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Salmon Bites are sweet and salty, with every bite coated in a sticky honey-soy glaze. After a quick marinade, the salmon cooks in under 10 minutes, making this an easy meal with just about 20 minutes of hands-on time -- and yes, that includes dicing the salmon.
Why These Salmon Bites Work
While I love my baked salmon and sheet pan salmon with veggies, these salmon bites are my personal favorite way to enjoy salmon. They are saucy, flavorful, and incredibly easy to make.
- The marinade does the heavy lifting. Honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger flavor the salmon in as little as 30 minutes. Then the reserved marinade thickens in the skillet into a glaze, so you don't need a separate sauce.
- Quick cooking time. Cut into 1-inch pieces, the salmon sears in just a few minutes per side.
- Skillet or air fryer. Pan-fry them on the stovetop or use the air fryer. I provide instructions for each.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Salmon: I prefer using a skinless salmon fillet, as it's easier to cube and lets more of the marinade infuse the fish itself.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: Be sure to use toasted sesame oil, not untoasted. It's nutty and rich and rounds out the soy and honey in the marinade.
- Soy Sauce: I use reduced-sodium soy sauce to keep the salt in check.
- Sriracha: Optional. Increase, decrease, or leave it out to control the heat.
- Oil for Cooking: For pan-frying, use an oil with a high smoke point, such as refined olive oil, canola oil, or avocado oil. For the air fryer, use your favorite cooking spray.
- Cornstarch: This thickens the reserved marinade into the glaze.
Dietary Swaps
- Gluten-Free: Use tamari in place of soy sauce.
- Corn-Free: Replace the cornstarch with equal parts arrowroot or tapioca starch.
How To Make Salmon Bites
The most time-consuming part of this recipe is cubing the salmon. After that, it's mostly hands-off while the salmon marinates, and the short cook time gets dinner on the table fast. I'll walk you through it, with a few tips along the way. Full directions and quantities are in the recipe card below.
- Make the marinade. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the toasted sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, Sriracha, minced garlic, and grated ginger.
- Cube the salmon. Remove the skin if needed, then cut the salmon into 1-inch cubes. Keep the cubes uniform so they cook quickly and evenly.
- Marinate. Add the salmon to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours.
- Sear the salmon. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until glistening, just 30 to 60 seconds. Lift the salmon out of the marinade, shaking off the excess, and save the marinade for later. Add the salmon in a single layer and cook 2 to 3 minutes without moving it. When it releases easily from the pan, flip and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Move the salmon to a plate.
Note from Kristen
Work in batches if your pan is on the smaller side. A single layer lets the salmon sear instead of steam, which gives it a golden crust and keeps the delicate fish from tearing.
- Thicken the sauce. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the reserved marinade, then pour it into the hot skillet. Cook, whisking constantly, until it bubbles and thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Don't skip this. It turns the marinade into a sticky glaze and fully cooks it after contact with the raw fish.
- Toss and serve. Take the pan off the heat, add the salmon back, and gently toss to coat in the glaze. I like to finish with sesame seeds for crunch, but they're optional.
Air Fryer Salmon Bites
If you want to use your air fryer for this recipe, it works great, with one caveat: you will still need to thicken and cook the marinade on the stove.
- Marinate the salmon as directed.
- Spray the air fryer basket well with cooking spray, and add the salmon in a single layer.
- Air fry at 400℉ for 3 minutes. Carefully flip and air fry for 2 to 3 minutes more, until the salmon reaches 145℉ (63℃) and flakes easily.
- Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch slurry into the reserved marinade. Heat it in a small saucepan, whisking constantly, until thickened.
- Toss the air-fried salmon with the sauce and serve.
How to Serve Salmon Bites
Just like my Chicken Bites, salmon bites work as a main dish or an appetizer.
- Over rice. Spoon them over Instant Pot brown rice or Instant Pot white rice, then top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
- In a wrap. Tuck them into a wrap.
- On a salad. Pile them on top of a salad.
- Build a bowl. Start with rice (or Instant Pot quinoa for extra protein), add steamed edamame, and top with grated carrots and cucumbers for a fresh finish, similar to my Korean Beef Bowls.
My husband thinks this is the BEST way to eat salmon. He likes to build his bowl with rice, steamed edamame, and pickled red onions. And hey, if it gets him excited for eating salmon, I am here for it.
How to Store and Reheat Salmon Bites
Like most seafood, salmon bites are best served right after you make them. That said, don't toss the leftovers.
- Refrigerate: Let the salmon cool, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Enjoy cold: This is my recommendation, since reheating can quickly dry out the salmon.
- Reheat: Warm a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the salmon and cook briefly, just to warm it through.
More Easy Seafood Recipes
If you love these salmon bites, here are a few more seafood dinners to try.
- General Tso Shrimp: A homemade General Tso sauce with quick-cooking shrimp, ready in about 10 minutes.
- Blackened Mahi Mahi: Boldly seasoned and pan-seared in less than 15 minutes.
- Easy Fish Veracruz: Mild white fish in a bright, tangy sauce, with a few shortcuts to speed it up.
- Easy Fish Tacos: Baked fish topped with a crisp slaw and creamy chipotle sauce. No breading and no frying.
- Easy Baked Cod: Minimal prep and easy-to-find ingredients.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Salmon Bites
Video
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha, optional
- 1 pound salmon filet, skin removed
- ½ tablespoon oil, refined olive oil, canola oil, or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- In a small shallow bowl, whisk together 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil with ¼ cup honey, ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce, 3 cloves garlic (minced), ½ tablespoon grated ginger, and 1 teaspoon Sriracha.
- If needed, remove the skin from the salmon, then dice it into 1-inch bite-sized pieces and place the pieces into the prepared marinade, tossing to coat. For best results, marinate for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours in the fridge.
- Heat ½ tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until glistening. Use tongs to remove the salmon cubes from the marinade, shaking off excess marinade back into the bowl. Then, add to the skillet and sear for 2-3 minutes, or until nicely browned.
- Carefully flip the salmon with tongs and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Remove the salmon from the skillet and place it on a clean plate.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon water with 2 teaspoons cornstarch until dissolved. Add this mixture to the leftover marinade and whisk to combine.
- Add the reserved marinade to the skillet used to cook the salmon. Cook until thickened, whisking constantly. It won't take but a minute or two.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Add the salmon back to the skillet and gently toss with the sauce. Serve immediately as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Well I accidentally left it in the fridge for 24 hours but it still came out great! The sauce in the end didn’t turn out like the photo but it was still delicious
Thrilled you enjoyed Sam!
Easy and delicious! , I serve it over riced cauliflower and sprinkle with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds for a tasty low carb meal.
That sounds incredible to me too! I am so thrilled you enjoyed and appreciate you sharing a review.
This recipe is delicious! It is a great and different way to eat salmon. My husband and I loved the sauce so much, I’ll use it on chicken! I also put it on a recipe card for a bridal shower!!
That is awesome! Thank you so much for sharing this review and the recipe with others!