You can’t go wrong here with this simple island style Pan Seared Salmon with Sweet and Sour Sauce! It’s quick and easy and perfectly delicious! Serve this sweet salmon dish with rice and a side of sauteed peppers, onions and fresh pineapple and you’ve got a meal people won’t forget.
I’m loving skillet salmon lately, it has the perfect combination of sweet and sour flavor. And that crispy crust you get on the exterior of the salmon is just dreamy, not to mention it’s one of the quickest ways to cook salmon.
I actually made this salmon last week and I’m making it again tonight for dinner because we all loved it so much! Winner winner salmon dinner.
A Perfect Balance of Sweet & Sour
I love how easy it is, and don’t even get me started on that sweet and sour sauce! It has the perfect balance of sweet and tart, it’s the perfect consistency and it highlights the salmon perfectly.
And bonus you can also use this sauce recipe for grilled chicken or coated and fried chicken pieces. If you really love sauce and you want more for veggies and rice I’d recommend doubling the recipe.
How to Make Sweet and Sour Sauce
- In a bowl whisk together cornstarch and soy sauce (the cornstarch is what will thicken up the sauce).
- Mix in soy sauce, pineapple juice, honey and brown sugar.
- Also mix in rice vinegar, ketchup and red pepper flakes.
- Then heat a little oil in a skillet and lightly saute garlic and ginger.
- Pour in the sauce mixture and let it thicken up and know you’ve got an incredibly delicious homemade sweet and sour sauce.
This sauce isn’t just for salmon. It goes great with chicken too. Little battered and fried pieces of chicken (using the same method as my Chinese Orange Chicken) or grilled chicken breasts or thighs are great options.
It just snowed outside, for like the 50th time this winter (okay maybe 20th, I tend to exaggerate sometimes), so instead of dreading the cold I’m just sitting inside in the warmth and eating this island inspired salmon and pretending I’m somewhere tropical, and then I’ll finish it off with some hot cocoa.
As a side note if you don’t want to buy one of those really big cans of pineapple juice because you don’t want to drink the extra, then just buy the mini cans or use the juice from a can of chunk pineapple or pineapple slices and serve the pineapple with the salmon.
Or even use just a portion of a can of the frozen pineapple juice concentrate (& reconstitute the portion you use) and reserve the rest to make this again another time. Happy cooking, and of course happy eating!
More Salmon Recipes to Try
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Pan Seared Salmon with Sweet and Sour Sauce
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Salmon fillets are seared to golden brown perfection then covered with an easy, homemade sweet and sour sauce. We all love sweet and sour chicken but now is the time to try that flavor combo on salmon. It's so delicious!
Ingredients
- 4 (6 oz) skinless salmon fillets
- 3 1/2 tsp olive oil or vegetable oil, divided
- 2 tsp finely peeled and minced ginger
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1/3 cup pineapple juice
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
- 3 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp ketchup
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
- Salt
- Chopped green onion or cilantro
- White sesame seeds
Instructions
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Remove salmon from refrigerator and let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepare sweet and sour sauce.
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For the sauce, in a small bowl whisk together cornstarch and soy sauce, add in pineapple juice, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ketchup and red pepper flakes.
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Heat 1 1/2 tsp of the oil in small saucepan over medium heat, add ginger and garlic and saute until lightly golden brown, about 30 seconds - 1 minute.
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Whisk pineapple juice mixture once more then pour into saucepan.
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Bring mixture to a boil stirring constantly, then allow to boil, stirring constantly until thickened, 1 minute.
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Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
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Dab both sides of salmon dry with paper towels, season both sides with salt (use about a heaping 1/2 tsp total).
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Heat remaining 2 tsp oil in a (heavy) 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
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Once oil is shimmering add salmon and cook about 4 minutes on the first side until golden brown on bottom then flip and cook salmon on opposite side until salmon has cooked through, about 2 - 3 minutes longer.
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Plate salmon, spoon sweet and sour sauce over salmon, sprinkle with green onions or cilantro, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Angela: Was a very yummy recipe. Also added 1 red pepper squared pieces , 1/2 onion quartered and the four slices of pineapple from can and it was very tasty. September 9, 2018 at 6:38am
Emy: I will surely try this recipe for dinner it looks delicious it goes well with steam rice. March 24, 2017 at 11:06pm
Laura | Tutti Dolci: Such a gorgeous and colorful dinner idea! I love the orchids too :) March 9, 2017 at 5:02pm
Jaclyn: Thanks Laura :)! March 14, 2017 at 12:12am
Paige Flamm: Oh yum! I love sweet and sour salmon! This is awesome dinner inspiration for tonight!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com March 9, 2017 at 12:54pm
Alexandra: Yummm!! You know what also works quite well? Smoked salmon and avocado! I make these little “parcels” of smoked salmon with a mixture of mashed avocado, red onion and lime juice inside, and then pour some sweet chilli sauce all over them – but this sweet and sour sauce sounds like it could work really well too !! xx
March 7, 2017 at 3:06pm
Jaclyn: That sounds delish! March 7, 2017 at 11:05pm
Lauren: Oh for goodness sake I am reading this while having my morning coffee and would love to be able to tuck into this right now. Looks delicious! I am going to make this for sure. March 7, 2017 at 8:37am
Jaclyn: I hope you love it Lauren! March 7, 2017 at 12:52pm
Courtney Byles: Do you have nutritional info for this recipe? March 7, 2017 at 7:37am
Alice: I made Chicken Tortellini Soup the other day .I have had the recipe for a LONG time. It was very much to my liking! This
comment doesn’t belong here, but it is on my mind now and I wanted you to know. March 7, 2017 at 5:40am
Jaclyn: Thanks for letting me know! Glad you enjoyed it Alice! March 7, 2017 at 12:53pm