Delicate and flaky, this orange glazed salmon with soy and brown sugar will impress even the fussiest of all eaters! Marinating the fish for only 20 minutes yields super tender, melt-in-your-mouth salmon wrapped in wonderful flavours. And the thick, glossy glaze with contrasting white and black sesame seeds makes it look soooooo pretty! Even with marinating, it takes less than an hour to prepare, so you can easily enjoy this fabulous dinner on a busy week day 🙂
The Flavour Affair:
Salmon + Orange Juice + Soy Sauce + Brown sugar + Lime + Sesame seeds
In fact, I came up with this recipe after making salmon tataki. I used the same ingredients for the tataki dressing but wanted to also be able to enjoy them in a more substantial meal. Turns out, it doesn’t get any easier!
Salmon: fatty, meaty, subtly sweet salmon pairs extremely well with sweet, salty or savory ingredients. You can use either fresh or frozen salmon. If using frozen, slow defrost it by taking out of the freezer and placing into the fridge overnight.
Orange juice: adds a distinctive yet mild and sweet citrusy notes that goes so well with salmon. If possible, use freshly squeezed orange juice – it has less sugar content and more of the original flavour.
Soy sauce: adds a savory, salty element with hints of umami.
Brown sugar: balances the soy sauce with sweetness and helps thicken the glaze. I always choose sugar over honey in recipes like this because heating honey may release harmful toxins.
Lime: a little lime juice adds brightness and tang and livens up the overall flavour.
Sesame seeds: work perfectly with soy sauce and orange and finish it off with a nice crunch.
Preparation tips for orange glazed salmon:
- Use pieces that are about the same thickness. Fillets from the middle part are optimal.
- Spare 20 minutes to marinate the fish – it will improve both taste and texture.
- Be careful to not overcook the fish. Salmon is best enjoyed when still a tiny bit pink inside, so bake for 15 minutes, then poke with a fork to evaluate whether it needs another couple of minutes. When cooked for just the right amount of time, it will be flaky and juicy with a delicate peachy colour:
- When reducing the sauce, keep the heat on medium. Doing this over high heat may result in soy sauce burning.
- Use a silicon brush to quickly smear the glaze all over.
Serving suggestions:
This kind of salmon goes really well with simple white rice, steamed vegetables like green beans or broccoli, sauteed spinach or kale or simple fresh greens. That said, a citrusy salad like this Orange, Avocado and Tomatoes Salad makes the whole dish even more fabulous!
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Orange Glazed Salmon
Equipment
- 1 baking tray
- 1 small pan
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets approx 200g each
- 1/2 cups orange juice
- 1/2 cups soy sauce
- 1/2 lime juice of
- 10 g brown sugar
- 1 tbsp mixed white and black sesame seeds
Instructions
- Mix together soy sauce, orange and lime juices and brown sugar. Whisk well to dissolve the sugar.
- Place salmon fillets into a large ziplock bag. Pour in the marinade and leave for 20 minutes in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 180C.
- Take the fillets out of the ziplock bag (keep the marinade!). Line a baking tray with parchment paper, arrange the fillets and bake for 15-20 minutes. Check for readiness after 15 minutes by gently opening the flesh with the fork. Inside it should be juicy with a soft peachy colour.
- Heat a small frying pan to medium.
- Pour in the marinade, bring to boil and reduce over medium heat until thickened.
- Brush the ready fillets with the glaze and top with toasted sesame seeds.
- Serve with rice, steamed or sauteed vegetables or a salad.
