Name: Pan Fried Gochujang Glazed Salmon Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 Large Skinless Salmon Fillets (400g Total ); 50 g Gochujang Paste (3 Tbsp ); 20 g Honey (1 Tbsp ); 1½ Tbsp Fish Sauce; 1 Tbsp Rice Wine; ⅛ Tsp White Pepper; 35 g Butter (1 Tbsp ); ½ Tbsp Cooking Oil; Spring Onions (For Garnish); Sesame Seeds (For Garnish)

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Gochujang glazed salmon fillet marinated in honey, soy and spicy Korean bean paste before being pan-fried with butter to create a sauce.

This recipe benefits from a 25-30 minute marinade time, so it takes a little longer than many pan-fried fish recipes, but cooking is done and dusted in under 10 minutes and it is very easy.

Gochujang glazed salmon fillet served with kimchi and rice garnished with spring onions and sesame seeds.

Gochujang Glazed Fish

I have a softer spot for gochujang, a fermented bean and chilli paste from Korea. It has a wonderfully earthy, umami flavour and it delivers chilli spice in a really unique way.

I cook with it a lot and in many different ways. Everything from being stirred through mayo to top my Korean fried chicken burger, to being the major flavour driver in my gochujang and kimchi tofu stew.

But I am particularly fond of using it as part of a glaze, as I do with my Korean pork belly and Korean chicken wings recipes.

That is exactly how it features in this gochujang salmon fillet recipe, it is mixed with honey, fish sauce and rice wine to form a marinade.

The salmon is then quickly pan-fried and basted with butter until perfectly cooked, the marinade is then whisked through the butter to create a rich and dark sauce.

Whilst this recipe does need a bit of marinating, it cooks in less than 10 minutes!

Overhead gochujang and honey glazed salmon fillet served with kimchi and steamed rice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different type of fish?

Yes, this recipe would work with any firm-fleshed fish, but the best substitute for salmon would be sea trout.

You could use white fish like cod or haddock, however, its mild flavour would be lost alongside the bold flavours in this glaze. Given the premium price of those two pieces of fish, this would be a waste to my mind.

If you want to use white fish, opt for something cheaper like pollock or the very budget-friendly coley!

Can I use soy sauce instead of fish sauce?

Yes, the flavour will change a little, but it works perfectly well as a seasoning for this recipe.

How do you get the marinade to come together?

Patience! Start off by mashing the marinade together with a fork and then shift to a whisk. For the first 30 seconds or so it feels as though it is not going to come together, but it will eventually!

Can I make this in advance?

No, this recipe does not reheat well at all because the salmon will become dry and wooly.

Close-up gochujang and honey glazed salmon fillet cut open to show cooked texture.

Serving Suggestions

The earthy and sweet flavours of this gochujang glazed salmon recipe play really well with something a little sharp.

As a result, I have paired it with some Korean kimchi (to stick with the theme) and some plain jasmine rice.

It also works really well on a bed of egg fried rice. However, you do need to be careful because this fish cooks quickly and it really does need your attention whilst you are cooking it. If you burn the sugars you will be a bit scuppered.

But there are plenty of options to play with because this sweet and mildly spicy fish works just as well with a side of air fryer chips as it does with sweet and sour noodles.

Overhead close-up gochujang and honey glazed salmon fillet served with kimchi and rice.

Equipment Used

I only name-check specific brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

Hob/Stovetop.
30cm or 12" nonstick frying pan.
Spatula or fish slice.
Flat-bottomed bowl for marinating the fish.
Whisk and fork to create the marinade.
A combination of weighing scales and measuring spoons.

Gochujang and honey glazed salmon fillet served with kimchi and steamed rice.

Pan Fried Gochujang Glazed Salmon Recipe

3 from 1 vote

Spicy Korean bean paste, gochujang sits at the heart of the marinade and glaze for this delicious and simple pan-fried salmon fillet recipe, a bug old lump of butter transforms the marinade into a delicious sauce to finish the dish!

Main Course

Anglo Korean

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Marinade Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings Servings

Calories 625kcal

Author Brian Jones

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Ingredients

2 Large Skinless Salmon Fillets 400g Total
50 g Gochujang Paste 3 tablespoon
20 g Honey 1 tablespoon
1½ tablespoon Fish Sauce
1 tablespoon Rice Wine
⅛ teaspoon White Pepper
35 g Butter 1 tablespoon
½ tablespoon Cooking Oil
Spring Onions For Garnish
Sesame Seeds For Garnish

Instructions

Place the gochujang paste, honey, fish sauce, white pepper and rice wine in a flat bowl large enough to marinate the fish, then whisk and mash to combine. It will take a few minutes but it will come together eventually.
Add the salmon, rub the marinade all over then set it aside for 25-30 minutes.
Heat a 30cm or 12" frying pan over a medium to medium-high heat and when it is hot, add a splash of cooking oil.
Scrape any excess marinade from the fish, place it in the pan (presentation side down, that's the side that did not have the skin) and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Carefully flip over the fish and add the butter, cook for 3 minutes basting with the butter.
Remove the fish and whisk in the remaining marinade for a minute or two until it darkens, serve the fish, spoon over the sauce, and garnish with the shredded spring onions and sesame seeds.