Elevate your dinner with this quick and flavorful salmon recipe! Sear perfectly seasoned salmon filets on a hot griddle, then glaze with a tangy sauce made from soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Finish with green onions and sesame seeds for a restaurant-quality meal at home.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
When it comes to getting dinner ready in a hurry, nothing beats salmon, and this Asian Seared Salmon is a new family favorite.
Everyone in my family loves salmon, including my kids, so I’m always looking for new ways to prepare it.
I love that this recipe can be cooked outside, on our Blackstone griddle, or indoors, in a cast iron skillet.
I always opt for the outdoor griddle when possible, because it means my husband will be doing the cooking, and I don’t have to heat up the kitchen or clean the stove-top afterwards.
However you choose to cook this savory seafood dish, I guarantee it will be delicious.
The griddle sauce for this recipe includes soy sauce, sesame oil and mirin, so it’s got tons of great Asian flavor.
And you’ll probably have sauce leftover, so keep it in the refrigerator and use it again!
I like to garnish this salmon with some sliced green onions and sesame seeds, but that’s totally optional.
This recipe can easily be adjusted up or down to feed more or less people–often it’s just me and my husband, so I’ll just make two fillets. But I still make all the sauce, because I love having it on hand.
If you’re looking for a quick, simple new way to cook salmon that’s loaded with flavor, give this Asian Seared Salmon a try.
What Should I Serve With Salmon?
This healthy salmon dish goes well with a nice rice pilaf, or some grilled or roasted vegetables, or both.
Here are some side dishes we enjoy with this seared salmon recipe.
Ingredients
- Mirin – Mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking wine. You can find it in the Asian aisle of most grocery stores. If you’re looking for a substitute, a mix of dry white wine and sugar can work.
- Soy sauce – I use low-sodium so I can control the saltiness of the dish
- Sesame oil– Use toasted sesame oil for the best flavor and aroma
- Garlic powder – not garlic salt
- Ground and fresh ginger– Ground ginger gives you the dish warmth, while freshly grated ginger adds a spicy, zesty kick.
- Red pepper flakes– A little goes a long way, but feel free to adjust based on your spice preference.
- Salmon – Skin on works best in this recipe. Be sure your filets that are evenly sized so they cook at the same rate.
- Olive oil – prefer Iextra virgin
- Salt and pepper
Recipe Tips
- Mix the sauce up in a plastic squeeze bottle. This makes it super easy to add to the salmon as it cooks, and makes for super easy storage afterwards.
- Leftover sauce can be used for any kind of stir fry or fried rice, and will last in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
- Make sure you check for pin bones in your salmon before cooking it. They can easily be removed with tweezers .
- Use an instant read digital thermometer to check if your salmon is done. Then let it rest for at least five minutes before serving.
- If you’re using a cast iron skillet, let it get really hot. It’s the key to getting that beautiful crispy skin without sticking!
How to Make Asian Seared Salmon
Step 1
Make the Sauce: First things first—let’s whip up the sauce! In a medium bowl (or a plastic squeeze bottle), combine water, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder, ground ginger, freshly grated ginger, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Give it a good mix until it’s well combined.
Step 2
Heat Things Up: Preheat your outdoor griddle or a cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. While that’s warming up, season your salmon filets with a pinch of salt and pepper. You want that perfect balance—nothing too overpowering, but enough to make the flavors sing.
Step 3
Sear it Up: Now that your griddle or skillet is sizzling, drizzle in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Carefully place the salmon filets skin-side down on the cooking surface. Here’s the trick: let them do their thing without disturbing them for 3-4 minutes. Trust me, patience here will reward you with a crispy, golden crust that’s absolute perfection.
Step 4
Sauce it Like a Pro: Time to flip those filets! Once you’ve turned them over, pour in a generous amount of that sauce you made earlier. As the salmon cooks, the sauce will start to reduce and thicken, infusing every bite with rich, savory goodness. Cook for an additional 5-8 minutes, basting with more sauce as you go.
Step 5
The Final Flip: Flip the salmon one more time to coat it fully in the sauce. Let the salmon stand for 5 minutes off the heat—this helps all those incredible flavors settle in.
Step 6
Garnish and Serve: To finish, sprinkle your masterpiece with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Not only do they add a pop of color, but they also bring a little extra crunch and flavor to the party. Now, take a moment to admire your handiwork before diving in!
FAQs
Should I use salmon with the skin on, or off?Either one works, but skin on salmon will be much easier to turn on the griddle. When I use skin-on salmon, I start with the skin side on the grill.
How do I know when my salmon is done?The best way is to use an instant read thermometer. The internal temperature should be 125 degrees. F. Cooked salmon should be opaque and pink or orange in color, and should be flaky but still moist. If the salmon flakes when you gently press down on the top of the fillet with a fork or your finger, it’s done.
What is mirin?Mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking wine made with fermented rice. It is similar to rice vinegar, but sweeter. It’s usually found near the soy sauce in the supermarket.
Be sure to save this recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later
More Salmon Recipes to Try
- Firecracker Baked Salmon
- Chile Lime Salmon Tacos
- Brown Sugar Garlic Lemon Butter Salmon
- Soy Sauce and Brown Sugar Grilled Salmon
Asian Seared Salmon
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup mirin
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- Pinch red pepper flakes
For the salmon
- 4 4 ounce salmon filets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- sliced green onions for garnish
- sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium bowl or plastic squeeze bottle, mix together the 3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup mirin, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger, and Pinch red pepper flakes.
- Preheat an outdoor griddle or cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Season the salmon with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the 2 tablespoons olive oil to the griddle and place the salmon skin side down on the cooking surface. Cook for 3-4 minutes without disturbing.
- Flip the salmon, then add a generous amount of the sauce to the pan. Cook for an additional 5-8 minutes, adding more sauce as it reduces. Flip the salmon one more time before serving to coat in the sauce. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
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