Description
A quick and easy weeknight dinner featuring salmon fillets with a crispy, caramelized maple glaze. This one-pan recipe takes only 15 minutes and uses simple pantry ingredients for a restaurant-quality meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 salmon fillets (about 6oz / 170g each, center-cut)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) real maple syrup (Grade A Dark Amber or Grade B)
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil (avocado or canola)
- Salt and black pepper, for seasoning
- 2 green onions, sliced thinly (for garnish)
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted (for garnish)
- Lime wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- Pat the salmon fillets completely dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, soy sauce, minced garlic, grated ginger, and red pepper flakes to create the glaze.
- Heat a large skillet (preferably cast iron or stainless steel) over medium-high heat. Add the cooking oil and let it heat until it shimmers.
- Place the salmon fillets in the pan skin-side down (or presentation-side down). Press gently to ensure contact. Cook undisturbed for 4-5 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and crispy.
- Flip the salmon carefully. Brush a generous layer of the maple glaze over the top of each fillet.
- Cook for another 3-4 minutes, allowing the glaze to bubble and caramelize. Reduce heat to medium if the edges get too dark. Remove when the internal temperature reaches 135°F-145°F.
- Let the salmon rest on a plate for 1-2 minutes. Garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately with lime wedges.
Notes
Ensure the salmon is completely dry before cooking to achieve a crispy crust. Do not add the glaze at the beginning as the sugar will burn; add it after flipping. If the pan is crowded, cook in batches to prevent steaming. For a gluten-free version, substitute soy sauce with tamari.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salmon fillet with
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 16
- Sodium: 680
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Protein: 34
Keywords: maple glazed salmon, quick dinner, weeknight meals, one-pan salmon, crispy salmon, healthy seafood, 15 minute recipes