30-Minute Garlic Ginger Glazed Salmon (Gluten Free!)

This 30-minute garlic ginger glazed salmon is the new easy salmon recipe you need in your weekly meal rotation! It comes together quickly (no marinade time!) and is made with just a handful of pantry staples. The recipe makes two servings but can easily be doubled to serve four. Gluten free, soy free, and naturally sweetened with a bit of honey!

The best glazed garlic ginger salmon

Have you tried baking salmon yet? It’s by far one of our favorite ways to prepare it. Both for ease of clean up and how tender and evenly cooked it is – every time!

This baked garlic ginger glazed salmon is a new weeknight front-runner at our house, and I can’t wait for you to make it, too!

It comes together in just 30 minutes and is infused with so much flavor without a bit of marinating time. The sauce gently glazes the salmon filet as it cooks (you’ll take it out of the oven a couple of times to spoon the sauce over the top to help with that), concentrating the flavor even more.

The recipe is written for just two servings, but it can easily be doubled to serve more (I include instructions for how to increase the sauce per pound of salmon below)!

Rice and a simple side dish like our Crunchy Sesame Cucumber Salad are all it takes to make it a complete meal. It would also pair beautifully with a variety of other types of side dishes!

If you’re on team baked salmon like us, be sure to check out some of our other salmon recipes like this Lemon Garlic Baked Salmon, this Maple Pecan Glazed Salmon, or our 30-Minute Baked Buffalo Salmon!

Recipe testing notes

Whole piece of salmon vs individual filets

For the most part, I’ve shared recipes for baked salmon using individual filets. But, I chose to use a single large filet for this recipe since it only makes two servings.

However, it totally can be made with individual filets instead of one larger piece! The choice is up to you. I’ve tested it both ways, and both are delicious.

If you’re using individual filets, the cooking time will likely be 2-3 minutes shorter. 

Baking instead of searing

In some cases, like this Buffalo Baked Salmon, I would sear the salmon before baking it in the oven. That is typically when I want to encourage more caramelization on the salmon before it bakes.

But because the sauce for this recipe has honey in it and will be spooned over the filet as it cooks, you’ll get plenty of concentration of flavor just from the time it spends in the oven as the sugars caramelize.

Why not marinate the salmon before cooking?

Simply put, it’s not necessary to infuse the salmon with flavor!

The sauce is bold enough to penetrate the fish with loads of flavor as it bakes, making marinating irrelevant.

Skin on vs skin off

I tested this recipe with skin-on and skinless salmon to see if there was a notable difference and found that both turned out beautifully. So either option is a good choice!

Generally, I leave the skin on when cooking salmon as it helps keep the fish moist during cooking. But because the salmon is baked with a saucy glaze, it stayed moist both ways.

If you are baking the salmon with the skin on, the flesh will slide away from the skin once it’s done cooking for easy serving.

Ingredients

This baked salmon recipe is gluten free, soy free, and naturally sweetened! You can find the full list of ingredients, along with measurements, in the recipe card below. These are my ingredient notes and recommendations!

Salmon

For even cooking, I like to use a center-cut piece of salmon as pictured in the photos. Center-cut salmon is the thicker part of the filet that doesn’t taper off to a thinner section on one side.

But some folks prefer the pieces with varying thickness – so feel free to use whatever you enjoy!

Coconut aminos

Coconut aminos are used instead of soy sauce for this glazed salmon.

If you’re unfamiliar with them, coconut aminos are a gluten-free soy sauce substitute made from coconut nectar with the same umami-rich flavor but less sodium and a bit of sweetness.

Gluten free soy sauce (tamari) can be used instead.

Rice vinegar

For a bit of bright acidity.

Lime juice would be a suitable substitute.

Honey

To round out the rice vinegar and help the sauce to caramelize and coat the salmon in a savory, sticky glaze.

Hot sauce

Hot sauce is an optional addition to the sauce if spicy food isn’t your thing.

Sesame oil

For a bit of richness and a nutty flavor.

Freshly grated garlic and ginger

Garlic and ginger infuse the sauce with some impressive flavor.

I prefer to grate them both using a small microplane for a sauce like this. They can be finely chopped if you don’t have a microplane!

Sesame seeds

Sesame seeds are added to the sauce with all the other glaze ingredients for texture and nutty flavor.

Green onion

Also called scallions, a few green onions are cut into one-inch pieces and baked alongside the salmon.

They add a subtle flavor and are delicious once cooked, but can be skipped if you don’t have any on hand.

How to make 30-minute garlic ginger salmon

From start to finish this salmon comes together in right around 30 minutes! I always suggest reading through the recipe at least once before you start.

Step 1: Prep salmon

Pat salmon dry and season lightly with kosher salt. Line a small baking dish or oven safe skillet with parchment paper and place salmon filet on top of the parchment.

Step 2: Whisk sauce together

In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients until well combined. Add the cut green onions and stir once more.

Step 3: Bake salmon

Pour the glaze over the salmon. Transfer to the oven and bake, stopping about halfway through to spoon the glaze over the top. Remove from the oven and increase the heat, spoon the glaze over the salmon once more, and return to the oven to bake until cooked through and starting to caramelize.

Step 4: Serve and enjoy!

Garnish with some additional sesame seeds and thinly sliced onions if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Adjusting the amount of salmon

The recipe uses 3/4 pounds of salmon – enough for 2 servings.

If you want to increase the amount of salmon, the same amount of sauce can be used for up to 1 pound to serve 3 or maybe even 4 people.

To serve 4-5 people with 1 1/2 pounds of salmon, I suggest doubling the entire recipe – salmon and sauce both.

If doubling the recipe and using one large filet of salmon, you will need to increase the baking time to 20-25 minutes.

Serving suggestions

We love to serve this salmon with white rice and a simple veggie side dish like this Crunchy Sesame Cucumber Salad, roasted broccolini, or Roasted Asparagus.

It would also be delicious with a simple green salad, over cauliflower rice, fried rice, or your favorite noodle stir fry!

Storage and reheating

Salmon recipes like this are generally best enjoyed right out of the oven, but it can be stored and reheated if you have leftovers!

Storage:

To store in the refrigerator, allow it to cool completely and transfer to an airtight container before moving to the fridge. It should keep for 3-4 days.

Reheating:

My favorite way to reheat salmon is in the oven on medium low heat – somewhere between 325° – 350° F. At that temp it should be warmed through in about 6-8 minutes. A toaster oven will work in the same way.

You can also reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until warmed through.

If you enjoyed this recipe, we’d love it if you would take 5 seconds to rate and review it below! It’s also super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe. 

Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!

And be sure to check out our other salmon recipes for more inspiration!

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