Prep: 15 minutes · Marinating: 15 minutes · Cook: 15 minutes · Total: 45 minutes · Serves: 6 · Equipment: rimmed baking sheet, aluminum foil, small saucepan, instant-read thermometer
Bite-size pieces of salmon with dark, sticky edges and a soft, flaky middle, coated in a honey garlic glaze that tastes of fresh ginger and toasted sesame. Underneath, a bed of warm rice. On the side, a pile of thin cucumber slices dressed with soy sauce and rice vinegar, cold and crunchy against the warm fish. That is this honey garlic salmon bowl, and it comes together in about 45 minutes with one sauce doing most of the work.
The salmon is cut into cubes before it cooks, so every piece gets glazed on all sides instead of just the top of a fillet. A short stint under the broiler caramelizes the honey, then the cubes get a final coat of the same sauce, thickened in a small pot. The cucumber salad uses the same pantry ingredients in smaller amounts, so there is nothing extra to buy.
Ingredients
For the salmon and glaze
- 2 lb (900 g) skinless salmon fillet, center cut if possible – center pieces are evenly thick, so the cubes cook at the same rate. Ask the fish counter to remove the skin, or slide a sharp knife between skin and flesh yourself.
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce – the salty, savory base of the glaze. Low-sodium soy sauce works if you prefer a milder result.
- 1/4 cup (85 g) honey – sweetens the sauce and is what browns and turns sticky under the broiler.
- 5 garlic cloves, finely grated – grating rather than chopping lets the garlic melt into the sauce.
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger, from a piece about the size of your thumb – brings heat and freshness.
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar – a little acidity to balance the honey.
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil – strong, so a small amount is enough for its nutty aroma.
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds – for finishing.
For the cucumber salad
- 4 to 5 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced – small, thin-skinned and nearly seedless, so there is no need to peel or seed them. One large English cucumber is a good replacement.
- 2 tbsp soy sauce – seasons the cucumbers in place of salt.
- 1 tsp rice vinegar and 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil – for a light, tangy dressing.
- 1 tsp sesame seeds.
To serve
- 4 1/2 cups cooked rice, warm, from about 1 1/2 cups uncooked – short-grain or jasmine rice both work.
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced.
How to Make It
1. Make the sauce and split it – 5 minutes
Whisk the soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar and sesame oil together in a measuring cup. Pour about a third of it (roughly 1/4 cup) into a large bowl for the marinade. Pour the rest into a small saucepan and set it aside. The sauce in the saucepan should never come into contact with the raw salmon.
2. Cube and marinate the salmon – 15 minutes, in the fridge
Pat the salmon dry and cut it into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes. Add them to the bowl with the marinade, toss to coat and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Every cube should be glossy and evenly coated. Start the rice now if it is not already cooked.
3. Make the cucumber salad – 5 minutes
Toss the sliced cucumbers with the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and sesame seeds in a bowl and keep it in the fridge until serving. The cucumbers will release a little liquid as they sit, which becomes the dressing.
4. Broil the salmon – high, 6 to 8 minutes
Set an oven rack in the top position and heat the broiler to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly oil it. Lift the salmon out of the marinade, letting the excess drip back into the bowl, and spread the cubes on the sheet with space between them. Discard the used marinade. Broil for 6 to 8 minutes, until the edges are browned and caramelized in spots. The salmon is done when the center of a thick cube reads 145°F (63°C), or the flesh is opaque all the way through and separates easily with a fork.
5. Thicken the reserved sauce – medium, 3 to 5 minutes
While the salmon broils, bring the saucepan to a simmer over medium heat and let it bubble gently, stirring often, for 3 to 5 minutes. It is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and looks like a thin syrup; it will thicken more as it cools.
6. Glaze and build the bowls – 3 minutes
Spoon the thickened sauce over the hot salmon and turn the cubes gently to coat. Divide the rice among six bowls, add the salmon and a portion of cucumber salad to each, then scatter over the green onions and the remaining sesame seeds. The salmon should look shiny and sticky, with no thin sauce pooling on the pan.
Why the Sauce Is Split in Two
Using one sauce for both marinating and glazing is what keeps this recipe short, but the portion that has been in contact with raw fish cannot simply be poured over the cooked salmon. Dividing the sauce before the fish goes in solves it: one part flavors the salmon and is thrown away, the other stays clean and turns into the glaze.
Splitting it also gives you better texture. Honey burns quickly under a broiler. With only a thin coat of marinade on the cubes, the edges caramelize in the 6 to 8 minutes it takes the salmon to cook, without turning bitter. The thick, glossy layer you see in the bowl comes afterwards, from the reserved sauce reduced in the saucepan, which is concentrated enough to cling to each piece.
The cubes themselves matter as much as the sauce. A 1-inch piece of salmon cooks through in the time the outside needs to brown, and it has six sides for the glaze to stick to. A whole fillet under the broiler would need longer, and only its top would get the sticky finish.
Other Ways to Cook the Salmon
The broiler is the fastest way to cook the full 2 pounds in one batch, but it is not the only option. Whatever the method, use the same doneness check: 145°F (63°C) in the center, the temperature the FoodSafety.gov minimum internal temperature chart gives for fish, or flesh that is opaque and flakes easily.
| Method | Heat and time | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Broiler | High, top rack, 6 to 8 minutes | The most caramelized edges; cooks the whole batch at once |
| Air fryer | 390°F (200°C), 7 to 9 minutes, in a single layer | Crisp corners and a very juicy center; usually needs two batches for 2 lb |
| Skillet | Medium-high, a little neutral oil, 4 to 5 minutes, turning | Even browning on several sides; cook in batches so the pan stays hot |
In the skillet, keep the heat at medium-high rather than high. The honey in the marinade scorches quickly on direct contact with the pan, and a burnt coating sticks and tastes bitter.
Building the Bowl and Storing Leftovers
The bowl is flexible. Brown rice or cauliflower rice can replace the white rice, and shelled edamame, shredded carrots or sliced avocado all fit next to the cucumbers. For more heat, stir a little chili crisp or sriracha into the reserved sauce before it simmers. A spoonful of homemade kimchi on the side adds a sour, spicy contrast to the sweet glaze.
The cucumber salad is best within a few hours. Cucumbers keep releasing water, so after a day it turns softer and the dressing gets diluted. If you want to prepare it ahead, slice the cucumbers and keep the dressing separately, then combine them just before serving.
Store the salmon and the rice in separate airtight containers in the fridge and eat them within 2 days. Cooked fish dries out quickly when reheated, so warm it gently: a short time in the microwave at medium power, or in a covered skillet over low heat with a spoonful of water. The salmon is also good cold, flaked over rice and cucumbers like a poke-style lunch.
If you like salmon dinners with little cleanup, try the baked salmon in foil packs with asparagus. For another sticky, glazed main with Asian flavors, the gochujang glazed chicken wings use a similar sweet and savory balance, and steamed cabbage dumplings make a light starter. You can find more weeknight ideas among the dinner recipes.
Honey Garlic Salmon Bowl
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk the soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar and sesame oil together. Pour about a third (roughly 1/4 cup) into a large bowl for the marinade and the rest into a small saucepan. Keep the saucepan portion away from the raw salmon.
- Pat the salmon dry, cut it into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes and toss with the marinade. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Cook the rice now if needed.
- Toss the cucumbers with the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Refrigerate until serving.
- Set a rack in the top position and heat the broiler to high. Spread the salmon on a lightly oiled, foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, letting excess marinade drip off, and discard the used marinade. Broil 6 to 8 minutes, until browned at the edges and 145°F (63°C) in the center, or opaque and flaking easily.
- Meanwhile, simmer the reserved sauce over medium heat, stirring often, for 3 to 5 minutes, until it coats the back of a spoon.
- Spoon the thickened sauce over the hot salmon and toss gently. Divide the rice among 6 bowls, top with the salmon and cucumber salad, and sprinkle with green onions and the remaining sesame seeds.