This easy stovetop salmon recipe is a weeknight dinner saver, as it’s ready to enjoy in just minutes! The salmon cooks up entirely on the stovetop in a hot skillet. The salmon is quickly cooked until golden and crispy, then the easy sticky, spicy sauce is added to the hot skillet and quickly reduces to a thick and syrupy consistency that coats the salmon beautifully.
It used to be that we needed 101 ways to cook chicken. Now I feel like it’s salmon’s turn. So if you’re looking to add a new and different way to cook salmon, you’ll love this 20-minute, stovetop sticky spicy salmon! It’s a perfect quick salmon dinner recipe for when time is tight, that also delivers big flavour, too.
The salmon is so full of flavour and is perfect served simply with wilted spinach or steamed bok choy. Or add some rice and make it a bowl!
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Salmon – This particular salmon recipe is a perfect use for frozen salmon fillets, which are more uniformly thinner in shape. If opting for fresh salmon, a piece that is even in thickness will work best, as opposed to the fillets that have a fairly thick end and a thin end. Be sure to pick up skinless salmon, or remove the skin before cooking.
Asian Chili Garlic Sauce – This Asian sauce is very easy to find these days at most grocery stores. If it is unavailable, sriracha would work, as would Sambal Oelek, if you happen to have that on hand. If using the Sambal Oelek, use less than specified, as it packs a bigger punch heat-wise.
Cornstarch – Cornstarch is recommended, but any powdered starch, such as Arrowroot starch, rice flour, potato starch or tapioca starch is fine. In a pinch, dredging the salmon with all-purpose flour is an option, though it will produce a less crisp result.
How to make sticky spicy salmon: step-by-step
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Scroll down to the Recipe Card for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
At a glance: Cut the salmon into strips, toss in cornstarch and cook on the stovetop in a hot skillet until crispy. Add the easy sauce and let it cook briefly until syrupy and sticky.
- Cut the salmon into strips and dredge in cornstarch.
- Add the salmon to hot oil in a skillet and cook until golden and crispy.
- Add the sauce to the hot skillet. It will bubble up quite vigorously!
- Allow the sauce to cook with the salmon until the sauce reduces and thickens and coats the salmon nicely.
Recipe tips!
- Don’t crowd the pan. Use a skillet large enough so that the salmon has some breathing room. This allows the moisture to evaporate more easily and create a crispy coating on the salmon.
- Turn your oven fan on for this recipe! You’ll be frying the salmon at a higher heat to get a nice crisp, and when you add the sauce to the hot skillet, it will spatter and steam.
- As noted above, you’ll have the best results with this recipe if you start with salmon that is evenly thick. Avoid the fillets that have a thick end and a quite thin end, for even cooking.
Serving suggestions
I’ve serve this spicy sticky salmon over wilted spinach here. To make, simply heat 2 teaspoons of sesame oil (regular or toasted) in a skillet, then add about 10oz of spinach and toss until wilted. Drizzle with a teaspoon of rice vinegar and soy sauce, if you like.
Baby bok choy is another great side for this dish. Cut into quarters and you can wilt in a skillet as above for the spinach. Allow a bit longer cooking time and season with a Tablespoon of soy sauce.
Steamed or roasted broccoli would also work well with this salmon.
Add some rice to the salmon and vegetables and make it a bowl!
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Get the Recipe: Stovetop Sticky Spicy Salmon
Ingredients
For the spicy stick sauce:
- 5 Tablespoons rice vinegar, unseasoned recommended
- 3 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, or tamari
- 2 Tablespoons Asian Chili Garlic Sauce, adjust to taste *see Note 1 below
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon jarred minced ginger (or ginger garlic paste), or 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
For the salmon:
- 1 lb skinless salmon fillets, fully thawed if frozen, cut into 3 x 1 1/2-inch strips *see Note 2 below
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
For garnish:
- green onion, very thinly sliced on a diagonal
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- This quick and easy salmon is lovely served with steamed or sauteed spinach or bok choy. I love to add a bit of sesame oil to flavour the vegetables. You could also add some rice to the mix and make it a bowl!
- Make the sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup. Stir together well and set aside.
- Tip! Use a large enough skillet so that the salmon has some breathing room while it cooks. This helps the moisture to evaporate quickly and will help to crisp up the salmon.
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cut the salmon into strips as directed in the ingredients. Pat dry and season with some salt and pepper. Add the cornstarch to a large plate. Press the salmon pieces into the cornstarch, coating both sides, then place them into the hot oil in the skillet. Cook the salmon in a single layer, undisturbed, until golden brown underneath, about 2–3 minutes. Turn and cook until the other side is lightly golden, about 2 minutes.
- Tip! Before adding the sauce to the hot skillet, turn on your oven fan and stand back a bit. The sauce will sputter and steam when first added, but will calm down nicely as it cooks.
- Pour the sauce over the salmon and continue to cook, gently turning the salmon halfway through, until the sauce thickens and coats the salmon and the salmon is cooked through, about 1 minute. (Salmon should flake easily with a fork and reach about 145F internal temperature.)
- Serve immediately, topped with green onion and sesame seeds.
Notes
More salmon recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
