Orange Glazed Salmon

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Orange glazed salmon is a citrusy sweet salmon recipe that I guarantee you’ll have on repeat. With just a handful of ingredients including salmon, orange juice, garlic, honey, tamari and thyme, it’s also incredibly easy to make (takes less than 30 minutes!).

What to serve with the salmon? I recommend my Steamed Broccoli, Bok Choy, Garlic Sautéed Swiss Chard and Parmesan Truffle Sautéed Zucchini.

Four salmon filets in a pan with orange slices and thyme on top.

I’m such a lover of salmon and I try to eat it a few times a week (to soak up all the health benefits listed below). But I also like variety. So to keep things interesting, I’m always experimenting with new marinades and sauces.

My Scallops with Citrus Ginger Sauce has been a reader favorite. Thus, I decided to make a sweet orange glaze to drizzle on top of this pan seared salmon. The outcome? Oh my word. Amazingly delicious! And you’ll want to drizzle the sauce on all your side dishes too.

Four salmon filets in a pan with orange slices and thyme on top.

How to Make Orange Glazed Salmon

From start to finish this recipe can be on your plate in less than 30 minutes (though it’ll look like you slaved over it). Here’s how you make it:

Sear the Salmon

Heat a couple tablespoons of avocado oil in a pan on medium-high heat and cook the salmon for 3-4 minutes each side.

Create the Thickener for the Sauce

To make the orange glaze, you need to create an arrowroot slurry. To do this, stir 1/2 tsp arrowroot powder with 1 tsp water and set it aside.

Make the Orange Glaze

Once the salmon is cooked, removed it to a plate. Turn down the heat, add the minced garlic to the pan and sauté for 30 seconds. Then add the orange juice, honey, tamari, thyme and arrowroot slurry and whisk together for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Drizzle the Orange Glaze on the Salmon

Add the salmon back to the pan and drizzle the sauce all over the salmon before serving with the delicious side dishes mentioned above.

Four salmon filets in a pan with orange slices and thyme on top.

Health Benefits of Salmon

  • Salmon is high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 are great for eye health, heart disease, and reducing inflammation in the body. Read more about Salmon’s anti-inflammatory properties in my 8 Anti-Inflammatory Foods I Eat Every Week.
  • Salmon is a great source of potassium. This fish actually has more potassium than equally sized banana. Potassium is important for controlling blood pressure, which in turn can reduce the risk for having a stroke.
  • Salmon gets its red pigmentation from astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant. In combination with Omega-3 fatty acid, astaxanthin is believed to protect the nervous system and brain from inflammation.

More Salmon Recipes to Enjoy

A white plate with salmon, rice and broccoli.

Four salmon filets in a pan with orange slices and thyme on top.

Orange Glazed Salmon

4.96 from 50 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

Orange glazed salmon is a citrusy sweet healthy salmon recipe that takes less than 30 minutes to make.  The perfect weeknight meal!

Ingredients 
 

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 4 (6-ounce) salmon filets, (Alaskan Sockeye or Coho)
  • 1 orange, juiced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons tamari
  • 1 teaspoon thyme, finely chopped
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon arrowroot flour
  • 1 teaspoon water

Instructions 

  • Pat salmon dry with a paper towel, then season with salt and pepper.  
  • Heat the avocado oil in a pan on medium high heat. Add salmon and cook for 3-4 minutes each side.
  • While the salmon is cooking, make an arrowroot slurry by stirring together the arrowroot powder and water. Set aside. 
  • Once the salmon is cooked, transfer to a plate.
  • Turn the heat down to medium-low and sauté the minced garlic in the pan for 30 seconds. Add the orange juice, honey, tamari, thyme and arrowroot slurry. Whisk the ingredients together for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened.
  • Add the salmon back to pan and spoon glaze over salmon before serving. 

Lisa's Tips

  • I recommend using a seasoned cast iron pan to ensure the salmon doesn't stick to the pan. 
  • The glaze will continue to thicken on its own during cooling process. 

Nutrition

Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 578mg | Potassium: 926mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 166IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: orange glazed salmon, orange honey salmon, salmon recipe
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

4.96 from 50 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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124 Comments

  1. Thanks Lisa! Another great recipe added in our rotation! Your creations make my weekly meals easier to Plan. Loved the Orange Glaze Salmon.5 stars

  2. I made this for a second time tonight. I think the pan was too hot when I added the sauce because it immediately bubbles up and turned into more of a burnt sugar – oops. Glad I knew from my first attempt how delicious this recipe is – for anyone having this issue just turn the heat down a bit first before adding the sauce :)5 stars

  3. This turned out so great!!!!! Can’t wait to make it again. The thyme flavour is quite strong which is fine for me.5 stars

  4. Ohhhh… my…. That was SOOOOO good!
    The hubby and kids grabbed the fresh bread I just bought to get all the beautiful glazing out of the pan!
    Winner!!5 stars

  5. Made this the other day for the family and even my (step)daughter (who normally doesn’t eat salmon) loved it. It’s so easy and scrumptious. One that I definitely will be making.

    Now that I have made a few of your recipes, and have bought your book, the kids have been putting sticky-notes in the recipes I need to make for them :) Always a good sign…5 stars

    1. Glad this recipe changed a picky salmon eater! And I hope you enjoy the cookbook recipes as well :)

  6. Absolutely delicious! Perfect in every way. We paired it with sauteed spinach. This is now our primary salmon recipe… maybe only salmon recipe!5 stars

  7. Hi Lisa, good afternoon. My name is Norita, I live in São Paulo, Brazil.
    Your recipe “ORANGE GLAZED SALMON” is delicious. I prepared it for an event for 12 people and everyone was surprised at how delicious it was.
    Today I prepared it again for lunch for two people. We simply adored it.
    I would like to congratulate and thank you for sharing your recipes.
    I will test many others.
    Success and much peace!
    Fraternal hugs
    Norita5 stars