Pan-Seared Salmon Bites with Honey Sesame Soy Sauce

Published June 22, 2022. Last updated April 25, 2023 By Elizabeth Lindemann / This post may contain affiliate links.

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5 from 49 votes

Salmon bites is an easy 5-ingredient, 10-minute recipe, featuring cubed salmon marinated in a simple honey sesame soy sauce and pan-seared to crispy perfection! Since marinating is optional, you can whip this up at a moment’s notice, and you’ll want to put the marinade on everything.

Close up photo of salmon bites in a white bowl with green onions and sesame seeds on top.

Salmon is one of my favorite proteins to cook. It’s loaded with nutrition, including good-for-you omega 3s and Vitamin D, and it’s easily accessible at any grocery store.

It’s not super expensive, but it’s not super cheap either. So I love cubing the salmon into bite-size pieces to make salmon bites. Somehow, cooking smaller pieces seems to make it go further.

Maybe it’s because each little salmon nugget is so satisfying, wrapped in tons of flavor from the sauce and seared to crispy perfection. It also means you can buy any kind that’s cheap, because you don’t need huge beautiful thick fillets for this, which are usually more expensive.

The marinade is the same that I use for searing ahi tuna – a simple mixture of soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and honey.

These salmon bites are perfect served in a salmon bowl, with cooked rice and some sautéed veggies. I like throwing the veggies right in the same skillet in which I cooked the salmon for maximum flavor.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Salmon – any kind (wild, farmed, sockeye, etc.)
Soy sauce – or gluten-free (tamari), or coconut aminos, if needed.
Toasted Sesame Oil – you can find this in the Asian section of your grocery store.
Honey – or another sweetener like maple syrup or brown sugar (can be omitted)
Canola oil – or other neutral tasting oil, for searing
Optional ingredients: sriracha or other hot sauce, green onions, and sesame seeds for garnish

How to make Pan-Seared Salmon Bites

First, cube the salmon. Mix up the sauce – soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and honey (and sriracha if you want), and pour the sauce over the salmon. Toss to coat.
Optional: at this point you can marinate for 30 minutes – 6 hours in the fridge, tossing occasionally to redistribute sauce. This will enhance the flavor but if you don’t have time to marinate, you can just proceed with the recipe.
Heat a large skillet and add the canola oil. Remove salmon pieces to skillet using tongs so the sauce stays in the bowl. Sear the salmon skin-side down (if it has skin on it) for 2-3 minutes, then flip and sear on the other side for 2-3 minutes, or until it’s fully cooked.
Pour the remaining sauce in the skillet and toss gently to coat the salmon.
Serve garnished with green onion and sesame seeds.

Process collage showing how to prepare and pan-fry salmon bites in a skillet.

Salmon Bites FAQs

Can I eat the salmon skin?

I personally LOVE eating salmon skin when it’s crispy from pan-frying! I leave the skin ON for this recipe, and I make sure to sear the skin side when cooking. Crispy salmon skin is delicious and loaded with nutrition. That said, it’s completely up to you if you want to eat it or not. You can ask your fishmonger to remove the skin when you buy fresh salmon, if you like.

What should I serve with salmon bites?

I like serving salmon bites with cooked rice and veggies. I usually cook rice myself (I love basmati because it’s one of the fastest cooking rices), but this is a great opportunity to use pre-cooked rice for a fast and easy meal. Just throw the veggies right in the skillet I cooked the salmon in for maximum flavor (see tips and tricks below).

What kind of salmon should I use?

There are a lot of types of salmon out there – wild, farm-raised, sockeye, etc. For this recipe, you can use any kind you want. I personally love the taste and texture of farm-raised salmon, though wild is a bit healthier. If you’re on a budget, this is a great opportunity to get the least expensive one, since you don’t need full, thick filets for this recipe – small pieces are often cheaper!

How can I defrost frozen salmon?

This recipe should be made with fully defrosted salmon if previously frozen, to ensure it cooks evenly and completely. Unwrap the frozen salmon and place on a plate or shallow bowl. Put in your refrigerator for about 24 hours. It should be defrosted by then, depending on how thick it is. It might need a bit longer.

Tips and Tricks

Be sure to sear the salmon well, on at least two sides until it’s nice and browned. This not only adds a ton of flavor, but creating that sear also helps the salmon hold together well. Salmon is a fish that flakes apart easily, and that sear helps tighten up the surface so it holds its shape well.
Make sure the salmon bites are in a single layer in the skillet. The more crowded the skillet is, the harder it will be to get a good sear. Do two batches if necessary.
Cook veggies in the same skillet as the salmon. If serving these salmon bites with vegetables, I recommend throwing prepped veggies right in the skillet (without washing it – you want that flavor!) after cooking the salmon. The remaining sauce leftover will help flavor the veggies and there will likely already be enough oil left in the pan.
You’ll need the skillet to be very hot to get a good sear. But if it seems to be browning too quickly and the salmon isn’t fully cooked, turn the heat down.

Salmon bites, sautéed corn and zucchini, and rice on a white plate with a fork.

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