for the (recipe) books!

It is packed with Asian flavor and it is super light!

Topped with some thinly sliced green onion and sprinkled with sesame seeds, you will love how tasty and beautiful your dish comes out.

Ingredients for Sesame Ginger Salmon

Ingredients are laid out to make the sesame ginger salmon

Salmon: You can use fresh or frozen salmon here. When it comes to picking salmon, you might be someone who loves farm-raised, or you might prefer wild-caught salmon.

Coconut Aminos: A soy free alternative to soy sauce, coconut aminos still gives a salty flavor with a bit of sweetness. It is soy and grain free!

Sesame Oil is a classic in Asian recipes. It is slightly nutty, sweet and adds depth of flavor to your dish.

Rice Vinegar is an important component to this dressing because it slightly acidic and great for savory and sweet dishes. It will help break down the honey and make everything nice and smooth.

Ground and Fresh Ginger  is so flavorful and adds a great ZING to this dish. I love freshly grated ginger because of how bright and amazing it is. You can use pickled ginger if that is what you have on hand, but freshly grated ginger just hits different.

Sesame Seeds

Green Onion

How to Make Your Sesame Ginger Salmon

First, start by marinating the salmon:

In a big ziploc bag, add 1/3 cup of the sesame ginger mariade along with the salmon fillets.
Mariate for at least half an hour. Flip halfway.

Once the salmon is done marinating, let’s get cooking!

Grease a non-stick pan and warm over medium to high heat for about 1 minute. Turn it down to medium heat and place the salmon on the pan.
Cook for about 3 minutes each side (depending on the thickness of the fillets).
Sear all sides.
Cook until salmon fillets are golden crispy on all sides, or until the middle is cooked to your preferred doneness.

While the salmon is cooking, let’s get the glaze ready.

In a small sauce pan, pour in the rest of the sesame ginger dressing. Mix 1 tsp of starch with 2 tbsp of water. Pour into the pot and whisk to combine.
Over medium to low heat, continuously whisk until the sauce thickens.

Next, take your marinated salmon and place it skin side down in a lightly oiled pan on medium heat. You will cook your salmon for roughly 3 minutes per side. You may need to cook it longer depending on the thickness of your salmon. Always use a meat thermometer if you are not certain.

Then, you will prepare your glaze. You can find the recipe for the Ginger Dressing on my blog.

Finally, once the sauce is nice and thickened, you will remove your salmon from the pan and serve over rice or quinoa. You can ladled your warm, savory ginger dressing over your salmon when you are ready to serve. Use as much or as little as you like, it is totally up to your taste!

What Type of Salmon to Use

Wild caught salmon tends to have more lean and concentrated flavor. Wild-caught salmon is also has a more potent flavor, which may or may not be everyone’s favorite.

Farm raised salmon tends to be fattier and juicer (which could take a little bit longer to cook through).

Either cut of salmon works! You gotta do what works for you!

How to Serve Sesame Ginger Salmon

Pair the sesame ginger salmon with your favorite vegetables like roasted broccoli, brussel sprouts, spicy cucumber salad (pictured here), and rice for a complete meal.

I love steamed white rice to pair with almost every Asian main course. That is my main squeeze growing up.

You can also use plain quinoa, fried rice or my unique Quinoa Fried Rice. This is a great alternative if you don’t like traditional rice or want to pack in some more veggies.

I would also highly recommend serving this salmon dish alongside my Spicy Cucumber Salad for a fresh crunch!

Tips for Making the Best Sesame Ginger Salmon

Patience! Make sure you are allowing your salmon to marinate well before you start cooking it.

Do not overcook your salmon! Make sure to keep an eye on you salmon so you do not burn it or dry it out. It is very easy to overcook salmon if you are not timing your cooking or keeping an eye on your hot pan.

Try to crisp up the skin side FIRST! I love a good, crispy piece of salmon skin, it’s just so irresistible.

Use a high smoke point oil when cooking your salmon. Avocado oil is both neutral and has a high smoke point. Olive oil is fine, but avocado oil won’t burn off as fast on your pan and it will help you achieve a beautiful crisp exterior on your fish.

What Other Salmon Recipes Can I Make?

I have so many delicious salmon based reputes on my website! If you are like me and love salmon dishes, you will be so excited to know I have a list of faves!

My Pistachio Crusted Salmon only takes 20 minutes and it is so flaky and crunchy! I love how many beautiful textures are in this dish.

I also love my Honey Sriracha Salmon that can be made in the air fryer! It is crispy, light and the perfect balance of sweet and savory.

I love how the honey glaze balances out with the sriracha sauce. you just can’t beat a well balanced meal with stunning flavor profiles sewn throughout.

I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN USE “TRIED IT” ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING #SHUANGYSEATS

Get the recipe:Sesame Ginger Salmon {20 Minutes}

Sweet, savory and tangy, this Sesame Ginger Salmon is simple and flavorful. If you're looking for a quick and easy weekday meal that will leave you feeling nourished and satisfied, this is it!
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Rate Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Save the green part of the green onion from the sesame ginger marinade. Mix the rest of the ingredients together.
  • Clean and cut the salmon into 6 oz pieces (or preferred size)
  • In a big ziplock bag or big shallow bowl, pour in 1/3 cup of the marinade and then place the salmon pieces in.
  • Make sure the salmon is covered in the marrinad. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Flip the salmons (or the whole bag) half way.
  • Lightly grease a non-stick pan, heat for a minute or so until warm. Remove the salmon from the marinade and disgard the leftover marinade.
  • Over medium heat, pan sear the salmon fillets on all sides until crispy golden brown.
  • Over medium heat, pour in the rest of the sesame ginger dressing (not the leftover marinade) into a small sauce pan.
  • Whisk togehter 2 tsp of starch and 1 tbsp of filtered water. Pour into the sauce pan then quickly stir it in.
  • Continue to stir until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat. Pour the sauce over the plated salmon.
  • Sprinkle additional sesame seeds and/or the green part of chopped green onion (optional). Enjoy!

The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.

Author: Shuang Shuang Liang