October 11, 2024

Honey, Garlic Salmon Fillets

Honey garlic salmon fillets are a flavourful and easy-to-make dish that combines the richness of salmon with a perfect balance of sweetness and savoury notes. The salmon is marinated or brushed with a mixture of honey, garlic, soy sauce, and a hint of lemon, creating a glaze that caramelizes as it cooks. The result is tender, flaky salmon with a sticky, golden crust, infused with the sweetness of honey and the bold flavours of garlic. This dish is both elegant and simple, making it a great choice for a quick weeknight dinner or a special meal. Pair it with roasted vegetables or rice for a complete and delicious meal.

In this blog post, you will learn how to make honey, garlic salmon fillets.

Does This Recipe Use Fresh or Frozen Salmon Fillets?

This salmon recipe uses fresh salmon fillets. While other salmon recipes use frozen salmon fillets, this recipe prefers fresh salmon. Below you will find a list of the benefits of using fresh salmon!

Superior Flavour: Fresh salmon has a rich, clean, and delicate taste, making it more flavourful than frozen or processed alternatives.
Optimal Texture: Fresh fillets provide a firm yet tender texture, ideal for grilling, baking, or pan-searing without becoming mushy.
Higher Nutritional Value: Fresh salmon retains more of its essential nutrients, like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and proteins, which can be slightly reduced during freezing or processing.
Better Cooking Performance: Fresh fillets cook more evenly, absorb marinades better, and develop a crisp outer layer when seared or grilled.
Versatility: Fresh salmon is more adaptable to different cooking methods, from raw dishes like sashimi to cooked recipes like baked or grilled salmon.

These factors contribute to a more delicious, nutritious, and versatile meal.

What is a Glaze?

A glaze is a thin, glossy coating applied to food, often during or after cooking. It typically consists of sugar or other sweeteners like honey, syrups, or sauces, combined with other ingredients such as butter, vinegar, or fruit juices. As it is cooked or brushed onto food, the liquid evaporates, and the remaining sugars or fats create a shiny, smooth surface that adds flavour and an appealing visual effect.

In this salmon recipe, the fish will be continuously basted in the sauce that you make giving the salmon a nice honey garlic glaze. As you repeatedly brush or spoon the honey garlic sauce (or any sauce) over the salmon during cooking, the heat causes the sugars and liquids in the sauce to thicken and caramelize, forming a sticky, glossy coating on the surface. This process enhances both the flavour and texture, giving the fish a rich, flavourful glaze while keeping it moist.

What Does it Mean to Broil?

Broiling is a high-heat cooking method where food is placed directly under or above a heat source, typically in an oven, to quickly cook or char the surface. It is similar to grilling, but the heat comes from above.

The broiler setting in an oven uses intense, direct heat to cook food quickly, ideal for creating a crisp, browned exterior while keeping the inside moist and tender. It is used for cooking meats, fish, and vegetables or for melting cheese and adding a golden crust to dishes like casseroles or gratins.

If your stove does not have a broil option on it, merely increase the oven temperature to the hottest that it will go. The broil setting is usually 500℉ or hotter.

Ingredients

Fresh Salmon Fillets Seasoning

Fresh Salmon Fillets: The star of the dish, salmon is rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids and has a firm, flaky texture when cooked. Its mild, slightly sweet flavour pairs well with a variety of seasonings and sauces, making it ideal for dishes like honey garlic salmon.

Salt: salt enhances the natural flavour of the salmon and brings out its sweetness. Salt also helps the salmon retain moisture during cooking.

Black Pepper: black pepper adds a sharp, mildly spicy bite to the seasoning, complementing the mild flavour of the salmon. This helps to balance out the sweetness of other ingredients in the dish.

Smoked Paprika: smoked paprika infuses the salmon with a rich, smoky flavour and a hint of mild sweetness. It enhances the colour and adds a deeper, more robust flavour. This makes it pair well with the honey garlic sauce or other seasonings.

Honey, Garlic Glaze

Butter: butter adds richness and a silky texture to the sauce, helping to balance the sweetness of the honey and the tanginess of the lemon.

Olive Oil: olive oil provides a light, healthy fat to help cook the garlic without burning, while adding a mild, fruity flavour.

Garlic Cloves: garlic cloves infuse the sauce with bold, aromatic flavour, complementing the sweetness of the honey and enhancing the overall depth.

Honey: honey brings sweetness to the sauce, helping to create a sticky glaze that caramelizes beautifully on the salmon.

Water: water helps to thin out the sauce slightly. This ensures that it coats the salmon evenly and does not become too thick.

Soy Sauce: soy sauce adds a savoury, umami-rich depth that contrasts the sweetness of the honey, balancing the overall flavour.

Frank Sauce: Frank sauce brings a touch of heat. Which will add a subtle kick to the sauce and balancing the sweetness and richness.

Lemon Juice: lemon juice adds brightness and acidity, cutting through the richness of the butter and olive oil. This then highlights the flavours of the garlic and honey.

Tips

You can substitute garlic powder for minced garlic cloves. Use 2 tsp. of garlic powder as a straight substitute.
Garnish with some minced parsley or sesame seeds for a nice finish.