Simple Sesame Ginger Salmon

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A long time ago, this mysterious delicious sauce showed up on grocery store shelves and changed the marinade game in the kosher space for good…that’s right, i’m looking at you Soy Vay.  It’s so good, but I wanted to give you an alternative (and a little bit fancier) recipe that you can keep in your back pocket that uses pantry ingredients and is made just as quickly.  Sesame ginger salmon with roasted broccoli is that recipe.

I made this recipe up one day when I had Soy Vay salmon on the menu, looked in my pantry and didn’t have any of it left (should have taken my own advice about planning for grocery trips, oops).  So I looked in my pantry and fridge and made up my own marinade…and it got rave reviews!  My husband said it was one of the best ways I had made salmon in a long time and the littlest little literally had 4 servings…they could not get enough.

That’s when I knew I had a winner on my hands!

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How do I know what kind of salmon to buy?

There are two things to think about when buying salmon:

1. Fresh or frozen?
2. Wild caught or farm raised?

Everyone has a different opinion on this and if you already have a type of salmon you like, I want you to use that.  If you don’t here’s what I do.

Fresh vs. frozen

I like to buy fresh salmon at Costco.  A big old slab of it, normally 2.5-3 lbs in a package.  When I get home I portion it out…sometimes in two smaller slabs, sometimes into smaller fillets.  Then I wrap it well in plastic wrap and store the part I don’t need that day in the freezer until I need it.  

I’m not a big fan of buying frozen salmon at the grocery store.  Maybe I haven’t had great luck, or maybe I’m too picky, but I find the texture and smell a bit off everytime I try.  Sure it would be a bit simpler, but cutting up the big slab to the sizes we need also leads to less waste in our house.

Farm raised vs. wild caught

Our family prefers farm raised Atlantic salmon to most of the wild caught varieties for two main reasons.  First, it’s significantly less expensive and much easier to find at the grocery. Second, it has a milder flavor than the wild caught salmon, which we happen to like.

If you want more information on the different types of wild caught salmon, check out this article from Food & Wine.  This sesame ginger salmon recipe will work with any type of salmon you choose, because it’s really about a cooking method, rather than a precise recipe.

Can you scale this recipe to feed a big crowd?

Definitely.  Just double the recipe and grab an extra sheet pan.  Salmon is a great fish to feed a crowd. Most people will eat it.  It cooks relatively quickly in the oven and you can add a ton of great sides to make a simple, healthy and delicious meal.

Another thing that’s great about sesame ginger salmon is that it doesn’t need to be served piping hot.  You could put this recipe out on a buffet and your guests can eat it at their leisure.

Doubling the recipe might be smart even if you aren’t serving a crowd.  This salmon makes great leftovers and would be perfect if you meal prep lunches.  Put this salmon on a salad, over sesame noodles, or flaked on a flatbread for easy lunches all week long.

You could even re-purpose the cooked sesame ginger salmon into Asian salmon cakes…yum.  I think I might have to perfect a recipe for this and share it with you in the future. 

How do you make sesame ginger salmon?

This is one of those recipes that’s not really a recipe but more of a method.

Before you get started, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray it with nonstick spray.

You’ll make the marinade first, then prep the salmon, spread the marinade on the salmon and then cook it.

To make the marinade, simply add all the ingredients to a small bowl or glass measuring cup and whisk with a fork to combine.

Place the piece of fish on the prepared baking sheet, then, pat it dry with a paper towel.  If you are cooking the whole piece of fish, I suggest scoring it so that it’s easier to serve once cooked.  Additionally, it allows the marinade to really get into all the nooks and crannies and flavor the entire piece of fish.

Then, cover the fish in the marinade by pouring it over the fish and spreading a silicone pastry brush or back of a spoon.

Put it in the oven and cook for about 10-15 minutes.  If you are cooking smaller portions or have cut the big piece of fish into fillets, you’ll want to start watching it after 10 minutes. 

If you are cooking the whole piece of fish, you may need to add 5 minutes. You’ll want the fish to just be cooked through (so that it turns opaque all the way through), being careful not to overcook it.

Remove from the oven and serve with roasted broccoli and sesame noodles for delicious, simple dinner.

Tips and Tricks:

• You can make elements of this dinner ahead of time in order to have dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less the day you are serving it.  You’ll want to prep the broccoli, the marinade and the sesame noodles ahead of time. Then the day you are serving this, just sauce the salmon and roast the broccoli at the same time. 
• I like to buy my salmon at Costco in large pieces (typically 2-3llbs) and cut it into meal sized portions.  I then wrap it well in plastic wrap and freeze until the day I’m going to use it.
• Don’t have one of the ingredients in the marinade?  You can always substitute another sauce with a similar flavor profile that you might have on your refrigerator door.  Think teriyaki sauce, sesame ginger salad dressing, etc.

Looking for other simple recipes using fish? Check these out!

• salmon patties
• fish tacos
• tiny tuna melts

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