10 Easy Salmon Marinade Recipes

Salmon is an all-in-one protein. It’s healthy, delicious, and versatile! This makes cooking salmon a breeze, and you don’t ever need to feel guilty about indulging in this seafood delicacy. To really highlight the delicate, buttery flavor of scrumptious ocean-farmed salmon, you should consider using a marinade. It draws out all the best qualities and keeps your proteins moist and textural. 

So, today, we’ve dedicated this post to salmon marinade recipes! Each one you can whip up in-advance or cook in under an hour on a busy weeknight. Anyone can cook these recipes, so don’t be afraid to dive into one of these delicious marinade dishes. Here they are:

10 Easy Salmon Marinade Recipes 

Soy Glazed Salmon

We all know that salmon sushi is delicious! That’s because the mild fishy flavor of salmon pairs perfectly with the salty, sweet, and spicy notes that come with Asian-inspired meals. For this marinade, you’ll combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes - a sweet and savory mixture ready to go on your salmon. 

You brush the marinade over the salmon filets and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Salmon doesn’t take long to cook, but remember the safe internal temperature of fish is 145°. So, always check just to be safe! Once you have the delicious baked salmon, add stir-fry vegetables and rice for a delicious weeknight meal! 

Hawaiian Grilled Salmon

Here’s a tropical salmon recipe that’s date night appropriate, but quick enough for a weekday dinner. For the marinade, you need low sodium soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, ground ginger, red pepper flakes, cloves garlic, ketchup, and pineapple juice. Make sure your salmon sits in this mixture for about an hour!

Next, it’s time for grilling! Cook your salmon and pineapple rings for 5-7 minutes. With this recipe, you save some of your marinade to make a sauce. So, you get triple the pineapple flavor with the marinated salmon, the sauce, and the pineapple chunks! 

Honey Garlic Glazed Salmon

Honey and garlic is a classic combo that works with so many protein options. Salmon is one of those! This seafood is naturally briny, so the honey balances out that saltiness (it is ocean salmon after all.) And, since salmon has a pretty mild flavor, garlic really amplifies the delicious taste with its pungent punch of flavor! 

To make this recipe, you’ll need to sear your salmon for 5-6 minutes over medium high heat. Once that’s finished and it’s cooling on a plate, make your marinade! It’s comprised of soy sauce, honey, water, cornstarch, lemon juice, and garlic! Then, you’ll put the salmon back in the pan to cook for 3-4 minutes. That’s all! A tasty, gluten free salmon dish in under 30 minutes. 

Maple Glazed Salmon

This salmon marinade is another Asian-inspired one! But, the best part about this one? You probably already have all the ingredients in your pantry. No trip to the store required! You just need maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and pepper. Keep your salmon in this marinade for 15 minutes, then flip, and wait another 15 minutes. 

Put the marinated salmon on a baking sheet and broil for 20 minutes. While it’s cooking, pile on more and more of your delicious maple glaze. When it’s done cooking, serve with rice and vegetables. Yum!

Lemon, Garlic, and Herb Marinated Salmon

Love Italian food? Bold seafood flavors and earthy Italian spices pair beautifully. For this recipe, start with a jar. Add olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, honey, minced garlic, basil, parsley, rosemary, salt, and black pepper to the jar, screw on the lid, and shake! Once it’s all mixed, set ¼ of the salmon aside for later, and put the remaining marinade in a glass container for later. Let the salmon sit for 30 minutes, then grill it up. Squisito!  

Bourbon Brown Sugar Salmon

This recipe plays on the timeless flavor combination of salty and sweet. In a bowl, combine brown sugar, soy sauce, bourbon, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and black pepper. Put the salmon filets and half the marinade in a zipper freezer bag. 

Let the mixture sit in the bag for 1-3 hours, flipping the bag every half an hour. Then, you simply brush on the extra glaze, bake, and serve with chopped pecans. Crunchy, sweet, and savory with out-of-this-world flavor. 

Sweet Chili Garlic Salmon

Need a dairy free and gluten free recipe that’s soaring with incredible flavor? Check this one out! You need sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, honey, and chili garlic sauce for the marinade. Then, you place the salmon in a baking dish, cover with most of the sauce, and bake at 425°F for 10 minutes. Take it out, add the rest of the marinade, and bake for a few more minutes until the internal temperature reaches 145°. Cook times may vary!

Honey Mustard Grilled Salmon

This recipe takes about 30 minutes to prepare, and creates almost no dishes. How perfect for a busy evening meal? For the marinade, you’ll need a decent amount of ingredients, but none are too hard to find. Whisk together freshly squeezed orange juice, honey, dijon mustard, yellow mustard, brown sugar, olive oil, reduced sodium soy sauce, garlic, salt, paprika, parsley, oregano, thyme, onion powder, pepper, and cayenne pepper. (Whew!)

Then, to cook, make salmon foil packets with the marinade locked inside. Grill your salmon to perfection with your favorite grilled vegetables for a backyard barbeque-inspired dish the whole family (or neighborhood) will enjoy. 

Bourbon Peach Glazed Salmon

Salmon and tropical fruit are a match made in heaven. Usually, you probably just take some lemon and garlic salt and call it good. (Which is a noble choice, because it’s going to be delicious every time.) But, what if you want to be more adventurous? Grab a peach! 

For this you just need peach jam (homemade works the best), honey, bourbon, garlic powder, and chipotle powder. To prepare your fish, spread the jam over the salmon and broil it for about 10 minutes. Serve with roasted broccoli, asparagus, and more peaches. It’s not exactly a peach pie, but it’ll satiate that tropical craving just the same. 

Teriyaki Grilled Salmon

Teriyaki is great on chicken—and great on salmon. Yum! This dish can be made in less than an hour, and it’s sure to please any age dinner guest! For the marinade, you’ll boil the soy sauce and add brown sugar until it’s dissolved. After that, in goes the mirin, rice vinegar, shallots, and chives. Add the marinade to the salmon and then cover in plastic wrap to sit for 10 minutes. Then, it’s ready to grill or fry! So tasty and so easy! 

Salmon marinades are an easy way to add unique, rich flavors to your weekday seafood dishes! 

Salmon is usually considered a more upscale meal. Because of this, it can feel intimidating to tackle cooking it on your own—especially when you don’t have a lot of time. Luckily, salmon marinades can give you gourmet meals in under an hour, and the recipes don’t have to be complicated or full of strange ingredients. Try these marinades out, and check out our blog for lots more salmon recipes.