Thailand · Fish and Seafood Dishes · Spicy

Thai-Style Salmon

Name: Thai-Style Salmon
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 28 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 600 g salmon fillet with skin; 1 tbsp fresh ginger; 1 piece garlic clove; 20 ml lime juice; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 50 ml soy sauce; 1 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tsp sesame seeds; 2 scallion stalks

Pan-seared salmon with a fragrant ginger-lime marinade and a glossy soy-honey glaze inspired by Thai flavors. The sweet-sour sauce enhances the richness of the fish without overpowering it.

40 min 300 kcal 4 serves Medium🌶️Spicy🇹🇭Thailand★★★★★4.8· 5 reviews

Ingredients

ServingsMetric

600 gsalmon fillet with skin
1 tbspfresh ginger
1 piecegarlic clove
20 mllime juice
1 tbspsesame oil
50 mlsoy sauce
1 tbsphoney
1 tbspvegetable oil
1 tspsesame seeds
2 scallion stalks

Note from Sergei

Sergei Martynov

“This Thai-inspired salmon brings together everything I love about Southeast Asian flavors: the brightness of lime, the warmth of ginger, the nuttiness of toasted sesame, and a whisper of heat from chili. The marinade works best when it's brief — 20 to 30 minutes maximum. Salmon is fatty enough that it doesn't need long marinating; the acids in lime juice will actually start cooking the surface if left too long, turning it mushy. I like to finish it with a drizzle of sesame oil and a scatter of fresh cilantro. The contrast between the rich, oily salmon and the zingy citrus-ginger marinade is what makes this dish sing.”

Pat the salmon completely dry after marinating and before cooking — excess marinade on the surface will steam instead of sear, preventing you from getting that caramelized, slightly charred crust that makes this dish special.

Method

Combine grated ginger, minced garlic, lime juice, ground coriander, red chili flakes and sesame oil in a bowl to make the marinade.
Place salmon in a non-metallic dish, pour marinade over and spread evenly. Marinate 15-20 minutes at room temperature.
While fish marinates, stir soy sauce and honey together in a small bowl until the honey dissolves.
Heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Place skin-side down. Cook 4-5 minutes until skin is golden and crispy.
Flip the fish. Pour soy-honey glaze over the top. Cook 2-3 more minutes, basting continuously with the sauce from the pan, until it thickens into a glossy glaze. Remove from heat when the center is just barely pink.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced green onion before serving.

FAQ

Salmon skin sticks when the pan isn't hot enough or the fish is wet. Pat the fillet completely dry with paper towels before cooking — even slight moisture creates steam that prevents a crust from forming. Heat the pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until you see a faint wisp of smoke, then add oil and place the fish skin-side down. Press firmly with a spatula for the first 30 seconds to prevent the skin from curling. Don't move the fish — it will release naturally from the pan once the skin is properly seared.

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Comments (1)

Sergei Martynov✍ Author
29d ago
Fresh seafood should smell like the ocean, not like fish. If your salmon fillet with skin smells strongly when you buy it for thai-style salmon, it's past its prime. Your nose is the most reliable freshness test.