Citrus Glazed Salmon Recipe

This is a straightforward homemade version of Olive Garden’s citrus glazed salmon — flaky salmon, sticky orange glaze, just the right hit of heat. Comes together in 25 minutes, feels like you tried (but you didn’t try that hard).

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Quick Summary

• Prep time: 15 mins
• Cook time: 10 mins
• Flavor: sweet, tangy, slightly spicy
• Great for: dinner when you want something “nice” but still easy

Why I Like This Recipe

Made it once for my mom and she thought I ordered it in — like, actual takeout. That was the win. It’s got this honey-orange thing going on that clings to the salmon in all the best ways. Sticky, sweet, and just a lil’ spicy. Bonus: the glaze makes boring rice taste like a side dish on purpose.

Ingredients

• 4 (5 oz) salmon filets
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• kosher salt + black pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• ⅓ cup fresh orange juice
• 2 Tbsp orange marmalade
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1–2 Tbsp honey
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1–2 tsp chili garlic sauce or sriracha
• 2 tsp cornstarch

How To Make Citrus Glazed Salmon

1. Let it breathe: Take the salmon out of the fridge. Give it like 30 mins. Room temp cooks better.
2. Sear it: Heat olive oil in a skillet. Salmon goes skin side up, 3 mins until golden. Flip it, cook another 2–3. Pull it out, keep it warm under foil.
3. Mix the glaze: While that’s going, whisk orange juice, marmalade, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce + cornstarch in a cup.
4. Garlic moment: Keep about a tsp of oil in the pan. Add garlic. Just 30 secs to wake it up.
5. Sauce time: Pour in your orange glaze. Let it simmer, reduce a bit. It’ll start to thicken.
6. Final swirl: Toss the salmon back in (skin side up if you like that crisp). Let it soak up the sauce for 30 secs. Done.

Tips for Success

• Let the salmon come to temp or it won’t cook evenly.
• Don’t skip the marmalade — it makes the sauce cling.
• If the sauce gets too thick, splash a little water. Fixes it.
• Taste your glaze before you pour it — balance the sweet/spicy.
• Use a nonstick pan if your salmon likes to glue itself down.

Storage and Reheating

• Fridge: Store leftover salmon in a sealed container, up to 3 days.
• Reheat: Gently in a pan over low heat with a splash of water or in the microwave (low power, covered — don’t dry it out).
• Freezer: Technically yes, but fresh is way better with fish. If you do freeze, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat gently.

FAQs

Common Mistakes and How to Dodge Them

• Cooking salmon cold → leads to uneven texture. Let it warm up.
• Sauce too thin → probably didn’t let it simmer long enough. It should look glossy and thick-ish.
• Using too much oil → you only need enough to sear, not deep fry.
• Skipping the garlic step → flavor drops by like… half. Just do it.
• Overcooking salmon → it’s done when it flakes easily. Not when it’s curling up and crying in the pan.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

• Calories: ~375 kcal
• Total Fat: 18 g
• Saturated Fat: 3 g
• Cholesterol: 70 mg
• Sodium: 380 mg
• Potassium: 800 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 12 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0 g
• Sugars: 9 g
• Protein: 35 g