This broiled spicy salmon recipe is super easy to make and has tons of great flavor. Thanks to a simple marinade of sweet chili sauce, red curry paste and fresh ginger, this spicy baked salmon recipe has the perfect combination of flavor and will easily become your new favorite fish recipe.
What is broiled spicy salmon?
This simple spicy salmon recipe is such a quick and easy way to prepare a flavorful salmon fillet.
It's remnant of firecracker salmon recipe but flavored with a sweet chili sauce that's spiced up with red curry paste and fresh ginger. This flavorful salmon recipe has since become my new favorite way to prepare fresh salmon.
Once the spice mix sauce is poured all over the top of the fish, it's put under the broiler. The sugars from the sauce bubble and caramelize to create a beautifully sticky and spicy sauce that's thick and glossy with lots of flavor.
Before serving, I like to add a squeeze of lime juice, some crispy fired onion bits and some fresh cilantro. With this combo, it's got the perfect sweet, salty, sour and spicy flavorful profile that I love so much.
I like to serve this easy recipe as the main course with a scoop of my refreshing Thai Mango Salad. On the side, I always add a little bit of rice. Doesn't matter if you prefer sushi rice, my rice cooker coconut rice, brown rice or regular ole white rice - it all works!
Although it's best fresh, you can also use the leftovers to create super tasty salmon sushi bowls, too. Top them with your favorite sushi toppings like creamy avocado, english cucumbers, spicy mayo sauce (made with kewpie mayo of course!), and a little bit of soy sauce.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Salmon Fillets: Wild caught fresh salmon is best because it has the most flavor, the best texture, and is sourced the most ethically way possible. I'm personally using Coho Salmon which is a wild caught, cold water, sushi-grade salmon. Just try to avoid farm-raised salmon if you're able to. The quality is inferior and they're not the best tasting fish. If you're confused on what kind to buy, it's definitely best to ask your local fish monger at the seafood counter.
- Sweet Chili Sauce: Sweet Chili Sauce is the perfect Thai sauce that's sweet and slightly spicy. And although it looks like it's filled with tons of red pepper flakes, it's actually not that spicy. The real spice comes from the red curry paste.
- Red Curry Paste: Red Curry Paste adds so much flavor but if you don't have any or don't want it super spicy, you can swap it out for brown sugar or maple syrup and a touch of sesame oil. It will still be sweet and slightly spicy..
- Fresh Ginger: Fresh ginger adds a pop of brightness. It's not totally necessary but it does add a lot of flavor.
- Fresh Lime Juice: If you don't have lime juice, you can swap it for fresh lemon juice. Or you could try a splash of rice vinegar (also known as rice wine vinegar).
- Crispy Fried Onions: I love adding this for crunch but you could add crushed peanuts, or fried garlic bits.
- Cilantro: If you're not a fan of cilantro, swap it out for green onions or sesame seeds.
- Additional Toppings: If you want it even more spicy, try adding some red pepper flakes, thai chilis, sriracha, chili powder or cayenne pepper.
How to make Spicy Salmon
Making this easy salmon recipe is a total breeze! Anyone can do it!
Make the Spicy Marinade: In a small bowl, make the salmon marinade. Combine sweet chili sauce, red curry paste and a little bit of grated ginger. Stir it up and set it aside.
Choose your Baking Dish: You can either bake the raw fish in a baking dish, baking pan or on a baking sheet - basically anything that is oven safe for high temperatures. I also like to line my baking sheets with aluminum foil to make cleanup easier.
Add the Sauce to the Salmon: Once the marinade is ready, place the raw salmon in a single layer on your sheet pan. Pour the spicy sauce on top of the salmon making sure to cover it completely.
Let it Marinate if Prepping Ahead of time: There's no need to marinate it but if you wanted to prep it ahead of time, you can! Simply wrap the marinated salmon fillets in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge for up to 12 hours.
Broil the Salmon: Once you're ready to cook it, either stick it under the broiler immediately. If prepped ahead of time, take the salmon out of the fridge and place on your baking sheet. Let the salmon come to just above room temperature.
Let it Cook: Place salmon mixture in the oven and on the middle rack. Cook it for 13-18 minutes or until it reaches your desired doneness. For flaky thoroughly cooked salmon, you'll want it to reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. For medium cooked salmon, the thermometer should read 125F degrees.
Add the Toppings: Once it's cooked to your liking, add a squeeze of lime juice. Then finish with some fresh cilantro and crispy fried onion bits.
Serve or Save for Later: Serve it up or save it for later. Let it cool then placing it in an airtight container and keep in the fridge.
What to goes with spicy salmon?
if you're looking for an easy weeknight dinner, a great way to serve this spicy salmon recipe is in rice bowls!
I love making my easy rice cooker coconut rice and using it as the base of this spicy salmon bowl.
On top, I add a scoop of my Asian Avocado Salad or my Thai Mango Salad. For sauces, I always add a drizzle of my spicy mayo sauce, creamy sriracha sauce, or this garlic cilantro sauce. You can top with creamy avocado, crunchy cucumber and even a jalapeno slice if you're brave.
And if you're not into raw fish but still love salmon poke bowls, try using this easy recipe instead of the raw salmon.
For more easy salmon recipes, check out my Teriyaki Salmon Sushi Bake, this Sweet Chili Salmon Sushi Bake or the Viral Salmon Sushi Cups.
Recipe
Easy Broiled Spicy Salmon Recipe (Thai Inspired)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 lb Salmon Fillets
- ½ cup Sweet Chili Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Red Curry Paste
- ½ teaspoon Fresh Ginger grated
- ⅓ cup Crispy Fried Onion Bits
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Cilantro roughly chopped
- ½ Lime juiced
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine sweet chili sauce, red curry paste and grated ginger. Mix it up and set aside.
- Place your salmon fillets, skin side down, in an oven safe baking dish or sheet pan.
- Pour the spicy sauce all over the salmon then stick it under the broiler.
- Cook for 13-18 minutes or until cooked through and caramelized. The salmon is done when it's cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
- Once cooked through, remove the salmon from the oven and top with a squeeze of lime juice, cilantro and crispy fried onion bits.
