Sweet Chili Salmon

This no-fuss recipe for Salmon with Sweet Chili Lime Butter and Roasted Broccoli yields perfectly cooked salmon every time. It's a one pan, 40-minute, gluten-free recipe that will make you feel like a kitchen wiz.

Any night that there's a healthy, fresh dinner on the table is a win. But make it a healthy, fresh, insanely delicious dinner, and that's really something worth celebrating.

It's Wednesday morning, so if you're reading this from a desk, treadmill, mass transit commute somewhere, why don't you just go ahead and pull yourself up a virtual stool at our kitchen counter. You deserve a little break.

Frank and I don't turn down a dinner out, but we're also pretty easily sold on the fun of creating our own date night in. And whether that involves a free-form taco night with a few too many perfectly ripe avocados or a more elegant dinner with perfectly cooked salmon fillet, a quiet dinner at home just the two of us can feel pretty special.

What You'll Love

Three words. Sweet Chili Sauce.

I'm working on a theory that goes something like this. Sweet Chili Sauce makes anything good. Check out this tutorial on homemade Thai Sweet Chili Sauce if you want to make it yourself.

Combine it with butter and lime zest and you have a creamy, 3 ingredient sauce that would be amazing over just about anything.

But you'll also love this no fuss method for cooking salmon. Covering it with foil is so much more flexible than other faster cooking methods. Cook it a few minutes too long, and the fish will still be tender and flaky.

Perfect for a date night at home where my charming husband and a glass of wine is likely to make me forget to set a timer until the salmon has already been cooking for 5 minutes (or 10?).

Prep Chili Lime Salmon Ahead

With Valentine's Day on the horizon it's worth mentioning that this is a recipe that would be worthy of a special night at home and can be prepped early in the day for just such an occasion. Just make the recipe right up until it goes back into the oven in Step #5 and refrigerate until you're ready to cook. (It may take a couple extra minutes to cook straight from the refrigerator.)

More Fun Date Night Recipes

• Honey Paprika Broiled Salmon
• Brussels Sprouts, Bacon, and Goat Cheese Pizza
• Braised Red Wine Short Ribs with Parmesan Polenta
• Lemon Chicken Piccata
• Herb Marinated Pork Chops with Apple Chutney
• Sheet Pan Steak and Potatoes
• Creamy Dijon Chicken
• Slow Cooker Puttanesca with Beef

Favorite Tools

• 6-inch Global Knife 
• Cutting Board
• Mixing Bowl
• Half Sheet Pan

Print Recipe

4.50 from 4 votes

Sweet Chili Salmon

This no-fuss, sheet pan salmon dinner is a great one for guests or for a special night-in. It features bold flavor from sweet chili sauce and fresh lime zest.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Main Dish

Keyword: easy dinner, seafood, sheet pan meal

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 373kcal

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $14.00

Equipment

• Mixing Bowl
• Half Sheet Pan

Ingredients

• 2 heads broccoli (about 1.5 pounds total; seems like a lot, but it cooks down)
• 2 Tablespoons cooking oil
• Thai chilis or red jalapeños thinly sliced (optional)
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¼ cup sweet Thai chili sauce (store-bought or homemade)
• 1 small lime, sliced into wedges
• 1 pound salmon
• 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)
• Cooked white or brown rice, for serving (or pineapple coconut rice)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 F. For easy clean-up, line a baking sheet with foil and spray it lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
• While the oven heats, slice the broccoli into long, thin spears that include the stems. (You can also just use the top of the broccoli for florets, but the stems will cook to tender in this recipe so they look and taste delicious.)
• Toss the broccoli spears with cooking oil, chilis, and salt. Spread it out on the prepared pan. Roast the broccoli until it is bright green and starting to brown in spots where it comes in contact with the pan, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile melt the butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the sweet Thai chili sauce.
• When the broccoli has been cooking for 20 minutes, remove it from the oven. Gently turn the broccoli with a spatula and move it to the outside edges of the pan. Place the salmon in the center of the pan. Season the salmon lightly with some salt.
• Pour half of the butter-Thai chili sauce over the top of the salmon. (Reserve the other half.)
• Return the pan to the oven and continue cooking until the salmon is opaque and flaky and the broccoli is tender, 10 to 15 minutes more (depending on thickness of the salmon).
• When the salmon is done cooking, transfer it and the broccoli to a serving platter. Drizzle the entire dish with the remaining butter-Thai chili sauce mixture. Squeeze lime juice over everything.
• Serve salmon and broccoli over rice with cilantro leaves on top.

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 280mg | Potassium: 1554mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 2299IU | Vitamin C: 284mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 3mg