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These six easy salmon marinades are quick to make and add tons of incredible flavor and character to your salmon without overpowering the delicate palate of this soft, pink fish. Pan sear, bake, grill or cook in your air fryer!
Salmon
Salmon is flavorful, versatile, and perfect for any cuisine. Want to level it up? Try these favorite marinades: lemon garlic, chili lime, Asian-style, sweet and spicy, honey mustard, and herby Italian.
Salmon Marinades
These easy salmon marinades use fresh, simple ingredients—healthier and cheaper than store-bought sauces. Just marinate, chill, and cook your salmon however you like!
Salmon Marinade Tips and Tricks
- If you’re using a larger salmon fillet, we highly recommend slicing it into smaller portions before adding to the marinade. You can do this pretty much as soon as you get home from the store. Simply use a couple of freezer bags to portion out your salmon, divide up the salmon, place the salmon in the bags with your marinade ingredients, and seal. You can keep these handy bags in the fridge or freezer.
- ❗ Marinades work best when given some time to settle into the fish. 30 minutes is enough time to marinate salmon. We don’t recommend marinating salmon more than 60 minutes or overnight . Marinade will start break down salmon and it will get mushy. Be wary that, because the marinade has been in contact with raw fish, it’s a cross contamination risk. That means you can’t reuse a marinade. You can always add it to your salmon while it’s cooking, but you’ll need to discard any leftover marinade when you’re done.
- Ziploc freezer bags are absolutely amazing for freezing your salmon. When you add ingredients to the freezer bags, it’s easy to add some clips, which can help the bag to stand up on its own, avoiding spillage. The other option is to marinate the salmon in a glass container.
- If you’re using frozen salmon, it’s always best to take it out of the freezer and put it into the fridge overnight. This allows the salmon to thaw slowly and evenly. You can speed this up by placing the salmon bag – not the salmon itself – in a shallow bowl of water.
- There are plenty of ways to cook marinated salmon. Frying, baking, and the air fryer are all time honored classic methods of salmon preparation.
Is it Safe to Marinate Salmon Overnight?
We recommend to marinate salmon up to 60 minutes. Acidic marinades will break down your fish and make it very mushy. USDA food safety regulations recommend that you keep raw fish in the fridge for up to 1-2 days without marinade. If you want to keep it for longer, you should freeze it instead.
How to Cook Salmon?
You can always serve your salmon on a bed of roasted veggies like Roasted Asparagus or Roasted Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes and Steamed Jasmine Rice, add it to pasta, grill it, or air fry it. The choice is yours! Here are our recommendations for cooking salmon in a variety of ways.
How to Pan Sear Salmon
- Start by heating some oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Once your pan is hot and the oil is glistening, add your salmon, skin side up. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes before flipping, so the skin side is facing down. You can pour any leftover marinade over the salmon at this point, cooking for a further 3-5 minutes. Keep a close eye on the clock and your salmon to avoid overcooking. Use an instant read meat thermometer to guarantee best results.
- Once your salmon is cooked, the sides of the salmon should have just turned white to indicate that the salmon is cooked. Using a fork, test if the salmon flakes easily. If it isn’t, and the inside of the salmon is still translucent, the fish is undercooked.
How to Bake Salmon at 400F?
First, preheat your oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place your salmon skin side down on the baking sheet. Bake the fish for 12-15 minutes, or until you can easily flake the salmon with a fork. Smaller salmon fillets don’t need as much time to cook.
How to Grill Salmon?
Preheat grill for medium heat. Brush grill grate with oil lightly. Place salmon, skin side up, on the preheated grill. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip. Cook further for 5 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
How to Cook Salmon in Air Fryer?
- Preheat your air fryer to 400° F| 200°C.
- Place the salmon in the air fryer and cook for 7-9 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillet. Check for desired doneness with a fork. It it is not done, cook for another 1-2 minutes.
How Do You Know When Salmon is Done?
The safest internal temperature for salmon – as well as all other types of fish and shellfish – is 145 F. This is the internal temperature of the fish that you should get when testing the fish upon removal from your heat source. We recommend using an instant read meat or food thermometer and poking it into the thickest part of the fillet. Be sure to check our ultimate Temperature Guide to Cook Salmon.
Delicious Salmon Dinner Recipes
- Miso Glazed Salmon
- Creamy Dill Sauce For Salmon
- Pineapple Salmon
- Air Fryer Salmon Burgers
- Bang Bang Salmon
- Teriyaki Salmon
If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐! I will be happy to hear from you!
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Easy Salmon Marinades
Ingredients
Garlic Lemon Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, about 1 freshly squeezed lemon
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Chili Lime Garlic Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup lime juice, about 1 freshly squeezed lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Honey Mustard Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce or to taste
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Sweet and Spicy Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha, Asian Chile sauce
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Herby Italian Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes, or to taste
- Salt and pepper, or to taste
Asian Salmon Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine all marinade ingredients in a zip log bag. Add salmon , seal the bag and shake. Place in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.
Baking Salmon:
- Preheat your oven to 400° F| 200°C. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place salmon fillet, skin side down, on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until is opaque and flaky when pulled apart with a fork.
Pan Searing Salmon:
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the salmon fillet so that skin side is facing up. Cook, without moving, until golden, about 4 minutes. Then flip the fillet and reduce the heat to medium. Cook further for 3-5 minutes, or until your desired doneness. Transfer to a plate and serve.
Grilling Salmon:
- Preheat grill for medium heat. Brush grill grate with oil lightly. Place salmon, skin side up, on the preheated grill. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip. Cook further for 5 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
Air Frying:
- Preheat your air fryer to 400° F| 200°C.
- Place the salmon in the air fryer and cook for 7-9 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillet. Check for desired doneness with a fork. It it is not done, cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I tried the Asian one, and wow—it was SO good! The salmon was flavorful, juicy, and caramelized perfectly. Can’t wait to try the others!
That’s amazing, Nina! So happy you enjoyed it—let us know which marinade is your favorite!
The Sweet and Spicy marinade has become a weekly staple. Until now I have struggled with finding ways to grill wild caught salmon that makes me WANT to eat it, and not just tolerate it. Thanks for that!
Hi Susan! That’s amazing to hear! 😊 Wild-caught salmon can be tricky to get just right, so I’m so glad this marinade makes you want to eat it instead of just tolerate it. Thanks for trying it out and for sharing—I appreciate it!