Salmon Stir Fry

A super flavorful salmon stir fry that’s packed with veggies! It’s easy to make, and everything cooks up in one pan in under 20 minutes. Serve as a complete meal or with your favorite noodles or rice!

While I love salmon, it can be a little tricky to cook. Bake it a second too long, and it ends up dry and overcooked. I speak from plenty of experience on this one. So, what’s the solution? A flavor-packed and foolproof salmon stir fry cooked in a delicious homemade teriyaki sauce!

One pan stir fry recipes are my favorite for weeknights because they’re quick, versatile, and easy. I love making garlic steak bites and potatoes and healthy beef and broccoli stir fry for that reason! If you’re unsure about your salmon cooking skills, this is a fantastic dish to make. By quickly marinating the salmon and pan searing it, you’ll get a gorgeous golden color and crisp texture in minutes. Best of all, clean up is a breeze!

While this dish is a stand-alone meal, you can also serve it over rice, quinoa, or toss the salmon stir fry in cooked noodles just before serving. Swap out the vegetables to whatever you have on hand, or use your own teriyaki sauce if you’re short on time!

Ingredient Notes

Here are some helpful tips about specific ingredients in the recipe:

• Low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos – Coconut aminos is an alternative to soy sauce that is gluten free, soy free, and lower in sodium. Both coconut aminos and low sodium soy sauce work great in this recipe.
• Rice vinegar – Use an unseasoned, organic rice vinegar.
• Maple syrup – I like to use dark maple syrup for the best texture and flavor.
• Sesame oil – Use an unrefined, organic sesame oil for the best quality and flavor.
• Arrowroot or cornstarch – Either of these work as a thickening agent for the sauce.
• Salmon – You can use fresh or previously frozen salmon for this recipe. Wild-caught Atlantic, Soho, or King salmon are all great options for stir frying and have great flavor! When making the recipe, you can use salmon with the skin on or off. The skin helps the salmon not flake when cooking, so I prefer skin on! If you’re not a fan of skin, ask the butcher to cut it off when you purchase it or remove it with a sharp knife. You can also take the skin off easily after cooking.

Substitutions

Short on ingredients or want to change things up? Here are some easy swaps you can make:

• Low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos: You can use regular soy sauce, just don’t add any additional sea salt when cooking. You can also use tamari as a gluten free substitute!
• Salmon: While salmon is the star of the show, you can also use other proteins in this stir fry, including chicken. Just keep in mind that chicken takes a few extra minutes to cook.
• Vegetables: Swap out the veggies for your favorites! Other great options include snow peas, mushrooms, or green beans trimmed and cut in half.

How to Make Salmon Stir Fry

We love making this stir fry during the week when we’re craving salmon! Here’s how to make it:

1. Marinate: In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the sauce. Add the salmon pieces to the bowl to marinate while you cook the vegetables.
2. Saute: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 1-2 minutes. Add the broccoli, carrots, and red bell pepper. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3. Cook: Add the remaining oil to the pan. Add the salmon pieces to the pan, leaving the sauce behind. If your salmon has skin, place the salmon flesh side down. Cook for 2-3 minutes undisturbed, then flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until slightly golden brown. The salmon should be just barely cooked through. Do not over cook. 
4. Combine: Add the remaining sauce and vegetables to the pan. Stir everything together carefully with a soft spatula until the sauce thickens and begins to bubble, about 2-3 minutes.
5. Serve: Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. Serve hot with rice or noodles.

Cooking Tips

• If your salmon has skin, place it in the pan flesh-side down. This will help it get beautifully golden and crisp.
• Leave the salmon undisturbed while it cooks. Wait for the salmon to cook before flipping so it releases easily from the pan. Flip using a soft spatula to prevent flaking.
• Do NOT overcook the salmon! When pan searing, let it barely cook through since it will continue to cook in the pan when you add the vegetables.
• Want to make it easier? Swap the homemade teriyaki sauce for 1/2 cup of your favorite store-bought teriyaki sauce. Add 1 tablespoon maple syrup to the sauce to give the salmon a bit of sweetness.
• If you like your vegetables a bit more tender, cook for an additional 2-3 minutes in the pan before adding the salmon and sauce to the stir fry.
• Serve over rice, or add cooked noodles to the salmon and vegetables and toss just before serving.

Serving

The best part about making salmon into a stir fry is that it’s a complete meal! You can also serve it with a variety of sides. Here are my favorites:

• Over a bed of basmati or jasmine rice
• With potatoes, like roasted sweet potatoes
• On top of a bowl of quinoa
• Toss with your favorite cooked noodles! Just add the noodles to the salmon stir fry at the end and toss before serving.

Recipe FAQs

Storage

STORE: Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days. Because the salmon is cooked in sauce, leftovers taste great!

FREEZE: While you can freeze this, cooked salmon typically doesn’t do well when frozen because it changes the texture. If you have to freeze it, let the stir fry cool completely, then store it in a freezer-safe zip-top storage bag in the freezer for up to 2 months.

REHEAT: To prevent the salmon from drying out, place 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium pan and heat over medium-low heat. Add the stir fry and gently heat the until warm.

More Healthy Dinners

• Healthy Chicken Tikka Masala
• Egg Roll in A Bowl with Ground Turkey
• Healthy Baked Orange Chicken
• Grilled Chicken Skewers
• Garlic Butter Steak Bites and Potatoes

Recipe by: Noelle Tarr and Kelsey Hite / Coconuts and Kettlebells | Photography by: Casey Colodny / The Mindful Hapa