Honey Garlic Salmon Bites (15-Minute Skillet Recipe)

These honey garlic salmon bites are crispy-edged cubes of salmon tossed in a sticky honey, soy and garlic sauce, and they’re on the table in about 15 minutes. A light dusting of cornstarch helps each piece brown in the skillet and makes the sauce cling. Serve them over rice for an easy dinner, or with toothpicks as a party appetizer.

Below you’ll find the ingredients, step-by-step instructions, how to cut and sear salmon bites so they stay together, serving ideas and storage. The printable recipe card is at the bottom.

Ingredients for Salmon Bites

For the salmon

• Skinless salmon, 1½ lb (680 g), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes.
• Cornstarch, 1 tablespoon.
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt, ½ teaspoon, and black pepper, ¼ teaspoon.
• Neutral oil, 1 tablespoon, such as avocado or canola.

For the honey garlic sauce

• Honey, 3 tablespoons.
• Soy sauce, 2 tablespoons, low sodium if you have it.
• Rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon, or lime juice.
• Garlic, 3 cloves, minced.
• Fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon, grated.
• Toasted sesame oil, ½ teaspoon, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
• To serve: sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

How to Make Salmon Bites (Step by Step)

1. Cut the salmon

Remove the skin if your fillet has it, and pull out any pin bones. Cut the salmon into even 1-inch cubes so they cook at the same rate. Pat them very dry with paper towels.

2. Season

Toss the cubes in a bowl with the cornstarch, salt and pepper until lightly coated.

3. Mix the sauce

Stir together the honey, soy sauce and rice vinegar in a small bowl. Keep the garlic and ginger separate.

4. Sear the salmon

Heat the oil in a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the salmon in a single layer with space between the pieces (work in two batches if needed). Sear for about 2 minutes without moving, until golden, then turn and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, turning a couple of times, until opaque and 145°F (63°C) in the center, the FDA’s recommended temperature for fish. Move the bites to a plate.

5. Make the sauce

Lower the heat to medium. Add the garlic and ginger to the skillet and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Pour in the honey mixture and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until it bubbles and thickens slightly.

6. Toss and serve

Return the salmon to the pan and toss gently for 30 seconds to coat. Turn off the heat, drizzle with the sesame oil, and sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds.

Chef Emma’s Tips

• Use thick fillets. Center-cut pieces give neat cubes that don’t fall apart; save thin tail pieces for salmon cakes.
• Dry the salmon well before adding the cornstarch, or it turns gummy instead of crisp.
• Don’t crowd the pan. Crowded salmon steams and breaks when you turn it.
• Turn gently with tongs or a thin spatula, not a spoon.
• Watch the sauce. Honey burns quickly; keep the heat at medium once it goes in.

Choosing and Cutting Salmon for Bites

Look for a thick, center-cut fillet, at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick, so the cubes hold together. Farmed Atlantic salmon is rich and forgiving; wild coho or sockeye works too, but it’s leaner, so take it off the heat a minute sooner. Skinless fillets save time. If yours has skin, lay it skin side down, slide a sharp knife between the skin and the flesh at the tail end, and pull the skin gently while you cut. Slightly chilled (or half-thawed frozen) salmon is the easiest to cut cleanly.

Making Salmon Bites for a Party

For a crowd, double the recipe and sear the salmon in batches, keeping finished bites warm on a sheet pan in a 200°F (95°C) oven for up to 20 minutes. Make the sauce just before serving and toss everything together in a large bowl, then arrange the bites on a platter with toothpicks, a bowl of extra sauce, and lime wedges. Don’t leave cooked salmon out at room temperature for more than 2 hours; set out half and keep the rest warm in the oven to refill the platter.

Make-Ahead Tip

Whisk the sauce, mince the garlic and ginger, and cube the salmon up to a day ahead, keeping the salmon covered in the coldest part of the fridge. Toss with cornstarch and sear just before serving; cooked salmon bites lose their crisp edges if they sit.

How to Serve Salmon Bites

• Rice bowls: over steamed jasmine rice with cucumber, avocado and edamame.
• Appetizer: on a platter with toothpicks and extra sauce for dipping.
• Lettuce wraps: spoon into butter lettuce cups with shredded carrots.
• Noodles: toss with soba or rice noodles and a little extra soy sauce.

Prefer sweet, slow-cooked bites? Try our candied salmon. For a raw-fish bowl, see our salmon poke bowl, and for another glazed weeknight dinner, the brown sugar salmon.

Variations

• Cajun salmon bites: skip the sauce, toss the cubes with 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning and the cornstarch, and finish with lemon.
• Lemon garlic butter: replace the sauce with 2 tablespoons butter, 3 cloves garlic, lemon juice and parsley.
• Spicy: add 1 to 2 teaspoons sriracha or gochujang to the honey sauce.
• Oven method: spread the coated cubes on an oiled, parchment-lined sheet pan and roast at 425°F (220°C) for 8 to 10 minutes, then toss with the sauce simmered in a small pan.

Storage

• Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days.
• Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water, just until warm, or eat them cold over a salad.

Storage times follow the FoodSafety.gov cold food storage chart. For cooking temperatures, see the safe minimum temperature chart.

Salmon Bites FAQs

How long do salmon bites take to cook?

About 5 to 6 minutes in a hot skillet for 1-inch cubes, until they reach 145°F (63°C).

Can I use frozen salmon?

Yes. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then pat it very dry before cutting. Partly frozen salmon is actually easier to cube neatly.

Why are my salmon bites falling apart?

The pieces were too small or thin, the pan was crowded, or they were turned before a crust formed. Use thick fillets and let them sear undisturbed for the first 2 minutes.

Can I make these without cornstarch?

Yes. They’ll be a little less crisp and the sauce slightly thinner. Arrowroot or potato starch also works.

Honey Garlic Salmon Bites Recipe Card

Calories are an estimate per serving (farmed Atlantic salmon with sauce, without rice) based on USDA FoodData Central values. Find more ideas in our salmon recipes.

Chef Emma

Honey Garlic Salmon Bites

Cubes of salmon tossed with cornstarch, seared until golden, and coated in a quick honey, soy, garlic and ginger sauce.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 8 minutes mins

Cook Time 9 minutes mins

Total Time 17 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian-inspired

Calories: 440

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Salmon

• 1 1/2 lb skinless salmon 680 g, 1-inch cubes
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt plus 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp neutral oil

Honey garlic sauce

• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp soy sauce low sodium
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar or lime juice
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil plus green onions and sesame seeds

Equipment

• Large nonstick or cast-iron skillet
• Tongs

Method

 

1. Pat the salmon cubes dry and toss with the cornstarch, salt and pepper.
2. Stir together the honey, soy sauce and rice vinegar.
3. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high and sear the salmon in a single layer, about 2 minutes undisturbed, then 3 to 4 minutes more, turning, until 145°F (63°C). Remove.
4. Lower the heat to medium, cook the garlic and ginger 30 seconds, add the honey mixture and simmer 1 to 2 minutes until slightly thick.
5. Return the salmon, toss gently to coat, drizzle with sesame oil and garnish.

Notes

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days. Calories are an estimate per serving, without rice, from USDA FoodData Central values for farmed Atlantic salmon plus the sauce.