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Pan-Seared Salmon Bites with Honey Sesame Soy Sauce

These salmon bites are tossed in a sesame soy honey marinade and seared to crispy perfection in a skillet for an easy 10-minute, 5-ingredient recipe!

Prep Time
2 mins
Cook Time
2 mins
Optional Marinating Time
30 mins
Total Time
10 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 325 kcal
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1.5 - 2 lbs. salmon cut into 1" cubes
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 2 teaspoons Sriracha or Chili Garlic Sauce (optional, for a spicy version, more or less according to preference)
  • Green onions and sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place the cubed salmon into a shallow bowl or glass container. Mix together the soy sauce (2 tablespoons), toasted sesame oil (1 tablespoon), honey (1 tablespoon), and sriracha, if using (1-2 teaspoons) in a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Pour over the salmon and toss to coat well. For best results, allow to marinate for 30 minutes or up to 6 hours in the fridge, or proceed immediately with cooking.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. A nonstick or stainless steel skillet will only take 30 seconds to a minute to heat, whereas a heavy skillet like cast iron may take a few minutes.
  3. Add the canola oil (1 tablespoon) to the skillet and swirl to coat. Use tongs to remove the salmon cubes from the bowl of marinade and add them to the skillet (skin side down, if it has skin) and sear for 2-3 minutes, or until nice and brown. You should have some marinade left in the bowl. Flip the salmon using tongs and sear on the other side for 2-3 minutes, or until browned on the other side and fully cooked (see notes).
  4. Pour any remaining marinade into the skillet and toss salmon to coat in the sauce.
  5. Serve, garnished with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

Notes

  • I used regular soy sauce. Use low sodium if desired, or gluten free soy sauce (tamari) or coconut aminos if needed. You may find that the salmon lacks salt if using any of these alternatives - you can season with added salt if you like.
  • Toasted sesame oil can be found in the Asian food section of your grocery store.
  • Honey may be substituted with brown sugar, maple syrup, or other sweetener of choice, or omitted if you prefer no added sugar.
  • If using a nonstick skillet, you may be able to get by without using any canola oil for searing the salmon bites. 
  • I like to serve salmon bites with veggies sautéed in the same pan I cooked the salmon in and rice on the side.
  • If the salmon seems to be cooking too fast and browning too deeply but the inside still isn't cooked, just turn the heat down. You can also cover the skillet to keep the heat in to help cook the inside faster.
  • According to the FDA, salmon is fully cooked when it has an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. However, I personally find 125 degrees is a much better silky, juicy texture. Wild salmon may yield best results with 120 degrees. Here's a good article from Cook's Illustrated about what the ideal temperature is. I use my Thermoworks Thermapen One for a super fast, accurate read.

Nutrition Information

Calories 325kcal (16%) Carbohydrates 5g (2%) Protein 35g (70%) Fat 18g (28%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 7g Monounsaturated Fat 7g Trans Fat 0.01g Cholesterol 94mg (31%) Sodium 578mg (24%) Potassium 855mg (24%) Fiber 0.1g (0%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 68IU (1%) Vitamin C 0.03mg (0%) Calcium 23mg (2%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 325

% Daily Value*

Calories 325kcal 16%
Carbohydrates 5g 2%
Protein 35g 70%
Fat 18g 28%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 7g 41%
Monounsaturated Fat 7g 35%
Trans Fat 0.01g 1%
Cholesterol 94mg 31%
Sodium 578mg 24%
Potassium 855mg 18%
Fiber 0.1g 0%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 68IU 1%
Vitamin C 0.03mg 0%
Calcium 23mg 2%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.