Clean Eating Baked Thai Salmon
Try this Clean Eating Baked Thai Salmon recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Clean Eating Baked Thai Salmon recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (0g)
- Sodium 155.032 mg
- Sugar 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Calories 0 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large baking dish, lay down salmon fillets in a row.
- Each fillet - sprinkle with a pinch of salt and top with 1 tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce.
- Brush or rub with your fingers to coat fish with sauce evenly on top, bottom and sides.
- Cover and let marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight is the best (up to 24 hours).
- Turn on oven's broiler on High and position top oven rack 5" - 6" below the heat source.
- Line large baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper, spray with cooking spray and place salmon fillets skin side down (if any).
- Coat with remaining marinade from the dish (if any).
- Broil for 8 minutes, rotating baking sheet once.
- Remove from the oven and brush top of each fillet with 2 tsp of Thai sweet chili sauce.
- Return to the oven and broil for another 5 minutes or until salmon has caramelized.
- Serve hot garnished with green onions, extra sauce (if desired) with brown rice or quinoa on a side.
Thai sweet chili sauce contains high levels of simple sugars and water that interact aggressively with protein under intense heat. Extended marinating times allow the sugar molecules to penetrate the outer millimetres of the fish muscle tissue, driving Maillard and caramelization reactions much faster once the fillets hit the broiler. Raw salmon flesh contains roughly 70 percent water, meaning moisture control is the primary variable determining whether the fish chars correctly or steams in its own juices.
- Position the top oven rack precisely 5 to 6 inches below the broiler element to achieve rapid surface caramelization without overcooking the interior proteins.
- Marinate the fillets for a minimum of 2 hours, though holding them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours maximizes sugar absorption and surface browning.
- Cook the salmon under a high broiler for 8 minutes, rotate the baking sheet to ensure even heat exposure, brush with fresh sauce, and broil for another 5 minutes until the exterior is tacky and charred.
- Store cooked leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze uncooked marinated fillets for up to 1 month.
Thawing frozen marinated salmon requires transferring the portions to the refrigerator 24 hours prior to cooking to prevent rapid moisture loss. Reheating cooked salmon in a microwave often renders the proteins rubbery due to uneven thermal radiation, so gentle warming in a 275 degrees Fahrenheit oven is recommended.
