Thai-Flavored, Pan-Fried Salmon

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 2 to 4 servings

What makes this recipe so special is the tangy Thai lemongrass-honey sauce that marries perfectly with salmon's natural flavors. Pan frying salmon is quick and sears in both the flavors and ​omega-3 goodness of the fish. An extremely delicious recipe that can be made in under 30 minutes, pan-fried salmon with Thai sauce is great for an everyday dinner entrée that even your kids will love.

Pan fry salmon with tangy thai sauce

​The Spruce 

Ingredients

For the Marinade

  • 1/2 cup rice vinegar, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar

  • 1/4 cup honey

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 fresh red chili, minced or finely sliced, or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, or 1 more tablespoon regular soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon minced lemongrass

For the Salmon

  • 2 to 4 salmon fillets

  • 3 tablespoons canola oil, or vegetable oil, for frying

  • Sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Pan fry salmon with tangy Thai sauce ingredients
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  2. Place all marinade ingredients together in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir as you bring the sauce to a boil.

    Place ingredients in pan
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  3. Reduce heat to medium, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered. The sauce will gradually thicken (the smell of the vinegar is rather pungent as it cooks).

    Allow to simmer
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  4. When the sauce has thickened, place in the refrigerator or freezer to cool for 5 minutes.

  5. Place salmon fillets in a flat baking pan so that they aren't piled on top of each other. When the marinade has cooled to warm, slather 1 tablespoon over each fillet.

    Put salmon in baking pan
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  6. Flip over the fish and repeat, reserving the remaining sauce for later. Marinate in the refrigerator 10 minutes.

    Flip over and repeat
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  7. Place a frying pan or wok over medium-high heat, allowing it to warm up for at least 1 minute before adding the oil. This will help prevent salmon from sticking.

    Frying pan
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  8. When the pan is hot, add 1 to 2 tablespoons oil, lifting and turning the pan to distribute evenly. Now place fillets in the pan.

    Add oil
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  9. Allow salmon to fry at least 2 minutes undisturbed before turning, allowing it to "sear" so it will come away from the bottom of the pan without sticking. While salmon is frying, cover the pan with a lid. Fry a total of 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fish.

    Allow salmon to fry
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  10. Salmon is done when inner flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

    Salmon is done
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  11. To serve, arrange salmon on a serving platter or individual plates. Reheat remaining sauce briefly and spoon some over each fillet. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if using. Any leftover sauce can be served on the side. It's also delicious spooned over rice or vegetables.

    Serve salmon
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  12. Enjoy.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
923 Calories
56g Fat
21g Carbs
80g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 923
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 56g 71%
Saturated Fat 9g 47%
Cholesterol 224mg 75%
Sodium 866mg 38%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 18g
Protein 80g
Vitamin C 30mg 152%
Calcium 90mg 7%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 1488mg 32%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)