Honey Garlic Salmon is the best stove top salmon recipe for busy weeknights. Juicy salmon and crispy skin make this 30 minute dinner crazy good!
Love salmon? Try our teriyaki salmon with homemade, healthy and easy sauce or Thai broiled salmon (easy and healthy sauce as well).
How to Cook Salmon on the Stove
This easy honey garlic salmon is the best stove top salmon recipe for busy weeknights. And rave reviews in comments do not lie! Juicy salmon fillets with caramelized honey crust with a hint of garlic, then topped with green onion.
Honey garlic salmon is healthy, tasty and kids love it.
I personally think garlic makes everything taste better. Easy salmon marinade consist of honey, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Marinate fresh salmon fillets in it for 15 minutes and then cook salmon on the stove for another 10 minutes.
30 minute healthy dinner is here!
What Salmon Can I Use?
We live on the West Coast, the homeland of disappearing salmon. So, I know a thing or two about salmon.:) I understand it’s pricey, so I will share a few tips below.
- Wild salmon is more healthy than farmed (source).
- Types of wild salmon good for pan searing: sockeye, coho, spring, king.
- Trout or more affordable variety of salmon, pink salmon, work too.
How to Fillet a Whole Salmon
You can save about $5/lb if you buy whole fresh salmon and fillet it yourself. Which is SUPER easy. I do it all the time!
- Using fillet knife, cut whole salmon lengthwise as close to the main bone as possible.
- Then using fillet knife again, remove main bone from the other fillet as close to the flesh as possible.
- Cut into smaller fillets. That’s it!!!
Crispy Salmon?
Since creating this honey garlic salmon recipe, to cook salmon on the stove is my new favourite method. You are guaranteed to get that crispy salmon skin that is often available at high end restaurants. Ane let’s agree that crispy salmon costs a lot when eating out.
So, please do not remove the skin. Just wash it and pat dry. You can always remove it after cooking if you don’t like it.
Skin also acts as a shield to prevent salmon from drying and burning while cooking on a skillet.
Honey Garlic Salmon for Meal Prep?
For sure.
While salmon is marinating, cook quinoa as per package instructions (or make pressure cooker quinoa – so easy!). To cook broccoli, in a medium pot bring water to a boil, add a pinch of salt along with broccoli, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Drain and place ice on top to stop the cooking process. Drain again after a few minutes.
Divide honey garlic salmon, broccoli and quinoa among 4 meal prep containers.
What to Serve with Salmon?
Well, in my traditional Ukrainian style I recommend healthy mashed potatoes and cucumber and tomato salad. For low carb dinner, serve with cauliflower mashed potatoes or roasted asparagus.
More Tasty Salmon Recipes to Try
- Lime ginger salmon – You will enjoy an Asian twist on salmon.
- Salmon stir fry – Yes, you can cook it with tons of veggies
- Salmon burgers – No bread or breadcrumbs and so easy!!!
- Cedar plank salmon – with Thai sauce and smoky flavour (OMG!)
- Grilled salmon – basic BBQ salmon anyone can make.
Honey Garlic Salmon
Honey Garlic Salmon is the best stove top salmon recipe for busy weeknights. Juicy salmon and crispy skin make this 30 minute dinner crazy good!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Total Time: 26 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: North American
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp lemon (lime) juice
- 2 – 3 large garlic cloves, grated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 6 x 3 oz each salmon fillets, skin on/off
- 1 – 2 tsp avocado oil
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together honey, lemon/lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Place salmon fillets in a large resealable Ziploc bag and pour marinade over. Squeeze as much air out as possible and seal the bag. Gently move fillets around inside the bag to make sure they are all evenly coated. Place flesh side down and let marinate 15 minutes.
- Preheat large non-stick skillet on low – medium heat and add oil, making sure it coats the bottom of the skillet evenly. Place salmon fillets flesh side down leaving enough space in between them. Cover with a lid and cook for 3 minutes.
- Remove the lid, cook another minute and flip over. Repeat: cover, cook for 3 minutes, remove the lid and cook for another minute. If your skillet is not large enough, I recommend cooking in two batches. If you over crowd the skillet, cooking time increases by a few minutes for each step.
- Serve hot garnished with green onions, alongside quinoa and steamed broccoli – my favourite.
Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
To make a full meal (optional): While salmon is marinating, cook quinoa per package instructions. To cook broccoli, in a medium pot bring water to a boil, add a pinch of salt along with broccoli, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Drain and place ice on top to stop the cooking process. Drain and serve.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
I made this and it came out so good on my first time! The cooking time and temperature make the perfect salmon, cooked more well evenly to my liking (and not still gushy inside, burnt outside like some salmon recipes!). Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
You are very welcome Krystal!Y
Made this for a second time in two weeks! YUM! Thank you 🙂
★★★★★
You are welcome Jen!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe… it was a smashing success tonight, and I’m printing it out! Thank you for such a fine dining experience through this recipe!
★★★★★
Thank you for the positive feedback Ginger!
Amazing! I tried this recipe and my husband and I both loved it. It tasted like it was from a fancy restaurant!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed it, Monica! Thank you for the wonderful review!
This was very good! Good flavor and so easy to make. Something that is not only good tasting but healthy.Hard to find recipes now since my daughter is on a pre gastric surgery now to lose weight.
★★★★★
Fantastic! Glad you and your daughter enjoyed the recipe, Laura!
Excellent!
★★★★★
Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Agnese.
I’ve made this over a dozen times. It is my go to for salmon. The salmon comes out perfect Everytime!! I’ve cooked for people who swear they don’t like salmon and have brought them over to the salmon side. I have only ever used fresh sockeye salmon
★★★★★
Yay, so happy to hear, Kristina!
Hello, love your recipe ideas.
Is it possible to suggest another way to marinate the salmon other than in plastic. Everyone can contribute to saving the planet. You can influence others too with your videos
★★★★
So happy to hear you are enjoying my recipes! It is an old video. I wash plastic bags and now recommend it. Or just use bowls. Yes, of course.
Awesome, definitely a keeper ?
★★★★★
Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Melsied!
Can you grill this one?
Yes. Just follow my grilled salmon directions.
I have made this recipe over a dozen times. It always come out perfect. My family loves it!! My oldest son swore he didn’t like salmon until I made this using fresh Sockeye. He begs me to make for him now. I always squeeze a little lemon and sprinkle with sea salt just before serving.
★★★★★
Can this marinade be used for broiled salmon? Trying something new for Father’s Day.
Totally. Check out my Thai salmon here on the blog using Search bar. I broil it. That or this marinade will work.
Just loved this recipe!! Easy to prepare and tastes wonderful with rapini on the side.
★★★★★
It was absolutely delicious! I made it once and my teenage girls keep requesting it. Hubs, who isn’t big on fish, really enjoyed it, too! I’m making it tonight and serving with sautéed asparagus & rice. Thanks!!
★★★★★
You are so welcome and I’m happy to hear that! Xxx
Can I prepare this in foil on the grill?
★★★★★
Well, I haven’t tried but I have cedar plank salmon recipe you can loosely follow instructions for.:) Just keep an eye on it and poke inside with the fork.
We made this honey garlic salmon recipe and it was super delicious … You will not be disappointed!
★★★★★
So happy to hear.:)
Love how you include a “to make a full meal” do this! 😀
This was the best salmon I ever made..can’t wait to have it again..super delicious
★★★★★
Delicious and super easy to make!
★★★★★
Hi Olena,
Did you use 10″ or 12″ fry pan?
Thank you! This salmon looks delicious.
Hi Ira. It’s 12″ Green Pan. Enjoy!:)
This is perfect! This is how I prepare my salmon now. Thank you for sharing!
This was by far the most delicious and easy salmon I have ever cooked!!!!
I never make salmon because husband says it’s too fishy so I bought one for myself since it is supposed to be one of the best fish for you and this recipe was amazing! Love
I don’t have any avocado oil or coconut oil & want to make this tonight without going to the market. Can I use olive or or anyother kind of oil?
Yes. Avocado and coconut oils are better for frying because they are high heat oils, but you can use olive oil.
I made this for dinner tonight. It was so delicious and easy to make! Possibly the best salmon I’ve ever had. My whole family loved it! Thanks for sharing ?
Made this for dinner tonight… It is one of the best salmon recipes I have ever tried!! SO good!
🙂
I made this recipe for dinner this evening and it is absolutely delicious! I will definitely be making it again! I do have one question though, can the individual pieces be marinaded overnight?
Of course!!!
Yes. You can marinade overnight. Be careful how much citrus you use. It can start the cooking process ( think cerveche). Maybe omit lemon juice until a whit le before serving
Will the salmon carmelize on the grill?
Hm, on a cedar plank it might if you cook it untouched. If you grill it directly on the grill it might be just grilled without the caramelization.
We visited a friend recently and she made your recipe, it was SO good! I’m doing it for a family gathering tomorrow. My question is, I am picking up a large piece of salmon thats not cut into individual pieces – just one large piece. Do you think I can marinade and bake? Maybe broil towards the end for that crispy top? I am not very experienced with salmon and I don’t want to screw it up!
Hi Nora. Yes, you can cook the whole fillet at once. Check out my baked Thai salmon recipe for a broil method. Check the middle with a fork carefully to make sure it is done and if necessary broil a bit longer. Salmon cooks really fast. Also since it is one piece I recommend to marinade for about 24 hours. Good luck!:)
I’m wanting to prepare this earlier in the day so I can just throw it in the pan when the evening is crazy! Will it hurt to marinade longer than the 15 min?
Longer marinating time will make salmon only better. Go for it.
I made this tonight and it wasn’t too bad. I do have a question. When you begin the cooking phase, do you pour the marinade sauce into the pan and cook it with the fish, or just take the fish out of the marinade and put into pan to cook? I like a lot of “sauce” with my foods, and the fish I cooked didn’t seem to have enough carmelization on each piece of fish with me NOT cooking the marinade in the pan with the fish. Hopefully that made sense. Thanks.
I understand. If you are “a saucy” person, you can make extra marinade, cook it in the pan separately and pour over prepared fish. I do not pour marinade over the fish, just take out fish from marinade and cook it.
I have made this dish several times and everyone loves it! I am on vacation and in a rental unit that does not have a pan with a lid that will work. Can I wrap the fish in foil and cook it in the oven?
I would just broil it using the same directions like in my Thai Baked Salmon recipe https://ifoodreal.com/thai-baked-salmon-recipe/
Coming from the Pacific Northwest, I know Sockeye is the best Salmon around. I buy it every chance I get and fix it a lot. I will definitely try this recipe. I’ll even send it to my sisters in California!
I absolutely agree! We stock up for a few years when it is allowed to be fished every 4 years. We are out now and are eating white king salmon which is great, but can’t compare to sockeye. I can’t eat chum anymore although we used to when we first moved to PNW. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I made it. It was delicious!
Love it…will make again. thank you for sharing the recipe
You are very welcome.
Hi, I was just wondering if the recipe is calling for 1 tablespoon lemon and 1 tablespoon lime juice or just 1 tablespoon of either? Thank you for clarifying!
Just 1 tbsp of either.
I made this with sockeye salmon and it turned out wonderful. Thank you!
Welcome. Sockeye is the best. Wish it wasn’t that expensive.
I made this fish tonight and it was wonderful. Very easy and very tasty. Thank you
You are very welcome, Donna!
Thank you for this very easy, delicious salmon recipe! Everyone loved it! The cook timing is perfect! This one was written in my recipe book tonight!?
Excellent, Marie! This one I had to time with a timer – you don’t joke around with expensive 6 pieces of sockeye salmon.:)
Yummy!! Just made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Do not eat the skin of salmon as that is what tastes “fishy”.
Can a different fish be used. My family doesn’t like salmon.
Hmm, probably some mild tasting fish like halibut maybe…We honestly don’t eat any other fish because of the price or because it is farmed. So, I haven’t cooked it forever…What fish you had in mind?
Just made this and it was really good. I will make it again. Yum
I love this recipe. It’s simple and delicious. It’s on my regular rotation now – I’ve made it several times!
Awesome! Salmon should be simple.
The lime juice will cut the fishy taste. Lemon and lime juice added when cooking any type of fish will get rid of the “fishy” taste if that is big concern for you.
A suggestion for a different side dish to prepare with this salmon…try cooking farro instead of the quinoa for a change. My doctor recommends farro as an even healthier grain than quinoa and it is delicious!
I love farro! Not many people do though, unfortunately. It’s also harder to find at stores, especially organic. But a great suggestion!
Do you find that all the “fishiness” has left when you prepare it this way? My doctor really wants me to start eating fish but I have a hard time with the strong flavor. This looks delicious and I’m gong to give it a go!
Hm, I honestly don’t know how to answer this question… Plus I don’t know how fish cannot have a fishy taste. It’s fish.:) Maybe take good quality fish oil?!