This Butter Salmon with Sweet Chili Glaze recipe delivers bold flavor in under 20 minutes—perfect for busy weeknights. This dish features tender salmon glazed with a sweet, garlicky chili butter sauce that’s equal parts spicy, sweet, and savory.
Why You’ll Love This Dish
This is a weeknight salmon recipe you’ll come back to again and again.
- Fast and easy: Ready in under 20 minutes with simple ingredients. The salmon cooks up in under 10 minutes, and the sweet chili glaze takes just a few minutes to come together.
- No marinating required: Just season, sear, and glaze
- Big flavor payoff: The combination of the buttery salmon and sweet chili glaze provides multiple layers of flavor and depth. It’s anything but boring.
- Versatile: Serve it with rice with vegetables on the side, on a salad, or in lettuce wraps.
Part of a Full Meal Plan
This recipe is part of our week-long meal plan in the Dinner Squad membership, where we do a little prep on Sunday to enjoy multiple meals throughout the week with minimal prep. Members get access to step-by-step prep guides, grocery lists, and bonus recipes to simplify dinnertime.
Here’s what’s on the full menu:
- Day 1: Yogurt Marinated Chicken with Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Day 2: Chicken Gyros
- Day 3: Oven Baked Chicken Skewers
- Day 4: Butter Salmon with Sweet Chili Glaze
- Day 5: Ground Beef Tacos
What you'll get by joining:
- A full week-long meal plan
- Printable grocery list
- Step-by-step prep strategy
- Monthly giveaways
- Bonus content and more!
- Most importantly, you’ll save time, reduce decision fatigue, and actually look forward to making dinner.
Join here
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Salmon filets: Fresh or thawed, skin-on or skinless both work.
- Butter: Provides a richness to the salmon that balances the tangy, sweet, and spicy notes of the chili glaze
- Thai sweet chili sauce: The star of the glaze—offers a slight kick and sweetness. My kids can’t handle spice very well but are able to tolerate (and enjoy) this sauce
- Garlic: An essential aromatic in any sauce
- Soy sauce or fish sauce: For a salty umami kick.
- Honey: for additional shine and richness
- Rice wine vinegar: A little acidity to brighten things up
- Oil: Avocado oil to help the garlic cook and become fragrant. You can use any neutral oil like grapeseed, canola, vegetable, etc. We’re also finishing the sauce with a little toasted sesame oil to add depth.
- Optional garnish: Green onions, sesame seeds, or chopped cilantro.
How to Make It
Prep the salmon
Use a paper towel to blot off any excess moisture from the salmon so the season will properly adhere to the fish. Season the salmon filets with salt, pepper, and garlic powder on both sides.
Sear the salmon
Add oil to a hot pan and lay the salmon down gently away from you to prevent oil splatter. If using skin-on salmon, lay the skin side down first.
Let the salmon cook under medium heat until flesh has turned opaque about 2/3 of the way (about 4 minutes). Then flip and cook the remaining side for about 2-3 minutes. Once the salmon is flipped, add the butter to the pan and use a spoon to baste the melted butter over the salmon filets as they finish cooking.
The salmon is fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit or the salmon is flaky and opaque all the way through.
Prep your sauce
While the salmon bakes, make the chili sauce. To a small saucepan under low heat, add avocado oil and minced garlic. Once the garlic becomes fragrant (about 1-2 minutes), add the remaining ingredients for the sauce (soy sauce, chili sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil) and stir until the glaze is sticky and glossy.
Glaze and finish
Plate the cooked salmon and pour the sweet chili butter sauce over the filets.
Serve and enjoy
Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
How to Serve It
Pair this salmon dish with rice, noodles, and/or crispy roasted veggies for a dinner that tastes gourmet but takes no time at all.
My preferred way to serve this salmon is over a bed of jasmine rice with edamame or broccoli on the side.
If you have leftovers, enjoy it as a salmon rice bowl along with some roasted nori and kimchi.
Perfect Pairings
This sweet chili butter salmon recipe would be perfect to serve with the below sides or appetizers.
Pair it with:
Make this Sweet Chili Butter Salmon Recipe Today!
Try it once and you’ll be hooked! Be sure to tag me on Instagram if you make it, or let me know your thoughts and comments below!
Butter Salmon with Sweet Chili Glaze
Equipment
- - Cutting board
- knife
- Medium or large saucepan
- Spatula
- Spoon
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 4 salmon filets
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- Sesame seeds and sliced green onion for garnish* optional
FOR THE SWEET CHILI SAUCE
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
Instructions
SEASON AND COOK THE SALMON
- Blot the salmon filets with a paper towel to remove any moisture. Season the salmon filets with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Add oil to a hot pan under medium heat and cook the salmon on one side until the flesh turns opaque about 2/3 of the way through (about 4 minutes). Then flip the salmon and add the butter to the pan. Use a spoon to baste the melted butter over the salmon filets. Cook for about 2-3 more minutes until the salmon is cooked through.
MAKE THE SWEET CHILI SAUCE
- Remove the cooked salmon filets from the pan and reduce the heat to medium low. Add minced garlic and ginger. Once the garlic becomes fragrant (about 1-2 minutes), add the remaining ingredients for the sauce. Mix with a spoon until the sauce starts to simmer and turn glossy. Remove from heat.
PLATE THE SALMON
- Plate the cooked salmon and drizzle with the sweet chili sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions (optional).
