My sweet chili glazed salmon is made with a sweet and spicy marinade that is filled with chilis, soy and fish sauce, and a touch of honey and citrus, plus rich salmon fillets. Serve over rice or a bed of greens for a light, tasty, and flavorful meal!

Salmon is one of those ingredients that work well with so many different flavors. It cooks up so quickly — you can steam it, broil it, roast it, bake it, or grill it — or you can even eat it raw in sashimi. No matter which way I eat it, I always leave the table feeling satisfied! I enjoy serving it at home and everyone in my family does too. They especially love this Thai-inspired sweet chili glazed salmon.

If you’re on the hunt for an easy weeknight dinner that takes under an hour to prepare, I’ve got you covered. And just because it’s quick and easy, doesn’t mean you have to give up on flavor! The key to this dish is the bold and bright marinade. It features chilis, soy and fish sauce, and a touch of honey and citrus. In fact, you’ll spend the most time preparing the marinade and letting the seafood soak in all of that flavorful goodness. The actual cook time is just under 20 minutes!

INGREDIENT NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS

• Salmon – You’ll need 2 pounds of fillets. You can also work from frozen, just make sure to let them thaw in the fridge overnight.
• Olive Oil – The base of the sweet chili marinade!
• Garlic – Would it be a savory marinade without garlic? Never!
• Green Onions – Rough chop yours.
• Birds Eye Chilis – Consider yourself warned — Birds Eye Chilis are hot! If you can’t find them at your local store, you can substitute 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes. You can, of course, also feel free to adjust the quantities depending on how spicy you want your dish to come out.
• Soy Sauce – For a bit of added saltiness and umami flavor.
• Fish Sauce – Don’t worry, fish sauce isn’t too fishy. It’s salty, briny, and a bit sweet.
• Honey – The sweetness in my sweet chili glazed salmon!
• Lime Juice – The citrus pairs wonderfully with spicy chilis and sweet honey.
• Ginger – Go with fresh and grated ginger.
• Tamarind Paste – This ingredient is optional, but I personally never skip it! Its sweet and sour flavors are perfect for this recipe.

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HOW TO MAKE SWEET CHILI GLAZED SALMON

1. Make The Marinade. Place the olive oil, garlic, green onions, chilis, soy and fish sauces, honey, lime juice, grated ginger, and tamarind paste (if using) in a blender and purée until it’s smooth. You can also use a food processor or an immersion blender. 
2. Marinate The Salmon. Pour half of your marinade into the bottom of a baking dish and place the fish on top. Pour the rest of the marinade over the fillets and cover with aluminum foil. Leave it to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
3. Bake The Fillets. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Bake the fish, covered, for about 15 minutes, then remove the aluminum foil. Broil for about 3 minutes, or until the top of your dish is golden brown.
4. Garnish & Serve. Remove your glazed salmon from the oven and garnish with the leftover marinade. Serve with rice, pasta, salad, or veggies!

Can I Make Sweet Chili Glazed Salmon In A Skillet?

If you prefer your seafood pan-seared, you can absolutely make this in a skillet on your stovetop. Simply follow the instructions as seen on the recipe card. But, instead of baking in the oven, you’ll want to heat a skillet to medium-high heat.

Add your vegetable oil of choice, and cook the fish for 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve with a bit of extra chili marinade and you can’t go wrong! Just keep in mind that this cooking method does involve a bit of extra oil.

How Long Should Salmon Be Marinated?

If you’ve worked with marinades in the past, you know that some things need to be marinated longer than others. A nice piece of steak tastes great when it’s been marinated overnight, but more fragile types of protein like chicken and fish shouldn’t be left for that long. You should marinate salmon for at least 30 minutes, but for no longer than 1 hour. If you leave it for longer, you’ll end up with mushy seafood.

Do You Wash Salmon Before Marinating?

No, you shouldn’t. The USDA says that it’s important to avoid washing raw protein like fish, seafood, poultry, and meat. This is because when you wash it, harmful bacteria can splatter around your kitchen. When you cook your fish, all of that bacteria is killed, so nothing to worry about there!