This Thai lemongrass salmon comes together fast and cooks at a low temp in lemongrass marinade for maximum flavor and perfectly cooked fish.
Good morning and happy Monday! Everyone have a good weekend? We had Trader Joe's take-out fake-out last night with some of their Lemongrass Chicken Spring Rolls. So crispy, so satisfying, so little effort. And packed with lemongrass flavor which I'm all about this month.
Which brings me to today's recipe. There's loads of flavor in this Thai lemongrass salmon and it's so easy that it's basically begging to be added to the weeknight rotation. If lemongrass is a newer ingredient to you, don't be intimidated. The fresh stalks are long and awkward to squeeze in the fridge, but they're easy to cut down to useful size.
I buy the big green lemongrass stalks for cheap at my local international market, but my usual grocery store also sells pre-chopped short pieces like the ones below.
For more details, check out these great step-by-step photos on how to slice and dice it.
Thai Salmon
Salmon is not traditionally Thai, but we live in such a global world that it was common on menus in Bangkok even when we lived there three years ago. It's great fit in this recipe and holds up incredibly well to the rich flavors of this lemongrass marinade.
This Thai lemongrass salmon is sort of a mash-up of two of my favorite salmon recipes - Toasted Sesame Ginger Salmon (yikes - very old photos over there) and Slow-Cooked Salmon with Chickpeas and Greens. This version has a flavorful marinade and glaze like the sesame ginger version but is cooked low and slow like the version with chickpeas and greens. This turns out to be a pretty foolproof route to flavorful, nicely cooked fish. It works well for a few reasons:
- A quick marinade plus a few slits on the top infuses the fish with flavor
- Low cooking temps prevent overcooking and insure the salmon is cooked through
- A glaze adds a final boost of flavor and color
Marinade for Lemongrass Salmon
Oh friends, THIS marinade. It's tangy and packed with aromatics. It uses dark soy sauce which is easy to find at many grocery stores and certainly at any Asian market. Dark soy sauce is not the same as "dark sweet" soy sauce. Dark soy sauce is not sweet, just more rich in flavor and less intensely salty than the regular variety you probably have in your pantry.
Salmon is quick to absorb the flavors of the marinade, so a 20 minute marinating time is all you need. Just enough time to to make some rice and chop a few veggies to serve with it.
Hope your Monday is full of flavor and good vibes!
More Seafood Favorites
- Broiled Honey Lime Salmon
- Lemony Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Pan Seared Salmon and Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce
- Sheet Pan Jerk Shrimp with Coconut Rice
- Honey Lime Salmon Tacos
- Slow Roasted Halibut with Burst Tomatoes and Gremolata
- Foil-Roasted Salmon with Chickpeas and Greens
- Salmon with Sweet Chili Lime Butter and Roasted Broccoli
- 30 Minute Shrimp Teriyaki Noodle Bowls
Favorite Tools
Lemongrass Baked Salmon
Equipment
- Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce (see note)
- ¼ cup Rice Vinegar
- 1 stalk Lemongrass, very finely sliced
- 2 cloves Shallots, diced
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Ginger, grated
- 1 lb Salmon filets
- 2 tablespoon Honey
- Chopped cilantro, for serving
- Rice and / or vegetables, for serving
Instructions
- Combine dark soy sauce and rice vinegar. Measure out 1 tablespoon and set it aside for the glaze.
- Whisk the remaining dark soy sauce and vinegar with lemongrass, shallots, and ginger.
- Cut a few shallow slits through the thickest part of the salmon (this will help it to cook evenly and help the marinade to fully flavor the fish).
- Combine the salmon and marinade in a baking dish and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 275° F.
- If your salmon is skin-on, turn it so it is skin-side down in the baking dish. Spoon some of the marinade over the top.
- Bake until salmon flakes easily with a fork and is is opaque in the center, 25-35 minutes (will vary depending on thickness).
- Meanwhile, make the glaze by whisking the remaining 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce and vinegar with honey.
- When the salmon is finished cooking, remove it from the oven and flip on the oven's broiler.
- Season the top of the salmon with some salt and pepper. Run the salmon under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes to give it a bit of color.
- Drizzle the top of the salmon with the honey glaze. (I like the chewy texture of the sliced lemongrass, but you can scrape the lemongrass off if you'd prefer. It will still have all that great lemongrass flavor.)
- Serve immediately topped with cilantro. Enjoy with rice and vegetables if you'd like.
Notes
Nutrition
Just an early morning cell phone snap of our happy little Valentines last week. Those balloons have spent the past week being moved into each and every room of our house.
*This post contains affiliate links*
Albert Bevia
This roasted salmon sounds incredible, I´m sure that marinade really takes this up a notch, thank you for the recipe 🙂
Jess
It definitely does, Albert! A good marinade does so much!
Sheila
This looks wonderful and timely as I am running out of ideas for this Lenten season. This is easy and healthy. I am excited to serve this on Friday. I bet my family will love it since they are huge fans of salmon.
Joy
My husband has been on a big fish kick lately. I’ve made salmon already twice the past week, and cod too. I think he’d love this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Jess
Do you eat fish Joy? Or are you just preparing it for the meat-eaters? I wish we ate fish more on the regular. Every time I make salmon, I realize we need to add more to the rotation!
Nancy Cavataio
I want to make this, but the amount of vinegar is not listed. I'm ready, I have all the ingredients! 😊
Jess
Hi Nancy. The rice vinegar is listed in the recipe above - 1/4 cup. Hope you enjoy this as much as we do!
Caroline
Hi, I'm hoping to make this tonight. I think Nancy meant for the glaze. You don't list how much vinegar to use.
Jess Smith
Hi Caroline- that information has been updated in the recipe above. You'll need 1/4 cup vinegar total.
Caroline
Oh nevermind I read the directions more closely. Sorry! Please do not post 🙂
Edward Felici
Hi Jess, well done on making me really crave for salmon now! 🙂 I love salmon but never gave it a Thai spin. I will definitely give try it!
Because soy sauce gives my gf a bit stomach ache, do you have some recommendation for a replacement? I usually use a few drops of Mirin for some oriental taste, but that would make this a Thai-Japanse-Salmon 😛 could be worth a try though!
Anyway, nice idea overall Jess, thanks for that!
Jess
Hi Edward! Have you ever tried Tamari or Bragg's Coconut Aminos as a sub for soy sauce? You can do a 1:1 sub with those. Mirin would be delicious too, and you're right - a nice Asian mash-up!
Edward Felici
Hi Jess, sorry for the late reply, I didn't receive a follow-up message in my inbox for some reason. Mh.. I haven't but thanks so much for suggesting!! I will see If I can find some at the supermarket and report back 🙂 Cheers
Petra
Hello Jess, i love this Salmon recipe, and planning to add this to our Holiday menu list.
I wanted to see what side dish would you recommend to go with this?
I actually like what's photographed. (Carrot and asparagus salad maybe?)
Thanks for your input!
Jess Smith
Yes - I love a quick, simple saute of vegetables, so I've done it with what you see in the photos many times - sautéed carrot ribbons and chopped asparagus. But a fresh salad with a sort of sweet soy Asian-inspired vinaigrette would be great. I also sometimes serve it with really simple roasted broccoli finished with some garlic and lemon or roasted carrots tossed with a bit of honey and soy sauce. Hope that helps!
Petra
Thank you Jess. We will try one of your suggestions. Happy Holidays!
Barbara Clendenning
Hello, do you cook the salmon in the marinade? Otherwise how can you enjoy the crispy lemongrass on the salmon ?
Thank you
Caroline
Hello, I am very excited about trying your recipe. I currently have "fresh" lemongrass paste on hand. Do you know how much I should use in place of the stalk?