These Baked Salmon Bites are coated in a delicious mixture of spices and herbs, and a sticky-sweet honey hot sauce blend. They're the perfect mix of spicy, herbaceous, savory, tangy, and sweet! These tasty bites come together in under 30 minutes, including all the prep time, and are SO delicious!
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Whenever we have a hankering for getting takeout because it's quick and easy, I keep this recipe in mind, because it hits all the right flavor notes, and is so easy and satisfying to make.
We love a meal that's ready in 30 minutes, but it also has to deliver on flavor, or it won't make it in regular rotation in our house. We think once you try this one, you'll feel similarly about this recipe too!
Love sweet and savory recipes? This recipe was inspired by our honey sriracha shrimp and our hot honey wings! You may also enjoy this hot honey pepperoni goat cheese dip.
Jump to:
🧄🌶️Ingredients
Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information on substitutions below.
- Seasonings. We used a blend of fresh thyme, dried garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes to create a savory, smoky, and slightly spicy flavor profile. You can add or remove seasonings as you see fit.
- Lemon. If possible, use an organic lemon because we will be using both the juice and the zest.
- Hot sauce. We used this sweet and spicy hot sauce by Tabanero. You can use any hot sauce you want for this, but we chose this hot sauce in particular because it complements this dish perfectly. It includes red habanero peppers, carrots, onions, garlic, key lime juice, and agave nectar, and makes for a really complex and delicious flavor profile. We used a spicier version of this hot sauce in our spicy chicken noodle soup.
- Garlic. Freshly minced is best.
- Salmon. If frozen, make sure to thaw it and remove the skin. We'll show you an easy way to remove the salmon skin.
Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.
✨Substitutions & Variations
- Swap the lemon. Feel free to use lime instead of lemon.
- Different herbs. Any herb of choice would go great in this recipe. Basil, cilantro, and rosemary would all work great in this recipe!
- Buttery. Instead of oil, you could use butter to coat the salmon for lots of extra delicious flavor.
- Swap the sweetener. Feel free to use agave nectar or maple syrup instead of honey if you prefer.
- Different hot sauce. You can use any hot sauce of your choosing for this tasty recipe.
This recipe hasn't been tested with any other substitutions or variations, so we can't guarantee any results. If you make a change, let us know how it goes in the comments below!
🔪Prep Work
- Mince garlic.
- Remove thyme from the stems.
- Zest and juice a lemon.
- Measure out the remaining seasonings and ingredients.
- Preheat an oven or air fryer to 425°F.
- Remove the skin from the salmon and cut it into bite-sized chunks. (See step-by-step on an easy way to do this below!)
How to Remove Salmon Skin (the easy way!)
- Step 1: Place the salmon fillets skin side up on a cooling rack on top of a baking pan. Pour boiling hot water over the salmon skin for 5-10 seconds until the salmon visibly shrinks a bit.
- Step 2: Gently peel the skin loose from the thickest part of the salmon, and peel the skin back. The skin should come right off!
Instructions
Season salmon
Season the salmon with the dry seasonings, salt, minced garlic, lemon zest, optional thyme, and oil. Toss to coat well.
Mix glaze
Whisk together hot sauce, honey, and lemon juice.
Coat salmon with glaze
Coat the salmon pieces with about half of the glaze, reserving some for serving later.
Cook the salmon
Cook the salmon using your preferred method until it is cooked to your liking. This should only take about 8-12 minutes. You're aiming for an internal temperature of 120-125°F for the salmon!
Pro Tip
Keep a close eye on the salmon while it cooks; it doesn't take long for these small bites of fish to cook to perfection, and we want to avoid overcooking! You can use a thermometer to monitor the temperature while the fish cooks, so you don't overcook it.
Serve
Add the rest of the glaze to the salmon, serve, and enjoy!
🍴Pairing
Here are a few sides that pair well with these salmon bites.
Storage
Fridge Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. To freeze, allow the fish to cool off completely, then freeze solid before transferring to a freezer-safe container and storing for up to 2 months. The texture may change when reheating.
Reheating
Reheat very gently in the microwave on 50% power, in the oven, or in the air fryer until warmed through. Keep in mind that the fish will continue to cook each time you reheat it.
Expert Tips
- Don't overcook the salmon. Salmon cooks quickly, so we recommend keeping an eye on the temperature with a thermometer to avoid overcooking. We'd recommend aiming for 120-125°F for a perfect cook.
- Adjust the seasonings to taste. Add hot sauce and spicy seasonings to taste. The amount of heat you want is entirely up to you.
💬Common Questions
Sure! We love crispy salmon skin, it's so delicious. If you decide to do this, flip the salmon bites halfway through to ensure crispy skin, or finish the salmon bites in a pan to sear the skin.
More Recipes To Try
Looking for more delicious desserts to try? Here are a few!
🌟Leave a review!
Make sure to leave a 5-star review below! This helps other readers find our recipes via Google, and encourages them to try them. Also be sure to leave a comment with your experience!
Take a photo and share with us by tagging us on Instagram or follow along on Pinterest for more ideas!
📖 Recipe
Sweet and Spicy Salmon Bites
Equipment
Ingredients
Salmon
- 1 pound salmon cut into chunks and skin removed
- 1 tablespoon oil
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt to taste
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional and to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1-2 teaspoons fresh thyme optional can sub for dried
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
Sauce
- 3-4 tablespoons hot sauce to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons honey to taste
- Juice of ½ a lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven or air fryer to 425°F. Season the salmon with all of the seasonings, fresh thyme, minced garlic, lemon zest, and drizzle with oil. Toss well to coat.1 pound salmon, 1 tablespoon oil, Zest of 1 lemon, 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon oregano, 3-4 cloves garlic, 1-2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- In a small bowl, combine hot sauce, honey, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings.3-4 tablespoons hot sauce, 2-3 tablespoons honey, Juice of ½ a lemon
- Drizzle the salmon pieces with about half of the sauce, reserving half for serving.
- Air fry or bake for 8-12 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer reads 120-125°F when inserted into the salmon.
- Drizzle with the rest of the sauce, and enjoy right away!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Notes
- Don't overcook the salmon. Salmon cooks quickly, so we recommend keeping an eye on the temperature with a thermometer to avoid overcooking. We'd recommend aiming for 120-125°F for a perfect cook.
- Adjust the seasonings to taste. Add hot sauce and spicy seasonings to taste. The amount of heat you want is entirely up to you.
Briana says
These salmon bites are soooo delicious and save us from getting takeout all the time. They're so easy to make, we love them!