Orange Glazed Salmon

Orange Glazed Salmon is a sweet and savory Asian dish.  The perfectly crispy salmon is topped with a sauce that is full of flavors from orange juice, soy sauce, fresh ginger, and honey! What makes this even better, is that it’s a 30 minute meal – perfect for midweek or anytime! Serve this over rice and a side of Asian vegetables like baby bok choy, and you have a winning meal!

Orange Glazed Salmon

My wife and I used to work in Morristown, NJ. There was this amazing little sushi place near where we worked. They made this delicious orange dressing for their salad. They also made the best Miso Soup. While I loved Asian food already, this place really inspired me to improve my cooking skills for Asian food.

This Orange Glazed Salmon is a product of that motivation. My favorite food at a Chinese buffet is Orange Chicken. If I see a Panda Express (I know, I know), I just have to get their Orange Chicken. This glaze is so close to that taste. I know you’ll love this meal!

Cooking Fish on the Stove top

Cooking fish on a stovetop can seem frustrating. It sticks to the pan, it smells bad, and it burns. Or does it? If done properly, none of those things happen. Here’s a few tips to have salmon turn out perfectly crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside.

Preparation

The very first thing to do is let the fish come to room temperature. So take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you’re going to cook it.

Next, rinse the fish to get it’s own juices off of it. Some say not to run it under the faucet because the splatter will contaminate your kitchen. I’ve never had that problem, but, if you’re worried about it, fill about with water and give the fillets a few dunks.

Now take some paper towels and dry off the fillets until the towels no longer pick up any water.

This is crucial – do not add salt until the very last moment before you put the fish in the pan! Salt draws out the natural liquids that carry flavor. So if you salt the fish before you are ready to place it in the skillet, you just undid the work from before with the paper towels.

Cooking

For cooking fish on the stovetop, I like using my stainless steel skillets for fish. But a non-stick will work, too.

Put oil in the pan and let it get super hot to where the oil is shimmering and it’s about to smoke. Now, take the fillet and add your salt and pepper to one side only. Immediately, place the fillet, salt side down, in the pan. Don’t touch it! Sometimes you will see the fish swell up. It needs time to relax. If you’ve done all the preceding steps properly, the fish will just lift off the pan.

But, before you flip the fillet, salt and pepper the side that’s facing up. Now, flip the fillet, and wait until it lifts easily.

With salmon, it takes about 3-4 minutes per side to when it releases from the pan and is ready to flip or remove.

How Can I Tell if Fish Is Fresh or Not?

Fresh fish does not have that fish smell or taste. When selecting fish, ask the grocer when the fish arrived at that location. I don’t buy fish that’s more than a day old. And I cook it either that day or the next.

If it does smell fishy, you can soak it in milk. First, rinse it off, then put it in a bowl of milk for a few hours. However, this only works if the fish is just a day or 2 past. After that, it’s really no good anymore.

What Ingredients Go in Orange Glazed Salmon?

• Salmon
• Canola Oil
• Fresh Ginger
• Fresh Garlic
• Orange Juice
• Soy Sauce
• Honey
• Lemon Juice
• Rice Vinegar
• Corn Starch
• Water
• Sesame Seed, toasted, garnish
• Scallions garnish

Cooking Instructions for Orange Glazed Salmon

Salmon

Add 2 tablespoons of canola oil to a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, season one side of the salmon fillets and place the fillets seasoned side down. Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes.

The fillets are ready to flip when you can slide a spatula under them with relative ease.

Just before you flip the fillet, season the side facing up with salt and pepper. Flip the fillets and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Depending on how many fillets you have and the size of the pan, you may need to repeat this process until all the fish is cooked.

Orange Glaze

In a medium sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil over medium heat.

Add the ginger and garlic with a pinch of salt. Stir and saute for about 2 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.

Pour in the orange juice, soy sauce, lemon juice, and rice vinegar. Stir to mix well. Now add the honey while stirring to melt it into the liquid.

Put the corn starch in a small bowl or cup and stir in the water. This makes a slurry.

Turn up the heat to bring the sauce to a boil. Slowly stir the slurry. The sauce will thicken up. Remove the sauce form the heat.

Serve the sauce over the salmon and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions.

Serving Suggestions

I serve this with Jasmine rice, Miso Soup, and sauteed baby bok choy.

Can You Freeze Orange Glazed Salmon?

Yeas you can! I recommend freezing the salmon and the sauce separately. To thaw, you can put the sauce in a microwave. The fish, however, let it thaw on the counter or in the fridge.

Pro Recommendations

I love my Anolon cookware! I am not a paid endorser, but I do highly recommend this line of cookware. Here is one of the pieces that I use all the time. I’m certain you’ll love it too!

Try These Other Amazing Recipes!

Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps

Asian Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings (Vietnamese Style)

Simple Pepper Steak

5 from 1 vote

Print

Orange Glazed Salmon

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Keyword Asian, orange, orange glaze, salmon

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1-1.5 pounds Salmon, no skin, sliced in 3 inch fillets
• 5 Tablespoons Canola Oil, divided
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger, minced
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Garlic, minced about 3-4 cloves
• 1 cup Orange Juice
• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
• 3 Tablespoons Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Corn Starch
• 1 teaspoon Water
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Sesame Seed, toasted garnish
• Scallions garnish

Instructions

Salmon

1. Add 2 tablespoons of canola oil to a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, season one side of the salmon fillets and place the fillets seasoned side down. Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes.

2. The fillets are ready to flip when you can slide a spatula under them with relative ease.

3. Just before you flip the fillet, season the side facing up with salt and pepper. Flip the fillets and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Depending on how many fillets you have and the size of the pan, you may need to repeat this process until all the fish is cooked.

Orange Glaze

1. In a medium sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil over medium heat.

2. Add the ginger and garlic with a pinch of salt. Stir and saute for about 2 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.

3. Pour in the orange juice, soy sauce, lemon juice, and rice vinegar. Stir to mix well. Now add the honey while stirring to melt it into the liquid.

4. Put the corn starch in a small bowl or cup and stir in the water. This makes a slurry.

5. Turn up the heat to bring the sauce to a boil. Slowly stir the slurry. The sauce will thicken up. Remove the sauce form the heat.

6. Serve the sauce over the salmon and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions.