Gochujang Salmon (Pan Fry vs Oven)

This Gochujang Salmon is deliciously savory- if you enjoy Korean food, you'll love this recipe. And, it takes less than 10 minutes to cook, perfect for weeknight dinners! (I've tested both the pan fried and broiled versions, and offer directions for both, as well as advice on which is "better"! Basically do pan fried for crispy skin and broiled for nice charred bits.)

Jump to:

• ⭐ Why This Recipe is a Star
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions
• 🥡 How to Store
• 👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips
• 💭  Recipe FAQs
• 🥗 Other Korean Recipes
• Gochujang Salmon (Pan-Fried vs Broiled)
• 💬 Comments

⭐ Why This Recipe is a Star

1. Korean Gochujang Salmon is delicious: the umamilicious sauce is full of flavor. When pan-fried, the skin has a wonderfully crisp crackle whilst, when broiled, the salmon has lovely charred bits.
2. Quick and easy: this Korean-inspired recipe only requires a few simple ingredients and done in 10 minutes! It's also relatively healthy as salmon contains essential fatty acids.
3. Very Versatile: the glaze works with many other ingredients, not just salmon! From a dip for French fries to a sauce for cod, chicken and tofu, you can make many dishes with this 1 recipe! (Make sure to boil the leftover marinade to kill germs before using it as a dip or, if that's too trouble, use this easy gochujang butter instead.)

🥘 Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients:

• Salmon Fillets: I recommend leaving the skin on as it keeps the flesh from drying out. If using frozen, thaw overnight in the chiller.
• Gochujang Paste: This Korean condiment is so widely used now you can find it in the Asian foods section of regular supermarkets. If not, check out the Asian grocery store, especially ones like H Mart.
• Sesame Oil: The sesame oil used for Korean dishes is the dark toasted kind. (Amber color, usually comes in a dark bottle.) Don't get the light untoasted version by mistake!
• Honey: you can substitute with sugar or maple syrup. In fact, if you're using honey for its health benefits, you may want to substitute with the cheaper sugar as heating honey is thought to destroy its health-giving properties.
• Rice Vinegar: this is to add acidity to cut through the savory paste. You can use Lemon Juice, White Wine Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar as substitutes. Don't go overboard with the vinegar, or it will break down the salmon flesh and make it mushy when marinating.
• Light Soy Sauce: Not to be confused with Dark Soy Sauce, Thick Soy Sauce or Sweet Soy Sauce! Although there are slight differences in flavor, you can use either the Korean, Japanese or Chinese light soy sauce.
• Ginger: you can also add garlic if you want but I feel the recipe doesn't need it (Also fresh garlic burns easily so may be an issue when broiling.)

What is Gochujang?

It's a fermented Korean red chili paste, made from Korean chilis, which tastes sweet, savory, a little spicy and is full of umami! To find out more about gochujang (고추장), click here.

It's used in many Korean dishes, such as tteokbokki, and has become very popular in fusion cuisine, such as Gochujang Dressing for Baked Butternut Squash, Gochujang Korean Pasta, Gochujang Mayonnaise etc!

🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions

Method for Crispy Skin Salmon

Note: the method for getting crispy skin is adapted from RecipeTinEats.

For Gochujang Glazed Salmon

If you want those nice charred bits on your salmon, skip the pan and broil instead.

1. Place a rack in the upper third of oven (about 5-7 inches from the top); preheat the broiler on high.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with oil or cooking spray. (Do NOT use parchment paper or too much. oil as it may catch fire! However, the oil is essential to prevent the skin from sticking.)
3. Place the salmon skin down on the foil and coat the flesh with the gochujang marinade.
4. Broil till cooked: the time depends on the thickness of the fillet, but is usually 5-8 minutes. (For medium salmon, the internal temperature should be 130-140F; 120F (wild salmon)/125F (farmed salmon) for medium rare. 145F for well done.) During the last few minutes, check in on the salmon as the sugars in the glaze burn super quickly.
5. Let it rest for a few minutes before cutting into it!

Note: broiling works well if you want to serve a larger whole fillet that can be divided up at the dining table.

How to serve

Boil down the rest of the marinade to kill the bacteria inside, then use the extra to brush over your cooked salmon. (Or you can use it as a sauce for Spam fries!)

This Korean salmon recipe is delicious served with white rice, and maybe some ssam lettuce wraps or banchan to make it a healthier meal. Garnish with sliced scallions and lightly toasted sesame seeds.

If I am broiling, I use the time that the salmon spends in the oven to make a quick cucumber salad which goes very well with this dish.

🥡 How to Store

This spicy salmon dish tastes best freshly cooked!

If you have extras, store in an airtight container in the fridge. I recommend reheating by steaming to keep the flesh tender. However, do note that the skin will no longer be crispy!

Tip: You may want to remove the skin and pan fry that to crisp it up, whilst steaming the fish meat.

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips

Tip #1: Buy the Gochujang that is labelled as a "paste" (there is a different type that is a "sauce" which usually comes in a squeeze tube.) Korean Gochujang Paste usually comes in a rectangular red tub.

Tip #2: I prefer using wild-caught salmon for health reasons, however, it is much more expensive and the flesh also has less fat inside, so can be easy to overcook. (It cooks more quickly.) (Farmed salmon is dyed to give it its color and there have been concerns about lice and overuse of antibiotics!)

Tip #3: Even if you don't like fish skin, don't take it off if using wild salmon, as it helps keep the fish moist. (You can always remove it after cooking if it really annoys you!)

💭  Recipe FAQs

🥗 Other Korean Recipes

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