Skip to Content

Crispy Sesame Salmon

Fresh salmon gets chopped into bite-sized cubes then pan-seared to crispy tender perfection in this simple yet amazing Crispy Sesame Salmon Recipe. Sweet and savory sticky salmon will surely bring life to your weeknight meals!

Cooked salmon in a bowl with white rice, sauerkraut and cucumber salad

If you’re like me and your affinity for crispy salmon runs deep, you’ll delight in the fact that each and every bite of this Crispy Sesame Salmon greets you with perfect texture.

Because the salmon is chopped into cubes and then pan-seared in a skillet for maximum surface area crisp, the salmon turns out undeniably maximally crispy, yet it remains tender on the inside and has a flavorful Asian flair.

I enjoy the sticky salmon with Coconut Rice, Asian Cucumber Salad, and sauerkraut or kimchi, but you can also serve it up with your favorite sides. 

Make a fun bowl out of it with avocado, mango, edamame, and your favorite Vegetable Fried Rice

When your bowl is fashioned up, you’re in for an amazing unique meal to keep healthy weeknight healthy eating fun and interesting.

Close up image of crispy salmon fresh out of the skillet

Let’s discuss the fresh, simple ingredients for this recipe.

Ingredients for Crispy Sesame Salmon:

Fresh salmon filets (I use King salmon or Atlantic salmon), coconut aminos, toasted sesame oil, avocado oil, garlic, and rice vinegar.

This combination of ingredients makes for a sweet and savory delicious Asian sesame salmon. You can easily substitute soy sauce or liquid aminos for the coconut aminos if you’d like. If you do so, I suggest adding 2 teaspoons of pure maple syrup to make a sweet sauce, as coconut aminos has a natural sweetness that soy sauce lacks.

Consider adding red pepper flakes or sriracha to the sauce ingredients to kick up the heat or your favorite teriyaki sauce for an even saucier adventure. For sesame ginger salmon, add 1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger to the skillet while you’re cooking it. You can also add orange zest for citrusy flair.

For the best result, use fresh salmon filets instead of frozen salmon, as the texture will turn out absolutely perfectly. If you only have access to frozen salmon, thaw it completely before proceeding with the recipe.

If you have the time, you can marinate the chopped salmon in the marinade ingredients for up to 24 hours prior to cooking it. This will make the salmon even more flavorful and enticing!

For Crispy Asian Salmon Bowls:

If you’re doing as I did and turning the crispy salmon into bowls for a complete meal, make my Asian Cucumber Salad, steam up some white rice or brown rice, chop some green onions, and pick up some kimchi or sauerkraut from the grocery store.

You can drizzle the rice with low sodium soy sauce, coconut aminos, fresh lemon juice, or teriyaki sauce for more flavor if you’d like, and squirt everything with sriracha for a nice kick.

Get creative and take bowls in any direction by picking your favorite bowl ingredients! Seaweed salad and crab salad will give you a sushi bowl vibe. Sautéed or stir fry veggies will add bulk, fiber, and vitamins to the meal. A simple green salad or cauliflower rice is a great low-carb option as well.

Let’s make this amazing salmon recipe!

black bowl with crispy salmon and white rice inside

How to Make Crispy Sesame Salmon:

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the coconut aminos (or soy sauce), rice vinegar, garlic, and sesame oil. Set aside until ready to use.

Asian sweet sauce for salmon

Chop the salmon into cubes (if you prefer your salmon skinless, you can cut the skin off and discard it before chopping it. I leave the salmon skin on).

Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over high heat and allow the skillet to heat up for a couple of minutes.

Carefully place salmon on the hot surface of the skillet and allow them to cook undisturbed for 2 to 4 minutes before carefully flipping them to another side using tongs and cooking for an additional 2 to 4 minutes, until two sides are deeply golden brown.

Salmon chunks cooking in a skillet

Pour the sauce into the skillet and gently swish it around until all of the salmon is exposed to sauce. Cover the skillet and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, stirring/flipping occasionally), or until the salmon has cooked through. Salmon is considered fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use a meat thermometer to spot check the fish by inserting the thermometer into the largest pieces. The exact cook time will vary depending on the size of the chunks and the temperature of the fish before it goes into the skillet.

Taste the salmon for flavor and add more coconut aminos, rice vinegar, or a splash of fresh lime juice, and a sprinkle of sea salt to taste.

Close up shot of Asian Sesame Salmon in a skillet with green onion on top

Serve the crispy sesame salmon with your choice of side dishes. I love the salmon with steamed white rice, Asian Cucumber Salad, kimchi (or sauerkraut), chopped green onion and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Bowl of asian salmon on top of a golden napkin with chopsticks to the side.

When all is said and done, this simple recipe can easily be a 30 minute meal from start to finish, depending on what else you’re making to accompany it.

Enjoy cooking Asian-inspired food at home? Check out my Easy Honey Garlic Chicken and Asian Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs for more crispy yet tender meat.

horizontal photo of Crispy Sesame Salmon Bowl

If you are a huge salmon fan, also check out some of these healthy dinner recipes!

More Delicious Salmon Recipes:

Enjoy this healthy salmon recipe for weeknight meals or meal prep!

Crispy sesame salmon bowls

Crispy Sesame Salmon

Sweet and savory sticky Asian-inspired Crispy Sesame Salmon is here for crispy salmon lovers! Make it in less than 30 minutes for healthy weeknight meals.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
3 Servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the coconut aminos (or soy sauce), rice vinegar, garlic, and sesame oil. Set aside until ready to use.
    Asian sweet sauce for salmon
  • Chop the salmon into cubes (if you prefer your salmon skinless, you can cut the skin off and discard it before chopping it. I leave the salmon skin on).
    Chopped salmon on a cutting board, cut into bite sized cubes.
  • Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over high heat and allow the skillet to heat up for a couple of minutes. Carefully place salmon on the hot surface of the skillet and allow them to cook undisturbed for 2 to 4 minutes before flipping them to another side and cooking for an additional 2 to 4 minutes, until two sides are deeply golden brown.
  • Pour the sauce into the skillet and gently swish it around until all of the salmon is exposed to sauce. Cover the skillet and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, stirring/flipping occasionally), or until the salmon has cooked through. Salmon is considered fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use a meat thermometer to spot check the fish by inserting the thermometer into the largest pieces. The exact cook time will vary depending on the size of the chunks and the temperature of the fish before it goes into the skillet.
    Pouring sweet Asian sauce into the skillet with salmon
  • Taste the salmon for flavor and add more coconut aminos, rice vinegar, or a splash of fresh lime juice, and a sprinkle of sea salt to taste.
    Asian salmon cooking in a skillet
  • Serve the crispy sesame salmon with your choice of side dishes. I love the salmon with steamed white rice, Asian Cucumber Salad, kimchi (or sauerkraut), chopped green onion and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
    horizontal photo of Crispy Sesame Salmon Bowl

Video

Notes

*Use liquid aminos, low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos. If using soy sauce or liquid aminos, add 2 tablespoons of pure maple syurp or brown sugar and don't add any salt unless you feel the salmon needs it at the end.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Facts are calculated for the salmon only, not including any sides.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving (of 3)Calories: 339kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 31gFat: 20gSugar: 5g
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: 30 minutes meals, asian salmon recipe, Chinese food, Chinese salmon recipe, crispy salmon, crispy sesame salmon, healthy dinner recipe, keto, low-carb, paleo, sticky salmon recipe, sweet and sour salmon, whole30
Servings: 3 Servings
Calories: 339kcal
Author: Julia

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.

collage for crispy sesame salmon
Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Daniel

Wednesday 13th of March 2024

I poked through a few sesame salmon recipes online before settling on this one, because I knew it could be this simple. The recipe worked out well. The cook on the salmon, the crispiness, was great. My husband objected to the quality of salmon I purchased 😵‍💫, but that was my fault. Made a couple tweaks based on what I had on hand:

I used garlic confit in the sauce and blended it with an immersion blender, and the result was a bit of a thicker sauce that needed the oil drained off. The taste was amazing but the texture and visual wasn't that great. Open to any suggestions on how to do that better!

Topped with furikake. Definitely recommend!

The recipe doesn't say what you did with the garlic - the photos show chopped or minced?

Julia

Thursday 14th of March 2024

Hi Daniel! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback! I'm happy the recipe turned out well and the tweaks you shared sound so great! For the visual, it could be that the sauce needed some extra stickiness for a lacquered appeal. I find that if I stick with coconut aminos, I get that glazed look and when I use soy sauce, I often get a duller look. Hope that helps!

You nailed it regarding the garlic - it needs to be finely chopped/minced before use.

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience! xo

Lindsey

Friday 19th of January 2024

Absolutely delicious. Perfectly simple and followed exactly. My husband adores this. Flavors are perfect and not burnt at all. Have made before and will be making many more times in the future!

Janet Black

Sunday 9th of July 2023

It came out great! I added a little chili oil to spice it up a bit but otherwise followed exactly as written. Thank you!

Julia

Monday 10th of July 2023

Ooh, I love that! Sounds great!

Janet

Sunday 23rd of April 2023

Wanted something quick for dinner. This was a great recipe. Easy to follow the recipe. It came out amazing, I didn't change a thing. Served it with rice and an Asian salad. It felt healthy and the clean up was easy. Will keep this in the rotation.

Julia

Monday 24th of April 2023

That's so great to hear, Janet! Thanks so much for swinging back around to share your experience! xo

Angela

Monday 10th of April 2023

Do you mince the garlic?

Julia

Thursday 13th of April 2023

Hi Angela! My apologies for not being more specific! Yes, you'll want to mince the garlic for the best result :)

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.