This Pan-Fried Orange Salmon is an easy to make dinner recipe that will be ready to eat in just about 20 minutes! It’s full of flavor, paleo friendly and naturally gluten free.
I have literally made this orange salmon FOUR times this week and I’m not even a little bit sick of it. It’s saucy and flavorful and takes all of 20 minutes to make. What’s not to love?!
Orange anything is always delicious, and this simple sauce is made from a base of fresh orange juice, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, vinegar and some red pepper flakes for spice.
You can make it as sweet or not sweet as you like. If you’re a sauce person like me, you can make a double batch and reserve the extra for your rice/veggies or to use for recipes like my orange cauliflower later in the week!
This salmon will be largely pan fried where most of the cooking will happen, but the most important part in my opinion is the broiling.
How to make this recipe
Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the salmon skin side up. Cook for about 4 minutes, then flip and continue cooking for 3-5 additional minutes.
Meanwhile, add the minced garlic and grated ginger to a separate pot with a splash of oil. Saute for about 2 minutes.
Add in all remaining sauce ingredients aside from the cornstarch and whisk together. Whisk in the cornstarch and bring to a boil. When it starts to thicken, add about ¾ of the sauce to the salmon and brush on top.
Set your oven to a high broil. Broil the salmon for about 3 minutes to let the top get slightly crispy. All ovens are different, but a few minutes should do the trick. Just do not walk away! Broiling can turn to burning really quickly if you aren’t careful.
The sauce should be bubbly, then remove from the oven and serve with white rice and steamed broccoli. I like to use the rest of the sauce for the veggies, but you can just add it right on top of the salmon.
Can I use frozen salmon?
For this particular recipe, I don’t recommend using frozen salmon. It doesn’t cook up as well and also takes much longer to cook. Try to remember to defrost your salmon in the fridge overnight, then let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Can you prep it ahead?
Yes! However, salmon tends to dry out a bit as it sits, so I sometimes recommend undercooking it slightly if you know you’re going to re-heat it later on. I personally prefer salmon pretty well done, so a bit of dryness doesn’t bother me, but it’s just something to keep in mind. Once prepared, cooked salmon will keep in the fridge for about 2 days.
Serving Suggestions
I love this orange salmon with jasmine rice and steamed broccoli. It’s also delicious with my edamame crunch salad for an Asian inspired lunch.
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Pan Fried Orange Salmon
Ingredients
- 4, 6 ounce salmon fillets (defrosted if previously frozen)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¾ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 thumb fresh ginger (grated)
- 2-3 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the salmon skin side up. Cook for about 4 minutes, then flip and continue cooking for 3-5 additional minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the minced garlic and grated ginger to a separate pot with a splash of oil. Saute for about 2 minutes.
- Add in all remaining sauce ingredients aside from the cornstarch and whisk together. Bring to a boil.
- Whisk in the cornstarch when it starts to boil slightly. Once it has thickened, add about ¾ of the sauce to the salmon and brush on top.
- Set your oven to a high broil. Broil the salmon for about 3 minutes to let the top get slightly crispy. All ovens are different, but a few minutes should do the trick. Just do not walk away! Broiling can turn to burning really quickly if you aren't careful.
- The sauce should be bubbly, and the tops slightly crispy. Remove from the oven and serve with white rice and steamed broccoli. I like to use the rest of the sauce for the veggies, but you can just add it right on top of the salmon. Enjoy!
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