Bang Bang Salmon
Take dinner to a delicious new level with this bang bang salmon recipe! It's seasoned salmon baked in the oven and then drizzled with our homemade sweet and spicy bang bang sauce. Serve it with rice and vegetables for an easy dinner that's ready in under 15 minutes!
For more tasty bang bang recipes, try our bang bang shrimp, bang bang cauliflower, and our easy-to-make bang bang sauce!
Table of contents
This easy weeknight recipe for bang bang salmon is sweet, spicy, and saucy. It's a riff off the popular restaurant-style bang bang shrimp, but lighter and healthier. With just a few ingredients and fifteen minutes, you can sit down to this better-than-takeout meal!
If bang bang sauce is new to you, you're in for a treat. It's a simple four-ingredient Asian-inspired sauce that's both sweet and spicy and makes everything it touches taste incredible.
This salmon with bang bang sauce seriously couldn't be easier to make. All you have to do is sprinkle the salmon fillets with spices, and bake them in the oven. Meanwhile, mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. When the salmon is done, drizzle some sauce over each fillet, and top them with minced parsley or cilantro to serve.
You can cook the salmon fillets as-is or remove the skin and chop them into cubes to make salmon bites. Even better, if you have an air fryer, use it to make crispy air fryer salmon bites.
It's a versatile dish that goes with rice, quinoa, or risotto, and a side of vegetables. For a lighter option, try it with our cauliflower rice!
What's in bang bang salmon?
With some fresh salmon fillets and a few ingredients from your pantry, you can make this delicious bang bang salmon recipe at home, too!
Here's what you need for the salmon:
- Salmon filets – choose equally sized skin-on fillets so they cook evenly. Our first choice for salmon is usually wild sockeye salmon but any kind of salmon works for this recipe. Another great option is to use steelhead trout, which tastes just like salmon but is much easier to cook as it doesn't dry out easily.
- Spices – we use a mix of garlic powder, onion powder, sweet (or spicy) paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Minced parsley or cilantro – garnish with a sprinkle of parsley or cilantro adds color and flavor. Sliced green onion also tastes great.
Here's everything you need for the creamy bang bang sauce:
- Mayonnaise – mayo is the base of the sauce and makes it creamy. Opt for light if you'd like.
- Honey – bang bang sauce usually includes Thai sweet chili sauce but we don't love the ingredients so we honey for sweetness instead (and it tastes great)!
- Sriracha – we use a modest amount of sriracha but you can adjust the amount to your desired heat level.
- Rice vinegar – vinegar brightens up the taste and balances out the other ingredients.
How to make bang bang salmon
Spice up your weeknight menu with this flavorful bang bang salmon recipe. It's super simple to make, and you can adjust the heat level to your taste. Here's how to make it in a few easy steps:
- Place the salmon fillets on a parchment-lined baking sheet, sprinkle with spices, and bake until opaque.
- Meanwhile, mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
- When the salmon is done, spoon some sauce over each fillet and top with parsley or cilantro. Serve with a side of rice and vegetables, or anything else your heart desires. That's it!
Full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.
Bang bang salmon variations
Here are a few ways you can put a spin on this recipe:
- Bang Bang Salmon Bites – to make bang bang salmon bites, cut skinless salmon into 1 or 2-inch cubes, season, and bake. They taste great as an appetizer, in a bowl, or tucked into tacos!
- Air Fryer Bang Bang Salmon – did you know you can air fry just about anything? Enjoy the char without added calories by making bang bang salmon bites in your air fryer basket.
FAQS
Our go-to ‘salmon' is actually steelhead trout. It looks and tastes like salmon but is a fattier fish so it doesn't dry out like salmon often does. Wild sockeye salmon is another great option, but any type will work for this recipe. If you're making fillets, use skin-on salmon. The skin will lock in moisture and act like a barrier between the fish and the baking sheet. If you're making bites, use salmon with the skin removed. You can do it yourself, or ask someone at the fish counter to do it for you.
Store any leftover salmon in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 3 days. It tastes delicious cold on a salad or tucked into a sandwich!
Store any leftover bang bang sauce in your fridge for up to a week. It tastes delicious as a sauce, a dip, or a spread with other meats, vegetables, and appetizers.
What goes with bang bang salmon?
Bang bang salmon is pretty versatile so you can serve it with a lot of different sides. It pairs naturally with basmati rice, fried rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice and a side of vegetables. It also tastes wonderful with a crunchy salad or in a grain bowl.
Dishes that taste delicious with bang bang salmon
Popular salmon recipes
Bang Bang Salmon
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Ingredients
The Salmon
- 4 pieces salmon
- 1 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, onion powder, and sweet paprika, or spicy paprika for more kick
- Ā½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- Minced parsley or cilantro, to serve
Bang Bang Sauce
- Ā¼ cup mayonnaise, can be light
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon sriracha, more to taste
- Ā½ teaspoon rice vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the salmon on top, skin side down. Sprinkle the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper over the salmon and then bake it for 8 minutes, or until it looks opaque and flakes easily with a fork.4 pieces salmon, 1 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, onion powder, and sweet paprika, Ā½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- While the salmon is in the oven, make the bang bang sauce. Mix the mayonnaise, honey, sriracha, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.Ā¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon sriracha, Ā½ teaspoon rice vinegar
- When the salmon comes out of the oven, baste the top of it with bang bang sauce, sprinkle a little cilantro or parsley on top, and then serve it right away.
