The Best Salmon Marinade requires just a handful of ingredients to bring out the best flavor in your salmon. It’s the best marinade for salmon whether you are making grilled salmon or oven-baked.
This salmon marinade can be used with the two most common cooking methods for salmon: baking and grilling. Baking is a super easy method for cooking salmon that locks in flavor and helps cook salmon evenly. Grilling adds a lot of additional flavor to salmon which is a natural benefit of cooking over an open flame. No matter which method you use, this marinade is going to take your salmon over the top with flavor!
This marinade is an orange-honey-ginger based sauce. Each ingredient is important and offers something different to create the best tasting salmon. Soy provides seasoning on our fish rather than salt. Salmon always needs an acid, and orange is the perfect complimenting flavor. The honey works to balance out the acidity. Garlic and ginger add a complexity of flavor, with a touch of red pepper flakes for a little bit of heat. It’s the best salmon marinade for perfect salmon every time.
Spice Level in The Best Salmon Marinade:
The red pepper flakes in this recipe give it a nice warmth, without much heat. You can increase or decrease the amount of red pepper flakes according to your own spice tolerance and taste preferences.
Skillet Cooking Instructions:
Salmon is a forgiving fish that is easy to cook. Salmon is most commonly baked or grilled, though you can also cook it on the stovetop in a pan. This method works best for salmon portions and not large salmon filets. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Place the salmon skin-side down (if there is skin) and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, until golden brown. Flip and continue cooking for 4 to 6 minutes until salmon flakes easily with a fork.
Baking Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Season your salmon with desired seasonings. Wrap in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until salmon easily flakes with a fork. The aluminum foil will trap in steam and help cook your fish evenly.
Grilling Instructions:
To grill salmon, preheat an outdoor grill to approximately 400 degrees. Place your salmon onto aluminum foil or a pre-soaked cedar grilling plank. Close the grill, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until fish easily flakes with a fork.
Storage and Reheating Instructions:
Salmon is always best served fresh. If you have any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit until warmed through.
If you like this recipe you may be interested in these other delicious salmon recipes:
Absolutely ducious! I used my cast iron grill pan on the stove for 2 min per side, then finished in a 400° oven. Oven roasted asparagus and baby portobello mushrooms on the side. Yum!! Thank you
How long then did you leave it in the oven?
Did you just leave the fish in the cast iron pan & place the whole thing into the oven ?
Thanks in advance!
This is absolutely amazing. I am making it for the second time with minced ginger, added some chopped scallions and sprinkled the top of the salmon with basil. BTW, this app is not allowing me to rate this recipe 5 stars, but that’s what it is.
I meant “two portions of salmon filet” — NOT “salmonella”! Jeez!
Easy and delicious marinade! I halved it for two portions of salmonella n filet and left out the red pepper because we don’t like much heat in our seasoning. My husband and I just wolfed it down, and it left a lovely aftertaste in our mouths. Will make again and again! Thanks for giving me another quick, weeknight dish that we both love!
Can you marinate the salmon longer the 30 minutes?
I don’t recommend it. The acidity will break down the salmon and it will become mushy.
I don’t think so .. I buy Jamie Oliver’s premarinated salmon all the time and its delicious and not mushy at all
Food science is interesting that way. They’ll have put different additives in to make that possible. You don’t have those additives at home.
Is it bad if you marinade overnight?
Yes, the fish will break down and be mushy.
OMGeeee!!!! This recipe was sooooo DELICIOUS!!!!! Everyone in my family loved it! I didn’t have any orange juice, so I had to substitute it with the V8 Splash Orange/Pineapple drink and it still came out wonderful! This recipe will be my go-to recipe from now on! Thank you so much for sharing!
At what temp should the pan be on to fry the salmon? Medium – high, medium or low? I cooked it on medium -high an it almost blackened but it still came out delicious. Loved it, thanks so much.
Will try it baked next time uncovered.
Add 1/2 whiskey it is delicious
1/2 what? Cup tabkespoon?
My last post was atrocious. What I wanted to say was I’m am following the recipe exactly the way it is wit the exception of the cook I am going to put it in the oven on375 until flaky and then under the broiler for about 8 minutes to get that crispyness I like