Bang Bang Salmon

At a glance

What stands out: Bang bang salmon adds Asian-style sweet heat to your weeknight dinner! Baking salmon in a creamy from-scratch bang bang sauce keeps it moist and flavorful.

How long it takes: 32 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: baking sheet, small bowl
Servings: 4

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Bang Bang!

We've been on a bang bang kick lately and we're not ready to stop yet! First, we made bang bang sauce, then we used the sauce to make bang bang chicken, and now we're saucing up baked salmon fillets. Bang bang sauce is creamy, spicy, sweet, and tangy, adding pop and pizzazz (and yes, some bang bang) to an everyday kind of dinner like baked salmon.

Serve bang bang salmon over rice with tender-crisp stir fried veggies and you’ll feel like you’re eating a restaurant meal!

Straightforward Bang Bang Salmon Recipe

Awesome sauce. Sweet and spicy is always a good flavor combination for salmon (like this maple mustard baked salmon). The creamy bang bang sauce helps lock in moisture and ensures that the salmon is flaky and tender.

Speedy and straightforward. This recipe comes together in just a smidge over 30 minutes. Make the sauce a day or two ahead to save even more time. This baked bang bang salmon recipe is a reliable weeknight meal, keeping things speedy and straightforward while still packing in lots of flavor, nutrition, and plenty of high-end appeal.

Versatile. Serve bang bang salmon as a main dish with a traditional side, add it to a salad, cube it up for a meal bowl—you’ve got options!

What goes in

• Salmon fillets: Fresh or frozen both work, but be sure to defrost frozen salmon first. The salmon can be skinless or skin-on.
• Olive oil: Oil helps the seasoning stick. You can use a different type of oil if you prefer.
• Seasonings: We use garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper to add flavor to the salmon itself so it’s not bland underneath the sauce.
• Bang bang sauce: We make from-scratch bang bang sauce (the recipe is included), but swap in store-bought if you want dinner on the table even faster. Keep in mind that the sauce will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator so you can easily make it ahead.
• Garnishes: While you don’t have to garnish the salmon, we highly recommend adding sliced green onions and/or sesame seeds as toppers. Chopped cilantro goes well, too.

How it comes together

Prepare. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it with nonstick spray or a thin layer of oil.

Season the salmon. Mix the garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pat the salmon dry using clean paper towels and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Arrange the salmon on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly coat the fillets with oil and then use the seasoning mix to season the salmon.

Sauce the salmon. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle about a tablespoon of the bang bang sauce over each fillet, then spread it evenly over the salmon (see cooking tip). Save the rest of the sauce for when you serve the salmon.

Cooking Tip

When you add the sauce to the salmon, don’t touch the raw salmon with the spoon you’re using. Once you’ve drizzled it on all 4 fillets, then spread it (and don’t put the spoon back into the sauce!). Otherwise, you could potentially transfer bacteria from the salmon to the sauce. Remember that you won’t be using all of the sauce to cook the salmon; the remaining sauce is reserved for adding after the salmon is baked.

Bake. Place the pan in the oven and bake the salmon for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the it reaches 145ºF on an instant read thermometer. If the temperature is slightly less than 145ºF when you check it, that’s okay. The temperature will continue to rise five or ten degrees if you let the salmon rest five minutes or so. If you don’t have a thermometer, the salmon is done when it flakes easily.

Serve. Drizzle the reserved sauce over the salmon or serve it on the side. Garnish as desired, and serve.

Recipe Options

Make the sauce ahead of time. Bang bang sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. To get a head start on the recipe, make it ahead. We like to make a double batch and use the sauce for other meals, too! If you prefer, a bottle of bang bang sauce can be purchased at the grocery store.

Air fry the salmon. Yes, you can cook bang bang salmon in the air fryer! We would cook it at 400ºF for 8 to 10 minutes (refer to our recipe for air fryer salmon, if you like).

Adjust the spice level. You can add more sriracha for a spicier bang bang sauce, or reduce the amount if you want it milder.

Ways to serve it

• Grains. Instant Pot jasmine rice or Instant Pot basmati rice are two great options to serve alongside the bang bang salmon, or try this yellow rice. Coconut rice would go well, too.
• Vegetables. Since your oven will be occupied, make air fryer carrots or sautéed asparagus on the stovetop.
• Salad. This Asian salad would be fantastic with bang bang salmon, as would mandarin orange salad.
• Make a bang bang salmon bowl. Serve the salmon in bowls of rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice with fresh veggies, fruit, and other toppings. We share some ideas in the recipe card below. (If you like this idea, be sure to try our salmon bowl recipe and our Mediterranean salmon bowl, too!)

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate: Store leftover bang bang salmon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. We don’t recommend freezing this recipe, both because mayo-based sauces don’t freeze well and because in our experience, freezing cooked fish usually produces lackluster results. It’s edible but nothing you’d look forward to eating!

Reheat: Place the salmon on a baking sheet and cover it with foil. Bake at 350ºF for about 10 minutes, or until heated through. Alternatively, you can microwave the salmon, but do so carefully, in 30-second intervals, to avoid overcooking it.

• Yield: 4
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 17 minutes
• Total: 32 minutes

Ingredients

For salmon

• 4 salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

For sauce

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon sriracha (adjust to taste)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

For garnish

• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, optional
• fresh cilantro, optional

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
2. In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Pat the salmon fillets dry with a paper towel. Place salmon on the prepared baking sheet. Rub each fillet with olive oil and sprinkle with the spice mix.
3. In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, chili sauce, sriracha, honey, lime juice, and garlic powder to make sauce.
4. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon sauce over each salmon fillet. (Be careful not to touch the salmon with the spoon, and then dip it into the sauce. You don't want to transfer bacteria from the raw salmon to the sauce.) If desired, spread the sauce evenly on the fillets. Reserve remaining sauce for garnishing after salmon is baked.
5. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork or internal temperature is about 145ºF. Baking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fillets.
6. Spoon or drizzle remaining bang bang sauce over the cooked salmon, or serve the sauce on the side. Garnish the salmon with green onions, sesame seeds, and cilantro, if desired.

Notes

Make the sauce ahead of time. Bang bang sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. To get a head start on the recipe, make it ahead. We like to make a double batch and use the sauce for other meals, too! If you prefer, a bottle of bang bang sauce can be purchased at the grocery store.

To make a bowl: On individual bowls of rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice, arrange your choice of toppings such as shredded lettuce or cabbage, thinly sliced cucumber, shredded carrots, red bell pepper, mango, edamame, sliced avocado, sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds, or fresh cilantro. Add bang bang salmon and serve immediately.

Air fryer: Cook salmon at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes. (We did not test this method.)