Fish and citrus are a match made in heaven and since we are deep in the heart of citrus season, I wanted to share my citrus glazed salmon recipe with everyone! With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a rich, tangy, sweet and spicy glaze that will send your salmon filets right over the top.
Let’s get started…
Start by setting your salmon out to relax at room temperature for about 30 minutes before you plan on cooking it. This is not something that you absolutely have to do, but taking cold salmon from the refrigerator and placing it onto a hot skillet will not give you the best result. Allowing salmon to come to room temperature before cooking will result in a much more even cook throughout the filets, which will keep them juicy and flaky from top to bottom.
Once you are ready to go, season the filets with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper.
In a small dish, whisk together 1/4 cup of fresh citrus juice (it could be all lemon or orange… or half orange half lime… any citrus works here!) with 2 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 2 crushed garlic cloves and some red pepper flakes. I used 1/4 teaspoon and there was a bold, but not overpowering level of heat to my glaze. If you prefer a more mild flavor, just add a little pinch of the red pepper flakes. Set the glaze aside for now.
Add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into a medium skillet and place it over medium heat…
Once the skillet is warm, add your seasoned salmon filets skin side up. The salmon will do most of its cooking in this position. A common complaint about salmon is a lack of color and crispness to the flesh and this is often due to the crisping process being interrupted mid cook. A 1-1 1/2 inch thick filet of salmon typically takes 7-8 minutes to cook, but the underside is not ready to flip at the 3 1/2 or 4 minute mark, so wait until the salmon flesh looks deeply golden, crispy and easily releases from the skillet before you flip it. This usually takes 5-5 1/2 minutes over medium heat. At this point, flip your salmon and let it cook the rest of the way skin side down.
Look at that color! Deeply golden and super crispy. That crispy exterior will be full of the great flavors from the seasoning your added before cooking and when the salmon doesn’t get crispy or is moved around too much as it cooks, your seasoning will be lost in the skillet.
Season your salmon. Place it in a warm skillet, give it some time to do its thing and you will get great results every time.
Once the salmon is cooked to your liking, transfer it to a plate and set it aside while we make the glaze.
- Note: If you just asked yourself, “How do I know that my salmon is cooked?” Have no fear! There are several good ways to tell. The most consistent way to check the cook on salmon is with a kitchen thermometer. Salmon is ready when its internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. If you do not have a kitchen thermometer, first go order one (you will use it a lot, I promise!) and next, gently press down on the center of your salmon filet with the back of a fork and if it is ready, it will flake apart with a little pressure. A third way to test your salmon is by piercing it with a metal cake tester for 3 seconds. As soon as you remove the cake tester, feel the portion that was in the center of the filet and if it is warm, your salmon is ready. If it feels cool or cold, keep cooking a bit more.
Leave the skillet over medium heat and as soon as your remove the salmon, add the glaze. Whisk it to both combine the ingredients and to keep it from burning on your hot skillet. As you whisk, you should feel it begin to thicken up a bit. As soon as it begins to thicken, turn off the heat and add the salmon filets into the skillet. Spoon some glaze over the filets and serve immediately.
This glaze is something else. It quickly thickens into a rich, sweet, tangy, syrupy glaze that hugs the crispy salmon in a perfect way. The citrus is bright and fresh, the soy sauce brings salty goodness and the honey and balsamic transform into just the right amount of sweet. Not too sweet, just sweet enough.
I love pairing this citrus glazed salmon with something light, like my apple and sweet pepper slaw or this papaya mango and green apple salsa. Whatever you decide to pair this sweet, spicy, brightly flavored salmon with, one thing is definitely for sure, you are going to absolutely love it!
Citrus Glazed Salmon
Ingredients
- 2 salmon filets (1-1 1/2 inch thick)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- a pinch of salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1/4 cup fresh citrus juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Pat the salmon filets dry with a paper towel and season both sides with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper
- Add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into a medium skillet and place it over medium heat
- Once the skillet is very warm, place the seasoned salmon filets into the skillet, skin side up
- Cook until the underside is crisp and then flip and cook until the salmon is done to your liking (optimal temperature is 145 degrees) (additional notes above)
- Once the salmon is cooked through, transfer it to a plate and set it aside for now
- Keep the skillet over medium heat and add 1/4 cup of fresh citrus juice, 2 crushed cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (less if you prefer less heat)
- Whisk the sauce and bring to a simmer
- As soon as the sauce begins to simmer, add the filets back into the skillet and turn off the heat
- Spoon sauce over the filets and serve
