Salmon Recipe (with Soy Glaze)

Our soy-glazed salmon is marinated in soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic, then topped off with crunchy peanuts and a hint of spicy chili crisp for the perfect sweet and savory glazed salmon.

Salmon is a simple protein that goes with just about any meal, and making it in the air fryer with our sweet and savory soy glaze is one of our favorite ways to enjoy it. We gave our air fryer salmon recipe an upgrade with this easy, but incredibly flavorful marinade, so you can enjoy restaurant-quality salmon at home any day of the week.

The combination of soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic infuses a sweet and savory flavor into every bite of the salmon. If you like a little kick, make sure you add the chili crisp to the remaining sauce before spooning it over the hot, freshly air-fried salmon. If you can’t get enough of this soy glaze, try it over our air fryer chicken breast or as a marinade for skirt steak.

How to Make Our Soy Glazed Salmon Recipe

Ingredients

Process

Whisk all marinade ingredients into a small bowl.
Cut into each fillet (in 1 inch increments) until you get to the skin, making sure not to pierce through the skin. Transfer fillets to a resealable bag.

Pour half the marinade over fillets and tightly seal the bag. Marinate salmon for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
Remove salmon from the marinade and pat dry.

Lightly spray air fryer basket with cooking spray (avocado oil is our preference) and add salmon fillets (on their side), curling each fillet. Lightly spray the tops of the salmon.
Air fry at 380˚F for 8 minutes. While the salmon is cooking, pour the remaining marinade into a small pot and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the chili crisp, if using.

Remove salmon from the air fryer and serve, skin-side down with steamed rice.
Spoon reduced marinade/glaze over each fillet and top with crushed peanuts, toasted sesame seeds and green onion. Serve.

Oven Baked Instructions

If you don’t have an air fryer, you can still make this soy-glazed salmon just in the oven! It takes just a little longer but tastes just as amazing. Here are the oven directions:

Prepare the marinade and salmon as directed up to step 6 and preheat the oven to 400°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the salmon on the sheet, skin side down, making sure each piece has 1-2 inches of space around it. Lightly spray the tops with cooking oil.
While the salmon is baking, prepare the rest of the marinade as directed. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cooked through and flaky.
To help the glaze create an extra sticky, caramelized coating, turn the broiler on high for the last 1-2 minutes of baking and broil the salmon. Make sure you watch the salmon very closely to keep the glaze from burning!
Serve as directed.

Hasselback salmon with a soy glaze recipe in two bowls with rice.

Tips and Tricks for Success

Stick to the marinade time frame of 30 minutes to 2 hours. Less than 30 minutes, and the salmon won’t have the chance to soak up all the flavors. After more than 2 hours, the salmon may start to break down, impacting its texture.
Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. For perfectly flakey salmon that’s cooked all the way through, use a meat thermometer to check the thickest part of the fish. Salmon should be cooked to 145°F.
For salmon that looks as good as it tastes, make sure you curl the salmon on its side in the air fryer. This helps all sides cook evenly and looks beautiful when serving.
Keep a close eye on the marinade while you’re simmering it. Letting it simmer for 5-6 minutes should help it thicken up to create a sticky glaze, but it could reduce faster than that, and you don’t want it to become too thick or burn.

Up close on a piece of salmon with a soy glaze i on top of a bed of rice.

Reheating Soy Glazed Salmon

Reheating this salmon recipe needs to be done carefully, since it’s so easy to overcook salmon when reheating it the next day. Overcooked salmon gets tough and dry, which isn’t what we want when enjoying leftovers.

You can reheat this salmon in the air fryer, oven, or in a pan on the stove. The microwave also works, but it’s our least favorite method.

In the air fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 350°F and cook the salmon for 3 to 5 minutes, checking frequently to avoid overcooking.
In the oven: Preheat the oven to 275°F. Gently and loosley wrap the salmon in aluminum foil and place it on a baking sheet. Reheat the salmon for about 10 minutes or until warmed through. The foil helps hold in moisture, preventing the salmon from drying out.
In a pan on the stove: Heat a small amount of oil in a pan over low heat. Add the salmon skin-side down and cover with a lid. Reheat for 5 minutes, or until the salmon is warmed through. You can flip it halfway through to help it heat more evenly.
In the microwave: Place the salmon on a microwave-safe place and cover it loosely with a damp paper towel. Reheat on low, 30 seconds at a time, until heated through.

What to Serve with This Salmon Recipe

For a complete meal, serve this salmon with:

Soy glazed salmon with rice and a bite taken out of the salmon fillet.

More Delicious Salmon Recipes You Will Love

Hungry for more?

Subscribe to never miss a recipe.