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Salmon bites are quick, flavorful, and hard to mess up. Bite-size pieces of salmon are coated in a simple honey-soy marinade, then cooked until perfectly caramelized. They are sweet, salty, sticky bites that feel special but fit right into a busy night.
Looking for more flavorful packed dinner recipes that take minimal effort to prepare? Don't miss my recipes for Chicken Bites, Blackened Mahi Mahi, and General Tso Shrimp.
Kristen's Keys for Salmon Bites (Start Here)
Paying attention to these three things will help to ensure the best results.
- Plan for at least 30 minute to marinate salmon. While the salmon bites cook up fast, you want to let them soak in the honey soy marinade for at least 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours). This is key to giving the salmon irresistible flavor.
- Cook salmon in a single layer. In order to get a nice sear on the salmon bites, you want to cook in a single layer. This will give the salmon a nice golden crust and help protect the delicate fish from tearing. Work in batches if needed.
- Don't skip thickening the marinade. It finishes the salmon bites with a ridiculously delicious, sticky sweet glaze that makes this recipe memorable.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
How To Make Salmon Bites
The most time consuming part of this recipe is cubing the salmon. After that, the marinade does the heavy lifting to give this dish incredible flavor and the minimal cook time gets dinner on the table fast. Let me walk you through the process, with a few tips along the way.
Step One: Marinate Salmon
Start by whisking together sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, Sriracha, minced garlic and grated ginger root in a large bowl.
For the salmon, remove the skin if needed, then cut into 1-inch cubes. Add the cubed salmon to the marinate, and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
Step Two: Pan-Fry Salmon Bites
Heat a bit of oil in a large skillet for 30-60 seconds, until glistening. You want that oil to be hot to allow the salmon to caramelize. Once heated, remove the salmon from the marinade, reserving the marinade for later and add to the pan in a single layer. Cook 2-3 minutes, UNDISTURBED. When the salmon easily releases from the bottom of the pan, it is ready to flip. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes and then remove the salmon bites from the pan.
Work in batches if needed. Cooking the salmon in a single layer allows the salmon to sear, rather than steam. If your pan is on the smaller side, you will likely need to sear the salmon in batches.
Step Three: Thicken Marinade
Add the cornstarch to the reserved marinade and whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture into the hot skillet and cook, whisking constantly, until it bubbles and thickens, about 1-2 minutes. This step thickens the sauce and ensures it's fully cooked after contact with the raw fish.
Step Four: Combine
Remove the pan from the heat, add the seared salmon back to the skillet and gently toss to glaze the salmon bites in the sauce. I like to finish with a bit of sesame seed for crunch, but optional.
Step Five: Serve
Salmon Bites are delicious served as a entree or an appetizer. My personal favorite way to serve salmon bites, is to serve over steamed rice (like Instant Pot brown rice or white rice) with green onions and sesame seeds.
Recipe Modifications
- Heat Level: Increase, decrease, or omit the Siracha to control the level of spice.
- Gluten-Free: Use Tamari in place of soy sauce.
- Corn-Free: Replace the cornstarch with equal parts arrowroot or tapioca starch.
- Air Fryer Option: Marinate as directed, then air fry at 400℉ for 3 minutes, flip, and continue to air fry for 2-3 minutes, or until salmon reaches 145℉ and flakes easily. In the meantime, whisk the cornstarch slurry into the reserved marinade, and heat in a small saucepan, whisking constantly until thickened. Toss the air-fried salmon with the thickened sauce and serve as desired.
Note on Leftovers
Keep in mind that these Salmon Bites, like most seafood recipes, are best enjoyed immediately after preparation. If you do happen to have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend enjoying leftovers cold on a salad or in a wrap, rather than reheating, which can quickly dry the salmon out.
More Easy Fish Recipes
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 root
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha, optional
- 1 pound salmon filet, skin removed
- ½ tablespoon oil, extra-virgin 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 root and 1 teaspoon Sriracha.
- If needed, remove the skin from the salmon, then dice into 1-inch bite-sized pieces and place the pieces into the prepared marinade, tossing to coat. For best results, allow to 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 bowl of marinade, shaking off excess marinade into the bowl, add to the skillet, and sear for 2-3 minutes, or until nice and brown.
- Flip the salmon using tongs, add the remaining marinade and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Remove the Salmon from the skillet and place on a clean plate.
- Whisk together 1 tablespoon water with 2 teaspoons cornstarch until dissolved. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the leftover marinade, then add the skillet. Let 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!