Crispy Pan-Fried Salmon Bites {without breading!}
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These easy pan-fried salmon bites make eating healthy simple and flavorful! These crispy salmon bites are a favorite in the household, especially since they take less than 5 minutes to whip up! They’re served with a mouthwatering marinade, making these salmon nuggets a delightful high protein snack, a yummy addition to a rice bowl, or a quick weeknight meal.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Super-Fast Cooking: It only takes about 5 minutes to create crunchy, pan-fried salmon bites. Once ready, pop them into a rice bowl or an Asian-inspired teriyaki bowl for a quick meal.
- Healthy: This fried salmon recipe doesn’t require a deep fry. Instead, you’ll be making these fried salmon nuggets in a pan, making them a healthier alternative to deep fried salmon bites.
- Crispy Texture: By using cornflower instead of regular flour, this recipe helps create deliciously crispy exterior. That way, you still get a comforting, satisfying feel without having a thick, breaded outside.
- Delicious Flavors: This dish includes a sweet, spicy, umami-rich coating that will make you want to recreate the recipe at least a few times a month!
If you’re meal prepping for the week and want to mix it up, try including more salmon recipes like: Salmon Tray Bake with Asparagus, Easy Salmon Fishcakes, and Creamy Salmon Pasta.
Best Salmon to Use
One of the most important steps in learning how to make fried salmon bites is using the best fish for the recipe. Frozen or fresh works for this recipe, but I prefer fresh, as frozen salmon sometimes have a different texture. Look for center-cut fillets, which are usually thicker, so you’re less likely to have dry fried salmon bites.
Ingredients
The main ingredients that make this Fried Salmon Bites recipe fantastic are the following:
Salmon
Wild-caught salmon usually has a great flavour and thicker fillets. King salmon is another great option known for a richer taste and thicker fillets. I love using either of these types of salmon to create moist, delicious salmon bites.
Corn Starch/Corn Flour
Corn starch is the secret to getting a deliciously crispy crust on these fried salmon bites. I find cornstarch helps make the crispiest, lightest crust, but any of these options will work well.
Soy Sauce
Adding this to the marinade really helps boost the flavour and gives the dish a more complex taste. If you’re following a gluten-free diet, you can use coconut aminos or tamari instead to create a gluten-free sauce.
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
When coming up with this fried salmon bites recipe with sauce, I went for more of an Asian-inspired marinade. However, you can easily switch out the sauce for these fried salmon bites to fit your flavour preferences. Here are a few ways to add your own twist to this dish.
Flavor Variations: Try adding a pre-made sauce/marinade to the nuggets, like a honey garlic, hot honey, teriyaki, Cajun, or honey mustard sauce. You can also enhance the flavour using pre-made spice mixes, like lemon pepper. Or, feel free to adjust the flavouring to your liking by adding lemon juice or lime juice, Worchestershire sauce, etc. to the marinade mixture.
Oven Fried: Instead of creating this salmon nuggets recipe in the pan, try making it an oven-fried dish. Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F, then follow the recipe. Once the salmon nuggets are prepped, add them to a prepared baking sheet. Bake the salmon for about 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. I recommend adding oiled foil or parchment paper to the baking sheet first to help keep the nuggets from sticking.
Air Fryer: If you want a healthy version of this recipe that uses less oil, you can make air fryer salmon bites. Place your prepared nuggets in the air fryer basket and air fry them for about 5-7 minutes at 200°C/400°F. They should be golden brown and cooked through when done. Finish by tossing the cooked salmon bites in the marinade, then enjoy.
Make without cornflour: You can also make this yummy recipe without flour or cornflour if you want more breading. Try coating the salmon bites with panko or seasoned breadcrumbs before pan-frying them. This will help create an even crispier texture than just cornflour.
Keto: Make this recipe keto by skipping the corn flour. The other ingredients are already keto-friendly.
Vegan/Vegetarian: Instead of salmon, you can swap in tofu to turn this into a vegan/vegetarian-friendly recipe.
How to make Fried Salmon Bites
- Remove the skin from the salmon fillets and slice the fillets into cubes. Then add them to a bowl with cornflour, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder (Image 1).
- Coat the bites well with the spices and cornflour (Image 2).
3. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the salmon cubes. Fry for around 4-5 minutes over medium heat (Image 3).
4. After 4-5 minutes, rotate the pieces and add soy sauce, honey, and a sprinkle of salt (Image 4).
5. Continue to fry the bites for an additional 3 minutes, making sure to brown all sides well (Image 5).
6. Once well browned, remove them from the pan and top with a sprinkle of spring onions (Image 6).
Here are a few more yummy fish recipes to try this week: Viral Salmon Rice Bowl, Best Fish Finger Sandwich in 15 Minutes, or Simple Cod Curry.
Tips for the best result
- Make sure all salmon pieces are similarly sized so they all cook at about the same time. If some are larger or smaller, you’ll end up with some overcooked, dry nuggets and some raw/undercooked fried salmon bites.
- For best results, allow your salmon to marinate in the spices for about 15 minutes before cooking. This will help the flavour of the seasonings to really soak into the salmon, leaving you with an even tastier salmon bites fried recipe.
- Make sure your pan is really hot. When your pan is nice and hot, it will help create a deliciously crispy seared outside on each of the salmon nuggets.
- Fry in batches if you feel the pan will be too crowded. If the salmon is too crowded on the pan, you’ll end up steaming it instead of frying the nuggets, which means no crispy crust.
- Do not overcook your salmon! You want to ensure that the salmon bites stay tender on the inside.
Make ahead instructions
Even though this recipe for fried salmon bites is pretty quick, there are a few steps you can do ahead of time to make creating the nuggets even faster.
You can pre-mix the spices and keep them in a container or baggie until you’re ready to make this fried salmon recipe.
The spring onion can also be chopped ahead of time and kept in a baggie/container. Don’t marinate the salmon too early, or it can affect the texture of the fish.
Serving Suggestions
Not sure how to enjoy your fried salmon bites? Try these meal ideas!
Rice Bowl: Serve the salmon nuggets over fresh rice with pickled red onions, edamame, or any other veggies you enjoy.
Dipping Sauces: For a bolder taste, you can include dipping sauces like teriyaki, honey mustard, or tartar sauce on the side.
Side of Veggies: Try creating one of the veggie sides below with these salmon bites for a healthier twist to this recipe.
Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions
Refrigerator – Once the pan fried salmon bites are cooked and cooled, store them in an air-tight container in the fridge. They should last for up to 3 days.
Freezer – You can also store these fried salmon bites in the freezer. If you plan to freeze them, skip the sauce and just season them with spices. Once cooked and cooled, store them in an airtight bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat them frozen in an air fryer or oven, then toss them in the freshly made marinade.
Reheat – Usually, I’ll reheat the salmon cubes in the microwave the next day. Just be sure not to overheat them, or you’ll end up with dry fish nuggets. You can also enjoy them cold as a topper for salads or a snack.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you’ll need to flip the fried salmon bites partway through pan-frying. This will help make sure they’re evenly cooked and each side is crispy.
Yes, I recommend letting the salmon come to room temperature before cooking it in a pan. This step ensures the salmon cooks more evenly.
I recommend removing the salmon skin for this crispy fried salmon recipe, as it makes it easier to cut the fish into even, bite-sized pieces.
For this particular recipe, the salmon is done when both sides of the nuggets are golden brown and crispy.
Yes, you can use frozen salmon instead. It will need to be thawed beforehand, so make sure you put it in the fridge the night before you plan to make fish nuggets.
For a cosier meal, try pairing the salmon bites with these comforting mains: Cheesy Gnocchi Bake, Easy Cafeteria Noodles, or Salt and Pepper Chips.
If you tried this Pan-Fried Salmon Bites Recipe, it would mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Crispy Pan Fried Salmon Bites
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets (£3.85)
- Spring onion, thinly sliced to serve (£0.65)
Cupboard Essentials
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- Salt & pepper
Method
- Start by removing the skin off of your salmon fillets. Slice into cubes.
- Place the salmon in a bowl and coat in cornflour, then paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Toss to combine.
- To a frying pan, add the olive oil and coat the base of the pan. Evenly distribute the salmon bites across the pan. Fry over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes, leaving undisturbed.
- After this time, rotate the pieces and add the soy sauce, honey and a pinch of salt and pepper. Continue to fry, stirring occasionally for a further 3 minutes.
- Remove from the pan and top with optional spring onion and an extra crack of black pepper.
Notes
- Cut salmon into even-sized pieces to ensure they cook evenly.
- Marinate salmon in spices for 15 minutes to deepen the flavour.
- Preheat the pan until it’s hot to get a crispy sear on the nuggets.
- Fry in batches to avoid overcrowding and soggy salmon.
- Don’t overcook the salmon to keep the inside tender.
Nutrition
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