Thai Broiled Salmon (Video)

Thai Broiled Salmon with easy homemade sweet chili sauce cooked until caramelized on top and juicy inside. Quick and healthy 30 minute dinner.

Broiled Salmon Recipe

In our household, we have been enjoying this Thai broiled salmon with easy homemade sweet chili sauce for 14 years now.

In winter, I broil fish in the oven and in summer months we turn salmon fillet into cedar plank salmon. Last recipe is unbelievably tasty but oven method is just as good minus the smoky flavour.

In case you are cooking for a family, know my kids didn’t find this Thai salmon spicy at all and they are picky with spices. My homemade sweet chili sauce has perfect amount of a heat kick and not overly sweet.:)

How to Make Sweet Chili Sauce

Homemade Thai sweet chili sauce is easy and healthy to make at home. However, I have to admit that Thai Kitchen has greatly improved its sweet chili sauce ingredients since I first published this recipe in 2014. So, if you don’t have time, buy the sauce. Or make it in 15 minutes.

To make Thai sweet chili sauce, just combine maple syrup, water, white or rice vinegar, cornstarch, garlic clove, salt and red chili pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 7-10 minutes or until thickened.

Tip: You can refrigerate sauce for weeks and use with chicken and for dipping anything and everything. 🙂

How to Broil Salmon

I love broiling vs. baking salmon (unless it is baked in foil) because salmon is delicate meat. Especially wild salmon that is less fatty (and more healthy) than farmed, can be easily overcooked and come out dry.

To broil salmon, I like to use slices of salmon vs. whole fillet for maximum flavour penetration. Then a blast of heat on the outside is enough. You want the fish to retain its natural juices and moisture.

To broil salmon:

• Marinate salmon for 2 hours: In a large baking dish, add salmon in a single layer. Each fillet: sprinkle with a pinch of salt and top with 1 tbsp of Thai sweet chili sauce. Brush or rub with your fingers to coat fish with sauce evenly on top, bottom and sides. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight is the best (up to 24 hours).
• Turn on oven’s broiler on High and position top oven rack 5″ – 6″ below the heat source: Line large baking sheet with foil or silicone mat, spray with cooking spray and place salmon fillets skin side down (if any). Coat with remaining marinade from the dish (if any).
• Broil for 8 minutes, rotating baking sheet once. Remove from the oven and brush top of each fillet with 2 tsp of Thai sweet chili sauce. Return to the oven and broil for another 5 minutes or until salmon has caramelized.

What Is the Best Temperature to Broil Salmon?

Ovens vary. Some ovens have different temperature options for the broiler and some don’t.

You can broil salmon at the default temperature of your oven’s broil setting. Most broilers are set at 500-550 degrees F. But if your broiler is set at 450 degrees F maximum, this broiled salmon recipe will work just as well – you might have to broil salmon longer.

Which takes us to the next Q: How do you know when salmon is done?

The best way to check is with a fork – if salmon flakes with a fork easily and its flesh is opaque, salmon is ready to eat. I would check as soon as cooking time has elapsed as per recipe and nice caramelized crust has formed on top.

Tip About Parchment Paper:

I have been broiling Thai salmon on a sheet lined with parchment paper for years. It is exactly same paper you see in the photos, I do not swap it. Mine never caught on fire. However, some readers have reported that theirs almost did. Not sure whether it’s the type of parchment paper or stove, or maybe temperature of the broiler, or maybe even distance from the broiler to the shelf. I don’t know. So, watch your salmon and if any issues next time use silicone baking mat or foil. 🙂

Tips for Buying Salmon

• Read labels: Today manufacturers are very marketing savvy. They have departments working 24/7 on how to sell you their farmed salmon.
• Don’t buy farmed salmon: This fish is farmed in closed off area, artificially coloured, fed antibiotics and exposed to pesticides. It is also high in Omega 6s and is devastating for wild marine life.
• Don’t buy Atlantic salmon: Atlantic salmon is same farmed salmon, just  different name. Surprised? I was too.
• Don’t buy organic salmon: Organic salmon is same farmed, just fed organic feed. It’s not much better and so expensive!
• Buy these species: Wild salmon like sockeye, coho, spring or even pink salmon. I know it’s expensive, I know. However, pink salmon is cheap – I made Thai pink salmon, was good!
• Fillet yourself: You will pay twice less money if you buy whole fish and fillet it yourself in 10 minutes.
• Buy trout: It’s often cheaper but be careful not to buy farmed trout – saw such thing at Costco, it’s huge and expensive.

Enjoy this broiled salmon and know where your food comes from.

More Healthy Salmon Recipes

• Honey garlic salmon
• Grilled salmon
• Salmon burgers
• Salmon stir fry
• Cedar plank salmon

Thai Broiled Salmon

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

Thai Broiled Salmon with easy homemade sweet chili sauce cooked until caramelized on top and juicy inside. Quick and healthy 30 minute dinner.

• Author: Olena of ifoodreal.com
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 13 minutes
• Total Time: 28 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: Thai

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 6 x 6 oz wild salmon fillets, skin on/off
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce, divided
• 2 – 3 tbsp green onions, finely chopped
• Cooking spray (I use Misto)

Instructions

1. Make Thai sweet chili sauce.
2. In a large baking dish, add salmon in a single layer. Each fillet: sprinkle with a pinch of salt and top with 1 tbsp of Thai sweet chili sauce. Brush or rub with your fingers to coat fish with sauce evenly on top, bottom and sides. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight is the best (up to 24 hours).
3. Turn on oven’s broiler on High and position top oven rack 5″ – 6″ below the heat source. Line large baking sheet with foil or silicone mat, spray with cooking spray and place salmon fillets skin side down (if any). Coat with remaining marinade from the dish (if any).
4. Broil for 8 minutes, rotating baking sheet once. Remove from the oven and brush top of each fillet with 2 tsp of Thai sweet chili sauce. Return to the oven and broil for another 5 minutes or until salmon has caramelized.
5. Serve hot garnished with green onions, extra sauce (if desired) and brown rice or quinoa + any salad.

Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

About parchment paper.

I have been broiling Thai salmon on a sheet lined with parchment paper for years. It is exactly same paper you see in the photos, I do not swap it. Mine never caught on fire. However, some readers have reported that theirs almost did. Not sure whether it’s a type of parchment paper or stove, or maybe temperature of the broiler, or maybe even distance from the broiler to the shelf. I don’t know. So for safety reasons, use silicone baking mat or foil. 🙂

★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.

1459.4 g675.7 mg3.2 g12.1 g17.2 g43.9 mg

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