Pan-seared maple soy salmon is every bit tender, flaky, and delicious. A flavorful combination of maple and soy in the marinade brings the perfect balance of sweet and salty to this dish and it’s super easy to make.
Why this recipe works
This maple soy salmon is infused with full-bodied soy sauce and sweet maple syrup creating a sticky sweet and salty combo of flavors that complement each other so well. Get ready for incredibly flaky and succulent maple salmon to become a staple on your dinner menu rotation.
Salmon is a highly versatile dish. It can be grilled, pan-seared, broiled, or baked and topped with a creamy lemon sauce as we did in our baked salmon recipe. It can also be smothered in marinades of all sorts. What’s not to love about salmons’ many-sided flavor profiles and rich nutrient base?
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
SALMON – Center cut salmon provides uniform thickness between your filets. Use a sharp chef’s knife to slice the filet into 4 smaller filets weighing about 8 ounces each. We highly recommend using fresh salmon over frozen. If you do have frozen salmon, allow it to fully thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
How to Make Maple Soy Salmon
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Combine marinade ingredients and pour into a 13×9 baking dish.
- Lay salmon filets, skin side up in marinade and allow to marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Heat olive oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Remove fish from marinade and lay skin side up in skillet, cook about 2-3 minutes to sear.
- Meanwhile, transfer marinade from the pan into a saucepan and set aside, do not discard.
- Turn fish over so that it is skin side down. Brush filets with marinade to coat.
- Place skillet in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, uncovered.
- Meanwhile, bring marinade in saucepan to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally until the marinade thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove salmon from oven and brush with sauce. Garnish with green onions or parsley.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
To test your filets for doneness, gently press your finger (or the tip of a knife if it’s too hot) onto the top center or thickest part of the filet – if it begins to flake or separate then it is done cooking. If you overcook the filets, they will be dry and overly flaky. You may also use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness, salmon is finished when it reaches 125-135F in the thickest part of the filet.
Store leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Serving Suggestions
Maple soy salmon can be served over a bed of rice with sides like roasted veggies (green beans, broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, potatoes) or a leafy dinner salad. Crumbled leftover salmon makes a great addition to salad or pasta dishes.
We recommend serving each filet on its own plate because the syrup causes the skin side to be sticky. However, if you would like to present your filets on a platter, it’s best to lay a piece of waxed paper down first. We love that the syrup causes the skin to stick a bit to the plate as it makes it so easy for the fish to separate from the skin.
More Salmon Recipes
- Grilled Salmon
- Baked Salmon
- Poached Salmon
- Dijon Lemon Caper Salmon
- Sheet Pan Salmon Dinner
- Cedar Plank Salmon
- Lemon Salmon
- Instant Pot Salmon
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Maple Soy Salmon
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 2 lbs center cut salmon cut into 4 filets
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
Marinade
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- ½ Tbsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- green onion sliced for garnish, optional
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- To test your filets for doneness, gently press your finger (or the tip of a knife if it’s too hot) onto the top center or thickest part of the filet – if it begins to flake or separate then it is done cooking. If you overcook the filets, they will be dry and overly flaky. You may also use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness, salmon is finished when it reaches 125-135F in the thickest part of the filet.
- If you prefer you can make your sauce thinner, the thicker the sauce the bolder the flavor.
- If you don’t have an oven-proof skillet, salmon can be baked in a casserole or baking dish.
- We recommend serving each filet on its own plate because the syrup causes the skin side to be sticky. However, if you would like to present your filets on a platter, it’s best to lay a piece of waxed paper down first. We love that the syrup causes the skin to stick a bit to the plate as it makes it so easy for the fish to separate from the skin.
- Serve over a bed of rice with sides like roasted veggies (green beans, broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, potatoes) or a leafy dinner salad. Crumbled leftover salmon makes a great addition to salad or pasta dishes.
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Combine marinade ingredients and pour into a 13×9 baking dish.
- Lay salmon filets, skin side up in marinade and allow to marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Heat olive oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Remove fish from marinade and lay skin side up in skillet, cook about 2-3 minutes to sear.
- Meanwhile, transfer marinade from the pan into a saucepan and set aside, do not discard.
- Turn fish over so that it is skin side down. Brush filets with marinade to coat.
- Place skillet in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, uncovered.
- Meanwhile, bring marinade in saucepan to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. When mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally until marinade thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove salmon from oven and brush with sauce. Garnish with green onions or parsley.
Nutrition
Chef Antoine Davis
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Joan says
Can this be air fried instead?
Amanda Formaro says
We haven’t tested that, but I think it could work. Cook the marinated salmon in the air fryer (try these instructions https://amandascookin.com/air-fryer-salmon/ ) and reduce the sauce on the stovetop in a saucepan.
Darius S Ryfa says
I tried this this past weekend but substituted it for fresh Stripped bass we caught, It was totally amazing . Thank you for the recipe.
Amanda Formaro says
Sounds delicious, so glad you loved it!
Deane Davis says
I love this recipe!!!! Not a big salmon eater but will become one now.
Think I will add a little fresh Ginger root to next batch.
Thank you so much….I licked my plate…ha!