Salmon Recipes: 20-Minute Honey Soy Salmon with Asparagus

Oct 17

2 min read

Updated: 15 hours ago

Sheet pan honey soy glazed salmon fillets with roasted asparagus, sesame seeds and lemon wedges

One sheet pan, 20 minutes

A three-ingredient glaze, one sheet pan and twenty minutes. The trick that makes it taste like a restaurant dish is holding back half the glaze and brushing it on at the end — the first half caramelises in the oven, the second half goes on fresh and stays glossy. Asparagus roasts alongside in the same time.

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Why this one works

Half the glaze before, half after. Glaze that spends 14 minutes in a hot oven loses its shine and sweetness.
Asparagus and salmon happen to cook in exactly the same window, which is why this pairing keeps showing up.
Only six ingredients, and five of them are pantry staples.

At a glance

Prep time: 6 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Protein: 38g per serving
Calories: 432 per serving

Ingredients

Honey soy glaze

3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, grated
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp rice vinegar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Sheet pan

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4 salmon fillets, about 6 oz (170g) each
1 lb (450g) asparagus, woody ends snapped off
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

To finish

Toasted sesame seeds
Sliced green onions
Lemon wedges

Instructions

Heat the oven hot. Preheat to 425F / 220C and line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment or foil — the honey will stick to a bare pan.
Mix the glaze. Whisk the honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar and red pepper flakes together. Pour half into a separate small bowl and set it aside for later.
Prep the pan. Toss the asparagus with the olive oil, salt and pepper and spread it down one side of the pan. Pat the salmon dry and lay the fillets on the other side, leaving space between everything.
Glaze and roast. Brush the salmon generously with the first half of the glaze. Roast for 12 to 14 minutes, until the salmon flakes at the thickest part and reads 130F / 54C, and the asparagus tips are just starting to char.
Finish with fresh glaze. Pull the pan out and brush the reserved glaze over the hot salmon. It will go glossy immediately and stay that way on the plate.
Serve. Scatter with sesame seeds and green onions and serve with lemon wedges straight from the pan.

Notes and swaps

Thin asparagus cooks faster than salmon. If yours is pencil-thin, add it to the pan 5 minutes in.
Broil for the last 90 seconds if you want the glaze properly bubbling and caramelised at the edges.
The glaze works just as well on chicken thighs; they need 25 minutes instead.