Chili Maple Salmon

Chili Maple Salmon ~ pan seared salmon with a spicy-sweet 3 ingredient Thai chili – maple glaze. Juicy, flaky salmon perfectly cooked completely in one pan in under 20 minutes!

If you’ve been following a while you may remember our Lake Michigan salmon fishing adventure. We came home with more than 20 pounds of cleaned salmon that lasted for months plus a gorgeous Lake Michigan sunrise, fishing stories to last a lifetime and a really fun day!

Needless to say with that much salmon I created a lot of salmon recipes and tried some from other bloggers’ recipes as well.

This Chili Maple Salmon is my new favorite. It calls for just four ingredients: the salmon plus three everyday staples for the glaze. It’s quick and easy enough for weeknights – gourmet enough to earn you bragging rights with even the most discriminating guests.

This 20 minutes salmon recipe and simple glaze is the perfect combination of spicy and sweet. The hint of Dijon mustard elevates the glaze to restaurant quality.

It’s really delicious and definitely one you’ll want to keep in mind for grilled chicken or shrimp too. 

What’s in chili maple salmon?

1. Salmon filets
2. Sweet Thai chili sauce
3. Maple syrup
4. Dijon mustard

You’ll also need about one tablespoon of oil for the skillet (I used olive oil but any cooking oil you have on hand will work) plus a little salt and pepper for the fish.

sweet thai chili sauce:

Okay let’s talk chili sauce. You’ll want to buy Sweet Thai Chili Sauce, not regular chili sauce. Sweet Thai Chili Sauce will be in the Asian section of the grocery store (any brand will work well).

how to make chili maple salmon:

TIP #1: If your skillet isn’t oven-safe, you can make the salmon on top of the stove and skip broiling OR transfer the fish to a foil lined baking sheet to finish under the broiler.

TIP #2: The salmon cooks really quickly so have your side dishes ready or almost ready when you start cooking the fish.

Whisk the chili sauce, maple syrup and Dijon mustard together in a small bowl then set aside.

Heat the olive oil in an oven-safe nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. See above if you don’t have an oven-safe skillet.

Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel (this will help the salmon sear, not steam), season the flesh side with salt and pepper, then transfer to the skillet skin side UP.

Cook for 4-5 minutes or until seared (the salmon will be cooked about 3/4 of the way through at this point) then turn the salmon over. Brush the top and sides of the salmon with the glaze then pour any remaining glaze around the sides of the salmon. Cook 2-3 more minutes over medium heat or until it’s cooked through.

Broiling is optional, but I like the finish it gives to the glaze. Once the salmon is cooked through, transfer the skillet to the broiler for 1 minute (or less depending on your broiler – watch closely!) then eat right away.

3 tips for the best SALMON:

1. Do a quick check for pin bones before you start cooking the salmon. If yours has any, they’re easily removed with tweezers.
2. Leave the skin on! It protects the fish and helps keep it intact when you turn it.
3. Don’t overcook the salmon. That goes without saying, right? I cook mine to an internal temp of 135° to 140° (max) at the thickest part because A) I’m going to broil it for another minute and B) the salmon will continue to cook after it’s removed from the heat (carry-over cooking).

what goes with this salmon?

I’m a big fan of green beans (these cook in just 6 minutes!). As you can see from the photos, sometimes I’ll add them to the same skillet with the salmon (one less pan to wash!)

Here are few other side dish ideas:

• Coleslaw
• Creamy Gouda Mashed Potatoes – creamy, buttery and loaded with cheesy goodness.
• Rice 
• Baked Potato – air fryer steakhouse style ‘baked’ potatoes. Perfect crispy skin + fluffy soft potato inside.

Looking for more salmon recipes?

Teriyaki Salmon – one pan, 5-ingredient teriyaki glazed salmon in under 20 minutes!

Cucumber Dill Salmon – pan seared salmon topped with a light, creamy cucumber dill sauce.

Honey Mustard Salmon – pan-seared salmon topped with a light, creamy sweet-tangy fresh-herb honey mustard sauce. One reader says: “This turned out absolutely amazing and my family LOVED it!”

Enjoy!

If you tried this Chili Maple Salmon recipe or any other on the blog then I hope you’ll leave a comment and some stars!

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