Crispy Salmon with Soy Tamarind Sauce
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I love this recipe because the salmon is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The salmon is coated in cornstarch and pan-fried until a crisp, outer shell forms and then it is served with a side of garlic sautéed spinach and jasmine rice topped with a sweet and sour soy tamarind sauce.
This recipe is based on a dish at one of my favorite restaurants in New Jersey, Origin, an eatery specializing in French and Thai fusion food. It’s at the top of my list of stops to make every time I go home. Sometimes my mom even picks it up for me before coming to get me from the airport. It’s one of those restaurants where everyone knows exactly what their order is.
Crispy Salmon with Soy Tamarind Sauce
Table of contents
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
Salmon
I cut the salmon into individual fillets before coating it in the cornstarch and pan-frying it. This gives each piece a crispy exterior on all sides. Look for a thicker middle piece of fish. When buying fish, ask where it came from and when it was shipped in. When it’s in season I love using Alaskan salmon from the Copper River.
Tamarind paste
Tamarind is a tree that produces a pod-like fruit that tastes similar to lime but with a sweeter and more tart flavor. Tamarind paste can be found at specialty grocery stores and most Whole Foods in the Asian foods section. It’s a great recipe to make if you’ve already bought tamarind for Pad Thai!
Fish Sauce
Fish sauce adds a funky, salty, umami flavor to any dish. It get’s it’s flavor from the process of fermenting fish over a long period of time.
Cornstarch
I dust the salmon fillets with cornstarch to absorb the excess moisture and crisp the exterior of the fish while it cooks. I also use it on shrimp in my crispy rice bowl. It’s a great way to crisp foods while keeping it gluten-free.
How to Make Crispy Salmon with Soy Tamarind Sauce
For the soy tamarind sauce:
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and heat through.
- Add the ginger and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce, tamarind, brown sugar, fish sauce and 6 tablespoons of water, whisking to combine.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Season with salt then remove from heat and set aside.
For the sautéed spinach:
- Sauté garlic. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat through. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Cook the spinach. Add the spinach and sauté until wilted, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
For the crispy salmon:
- Prep the salmon. Slice fillet of salmon into 4 equal pieces. Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle cornstarch over pieces and pat so that it covers all parts of the salmon. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Cook the salmon. Once hot, shake off excess cornstarch from salmon then add the fillets of salmon skin side down in the pan.
- Flip the salmon and continue cooking. Sear the salmon on each side until cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side. Be careful that the oil doesn’t spatter, if it begins to spatter, turn the heat down to medium-low.
- Remove to a plate. Remove the salmon from the pan and place on paper towels to drain any excess oil.
To serve:
- Assemble and serve. Serve the salmon on a bed of rice and the spinach. Ladle the tamarind sauce over the top and serve immediately.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this salmon recipe, I recommend checking out these:
Crispy Salmon with Soy Tamarind Sauce
Ingredients:
For the soy tamarind sauce:
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons tamarind paste*
- ¼ packed cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- Kosher salt, as needed
For the sautéed spinach:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 12 ounces baby spinach, washed and dried
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
For the crispy salmon:
- 1 pound salmon filet, cut into 4 servings
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 4 cups cooked jasmine rice, for serving
Instructions:
For the soy tamarind sauce:
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and heat through.
- Add the ginger and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce, tamarind, brown sugar, fish sauce and 6 tablespoons of water, whisking to combine.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Season with salt then remove from heat and set aside.
For the sautéed spinach:
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat through. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the spinach and sauté until wilted, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
For the crispy salmon:
- Slice fillet of salmon into 4 equal pieces. Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle cornstarch over pieces and pat so that it covers all parts of the salmon. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, shake off excess cornstarch from salmon then add the fillets of salmon skin side down in the pan.
- Sear the salmon on each side until cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side. Be careful that the oil doesn’t spatter, if it begins to spatter, turn the heat down to medium-low.
- Remove the salmon from the pan and place on paper towels to drain any excess oil.
To serve:
- Serve the salmon on a bed of rice and the spinach. Ladle the tamarind sauce over the top and serve immediately.
DID YOU MAKE THIS?
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I made this yesterday! It was so delicious. The soy tamarind sauce stole the show. Thank you, Kylie.
Yay!!! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Inessa! 🙂