Sweet Chilli Salmon

Name: Sweet Chilli Salmon
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 17 min
Total time: 19 min
Ingredients: 240 g Salmon fillet ((approx 120g/4.25oz per fillet)); 4 tbsp Sweet chilli sauce; 1 tbsp Soy sauce; 0.5 Lime (juice only); 1 tsp Sesame seeds; 5 g Fresh coriander (cilantro) (finely chopped)

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This easy Sweet Chilli Salmon is so simple to make and is ready in under 20 minutes. Salmon fillets glazed with a mixture of sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce and lime juice and baked until flaky. Only 4 ingredients are needed for this easy weeknight meal that is also special enough to serve to guests.

Two cooked salmon fillets and potato wedges on a round plate.

We eat salmon a couple of times a week, so we are always looking for ways to flavour a salmon fillet. When we want something really easy, but full of flavour, we turn to sweet chilli sauce.

A staple ingredient in our kitchen (for adding to stir fries), it also makes an incredible marinade for salmon. A healthy and protein packed meal, that goes with almost any side dish.

If you are looking for other ways to use sweet chilli sauce, then why not try our simple Soy Sauce Noodles or totally delicious 10 Minute Sticky Ginger Beef?

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Why You Will Love It
Ingredients and Substitutions
How to Make Sweet Chilli Salmon - Step by Step
What to Serve With Sweet Chilli Salmon
Storage
Extra Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
More Salmon Recipes
Recipe
Feedback

Why You Will Love It

Quick and easy - Just a couple of minutes of prep time goes into making this sweet chilli salmon, and then you can just let it cook to perfection.
Minimal ingredients - Only 4 ingredients are needed to make this and then the optional sesame seeds and coriander to go on top.
All done in one pan - Less washing up is good with us.
A great way to use sweet chilli sauce - If you have some leftover that you don't know what to do with, then this is a good way to use it up.

Ingredients and Substitutions

All the ingredients needed for this recipe with text overlay labels.

A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Salmon - We used boneless, skin on salmon.
Sweet chilli sauce - This is the star of the recipe. We used a really good quality store bought Thai sweet chili sauce, however you could make your own with this Sweet Chill i Sauce Recipe if you prefer.
Soy sauce - This balances out the sweetness from the sweet chilli sauce and also makes the sauce go further.
Lime - This adds some freshness to the sauce. You could use lemon juice instead if you prefer.
Sesame seeds - These are sprinkled on top for some crunch.
Coriander (cilantro) - We sprinkle some fresh chopped coriander on top before serving. You could use parsley instead.

More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.

How to Make Sweet Chilli Salmon - Step by Step

Prep: Preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C(fan)/425°F/Gas 7.

A small bowl of sweet chilli sauce and soy sauce mixed together.

Step 1: In a bowl, mix together the chilli sauce, soy sauce and lime juice.

Two salmon fillets on a baking tray lined with foil.

Step 2: Put the salmon fillets onto a foil lined baking sheet.

Chilli sauce poured over the salmon fillets.

Step 3: Pour the chilli sauce mixture over the salmon.

Step 4: Cook the salmon for 17 minutes.

Cooked salmon fillets topped with chopped coriander and sesame seeds.

Step 5: Serve topped with chopped coriander and sesame seeds.

What to Serve With Sweet Chilli Salmon

We have served this with our Air Fryer Potato Wedges, however it also goes well with our Cheesy Potato Bake which is one of our favourites for total comfort food. Here are some of our favourite side dishes that go perfectly with this oven baked salmon:

You could also keep it simple with a big green salad. The key to an epic green salad is to use a variety of greens, like romaine, spinach, kale and rocket. You want leafy greens, but crunch too. Then you need the perfect dressing. Why not try our Lemon Vinaigrette, Honey and Mustard Dressing or Tomato and Basil Vinaigrette.

You know what goes really well with everything? Garlic bread! Either buy some ready made, or make your own easy garlic bread by cutting up some French stick and spreading it with a mix of butter, crushed garlic and dried herbs. Then pop it in the oven for 10 minutes. Make it next level garlic bread by adding cheese. Why not try our Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread.

Two cooked salmon fillets topped with chopped coriander and sesame seeds.

Storage

Store: If you have leftovers of this, you can store it in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. We then flake up the salmon and serve it on a salad with the vegetables.

Freeze: You can freeze this in freezer containers for up to a month.

Defrost: Make sure it has been defrosted in the fridge - this might need to be done overnight. Once the salmon has thawed fully, reheat as mentioned below.

Reheat: You can reheat it in the oven on a low heat. Don't reheat it on a high heat, otherwise it will dry out.

Extra Tips

Take this sweet chilli salmon to the next level by sprinkling some Parmesan on top before it goes in the oven.
This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, depending on how many people you are serving.
You could make this recipe using a side of salmon too.

A fork with a small piece of cooked salmon on it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to choose salmon in the shop.

For salmon to taste its best, you want to choose the freshest that you can. Look for salmon that is moist rather than dried out - moisture content is a good indicator of freshness and it can also tell you how carefully the fish was handled. You also want to avoid salmon with any brown spots around the edges of the fillet or side, or if the skin has started browning and curling up.

Do you have to keep the skin on the salmon?

You can follow this recipe with skin on or off. We find that keeping the skin on helps to lock in the moisture though. Once the salmon is cooked the skin comes off easily anyway.

How can you tell that the salmon is cooked?

This salmon takes about 17 minutes to cook in the oven, however, salmon should reach 145°F/63°C. For a more visual cue, you want to look out for the salmon flesh to be a little opaque and a knife should easily slide through it.

Can you overcook salmon?

Yes, you definitely can. It can go from perfectly moist and flaky, to dry and overdone very quickly. So make sure to follow the guide above to make sure your salmon is perfectly cooked.

What is the grey part of salmon and can you eat it?

Salmon, like other fish, develops a grey-ish, brown layer of insulating fat between its skin and flesh. Yes, you can eat it, although it does have a stronger salmon flavour that some people don't like. This grey layer contains plenty of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids too.

Does this recipe work with another fish?

Yes, if salmon isn't your thing or another fish is on offer, then by all means switch it up. This recipe also works well on tuna steak, haddock and cod.

How can you use leftovers?

We love throwing it on top of a salad with avocado or stirring it into some cooked spaghetti with some creme fraiche and fresh dill. Why not try making our Salmon Pate or Easy Salmon Pasta?

Can you cook sweet chilli salmon under the grill?

You can do, and it would take about 10-12 minutes. However, because of the high sugar content of the sweet chilli sauce, we find that it can burn easily under the grill.

Can sweet chilli salmon be cooked in the air fryer?

Yes, this can be cooked in the air fryer? Once the salmon is glazed, put it in the air fryer skin side down and cook at 180°C for 10 minutes.

More Salmon Recipes

If you’ve tried this sweet chili salmon recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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