Asian Glazed Salmon

If you’re after a super fast dinner, this Asian Glazed Salmon is your answer! Glazed with a sweet and savoury Asian inspired sauce, made with a handful of simple pantry ingredients, this salmon bakes in under 20 minutes, is succulent, and loaded with flavour.

We all have those wild mid-week nights where scrambling to get dinner done quickly is a must. This recipe is for those nights. It takes no more than 5 minutes to throw together this Asian glaze while your oven preheats, and another 15 to cook the salmon through. That’s a 20 minute dinner sorted. Perfect to serve with left over rice, or as I’ve done here, to bake over leftover homemade wedges.

This recipe may be quick to make but make no mistake, it is packed with umami and sweet-savoury notes. Whilst the salmon gets its incredible flavour from this simple yet versatile glaze, it can also be used on a variety of fish like cod or halibut. It literally is the best Asian glaze you’ll ever try!

The Best Asian Glaze Recipe on the Internet

I don’t say that statement lightly, and here’s why. There’s a whole science behind perfecting the balance of flavours in cooking (think Samin Nosrat’s infamous “Salt Fat Acid Heat”). In this glaze, The kecap manis brings sweetness, while the fish sauce delivers a salty, umami punch. Crushed garlic adds a pungent depth, and sweet chilli provides subtle heat.

The oil in the glaze acts as a flavour carrier. Flavours often like to stick to fat molecules, meaning the fat prolongs the release of those flavours in our mouths (which means you enjoy the taste for longer 🤩). But the oil does more than just carry flavour! As the glaze cooks alongside the salmon, the oil allows the sugars caramelise, creating a beautiful sticky coating that not only adds depth of flavour, but also creates a stunning visual appeal. It’s science at its most delicious, and you’ll be wondering why you didn’t make this sooner!

Ingredients for Asian Glazed Salmon

This incredible dinner comes together with only 6 ingredients.

1. Salmon fillets – You can substitute the salmon with any fish fillet of your preference. Adjust baking time to suit the thickness of the fillets you use. Both white-fleshed and pink-fleshed fish work excellently with this sauce.
2. Kecap manis – This is a sweet soy sauce that is thicker in consistency to regular soy sauce. It caramelises as it cooks contributing to the finished texture of the glaze.
3. Fish sauce – Adds a deep umami flavour with a good dose of salt to the Asian glaze.
4. Sweet chilli – Adds a small amount of heat to the glaze and balances the saltiness of the fish sauce.
5. Sunflower oil – Or any neutral oil you have on hand to bind the glaze together. Substitute with peanut oil for an added subtle nutty flavour to the glaze.
6. Fresh garlic – Fragrant garlicky goodness rounds off the glaze from 3 minced cloves of fresh garlic.

Easy Asian Glaze Step-by-Step

Simply crush 3 cloves of garlic, and add to it equal parts of sunflower oil, kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), and sweet chilli sauce. Exact quantities are listed in the recipe card below. Next, add a few dashes of fish sauce and give everything a good mix. The Asian glaze is ready to use, it’s that quick and easy.

Asian Glazed Salmon in 4 Easy Steps

You’re four easy steps away from an unforgettable Asian glazed salmon dinner.

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F or 180°C fan forced. Meanwhile, make the Asian glaze by combining all the glaze ingredients in a small bowl.
2. If you are making the salmon over a tray of left over wedges/potatoes, place them in your baking tray to warm through while the oven preheats. Remove tray of warmed potatoes from the oven (if using) and place salmon fillets directly on them. Alternatively, place the salmon directly into a lightly greased baking tray.
3. Pour 2/3 of the Asian glaze over the salmon and place in the oven to cook for 10 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and pour the remaining sauce over the fillets and return to the oven until sauce caramelises and fish is cooked through.

Can I make Asian Galzed Salmon in an Air Fryer?

Yes. An air fryer is essentially a minified fan forced oven, so this recipe can be successfully done in an air fryer. Air fryers cook significantly faster than ovens, so be sure to adjust the cooking times and temperatures accordingly. Check your appliance’s manual for specific instructions.

Asian Glazed Salmon

These Asian glazed salmon fillets are ready in under 30 minutes, made with a sticky glaze that coats the salmon perfectly, weeknight dinner doesn't get quicker or tastier than this!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Australian

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

  

• 2 salmon fillets

For the glaze

• 1/4 cup kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
• 1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce
• 1/4 cup neutral oil, (see note 1 below)
• 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp fish sauce, (about 4 dashes from the bottle)

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F or 180°C fan forced.
• Meanwhile, make the Asian glaze by combining the kecap manis, sweet chilli sauce, oil, minced garlic and fish sauce. Mix well.
• Place salmon fillets into a lightly greased baking tray, lined with baking paper. Pour 2/3 of the Asian glaze over both fillets and place in the oven to cook for 10 minutes.
• Finally, pour the remaining sauce over the fillets and return to the oven for 5 minutes until sauce caramelises and the fish is cooked through.

  Garnish with sesame seeds and shallots if desired, serve.

Notes

1- Consider adding a few drops of sesame oil for added flavour. I don't recommend olive oil for this glaze. Neutral oil can include canola, sunflower, or vegetable oil. I also highly recommend using peanut oil for the recipe for an added nutty flavour.

2- Alternatively, pour all sauce over the fish and cook for 15 minutes until salmon is cooked through. The reason I don't use this method is because basting the fish twice layers the sauce over the fillets, resulting in a sweet, sticky, and caramelised finish.

3- Air fryer variation: Air fryers cook significantly faster than ovens, so be sure to reduce the cooking times and temperatures accordingly. Check your appliance's manual for recommended instructions and cooking times.

Keyword Asian Glazed Salmon

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