Honey-Garlic Salmon Skillet

This Honey-Garlic Salmon Skillet is the healthy one-pan weeknight dinner you’ve been looking for. Omega-3-rich salmon sits atop fiber-filled brown rice and a medley of antioxidant-rich veggies: broccoli, red bell pepper, scallions and carrots. A sweet and spicy honey-garlic glaze coats the salmon, while soy sauce adds an underlying umami. And a little acid from rice vinegar balances the flavors out. Keep reading for our expert tips, including why you should have your vegetables prepped ahead of time.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!

• This recipe moves quickly, so it’s a good idea to have all your vegetables prepped in advance.
• Adding honey to the salmon before searing helps achieve a deep browning without needing to cook it for too long. Finishing the fish in the oven ensures more even cooking.
• Keep an eye on the honey mixture during searing because it can burn quickly. If the fish browns too rapidly, lower the heat.
• We recommend using a fish spatula instead of tongs to carefully remove the salmon fillets from the skillet—tongs can easily tear them. If a fillet doesn’t release easily, continue cooking the salmon for a bit longer.

Nutrition Notes

• Salmon is rich in omega-3s, those good-for-your-brain and -heart fatty acids. Salmon is also an excellent source of muscle-building protein and vitamin B12 for a healthy nervous system. It even contains inflammation-busting antioxidants.
• Brown rice adds fiber to this dish, which will help fill you up. If you don’t like brown rice, feel free to swap it for white rice, which will still give you a little bit of fiber. Want to ease into brown rice? Use a mix of both. 
• Broccoli is loaded with plant compounds associated with lowering cancer and heart disease risk. It’s also rich in vitamin K, which helps your blood clot properly and is necessary for strong bones.
• Bell peppers are rich in vitamin C. Combined with the vitamin C in the broccoli, this nutrient helps strengthen your immune system and supports healthy, glowing skin.