Cajun honey garlic butter salmon. This 20 minute recipe combines sweet and spicy flavors. The pan-seared salmon is simmered in a can’t-stop-eating-delicious garlic butter that bursts with flavor. It’s easy to pull off on a busy weeknight, but taking it a tiny step further with some Cajun spices and hot honey makes it fancy enough to serve at a dinner party.
Why you’ll love this Cajun honey salmon recipe
This is a fast, feel-good recipe, that could become a constant on your weeknight dinner roster. It’s made with pantry ingredients, super easy to make, but also super adaptable. Serve this salmon alongside a salad, roasted vegetables, crunchy cucumber salad or some rice, and it’s a dinner you’ll be sure to return to week after week.
We jazz up the Cajun-seasoned salmon with honey and chili oil, those two ingredients, combined with garlic butter and lemon juice create a sweet and savory glaze for these pan-seared fillets that cook up in just 20 minutes.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.
This recipe will never let you down. Spicy honey, tangy lemon juice and fragrant garlic balanced with savory Cajun and Italian seasoning. The chili oil-honey glaze not only gives the fillets an eye-catching shine, but it also gives them a deep golden hue. The green peas give the whole dish a nice pop, but you can swap them for broccoli or green beans. It’s a simple, satisfying recipe that will definitely become a favorite at your dinner table.
Recipe tips
This is a super versatile recipe.
- Swap salmon fillets for chicken thighs, shrimp, steak or cauliflower steaks.
- Instead of green peas, use veggies like broccoli rabe, spinach, kale, green beans or asparagus.
- The amount of heat in this recipe gives a delicious kick without being overpowering spicy, if you want a full-on explosive flavor, you can always add more red pepper flakes.
How to store leftovers salmon with orzo
- Fridge: Store leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day.
- Freezer: Leftovers can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
What to serve with cajun honey garlic butter salmon?
- Crispy Garlic Butter Potatoes
- Steamed rice
- Crusty bread
- A side salad drizzled with honey-mustard dressing
- Crunchy cucumber salad
- Creamy corn salad
- Fresh tomato and cucumber salad
Try These Next
Cajun Honey Butter Salmon
Ingredients
Cajun Salmon
- 1 pound salmon fillets skinless
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp cajun seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
Garlic Butter + Spicy Honey
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 6 garlic cloves grated
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 3.5 ounces frozen peas
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp chili oil
- chopped chives for serving
Instructions
- Pat the salmon fillets dry, cut crosswise into two parts. Season both sides with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, Cajun and Italian seasoning. Drizzle with oil and set aside.
- Grate the garlic cloves. Combine honey and chili oil in a small bowl.
- Heat oil and butter in a nonstick skillet over medium high. Add salmon and sear, 2 minutes per side. Remove from skillet.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and add garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Deglaze the skillet with chicken broth, bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir constantly while scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of your skillet with a wooden spoon.
- Add green peas and cook for 2 minutes. Add salmon back to the skillet. Drizzle with spicy honey and simmer for 3 minutes over low. Sprinkle with lemon juice and chives. Top with some red pepper flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with a crunchy cucumber salad and steamed rice. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
And …IF YOU LOVE THESE RECIPES … please consider supporting my work for just the cost of a cup of coffee.
Sign up for my NEWSLETTER to receive the latest recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
As a person who forces herself to eat salmon because I don’t enjoy the taste, this is by far the tastiest. Damn near licked my plate clean.
Yay! Thank you Anna! It makes me so happy to hear that!