Trying to figure out what to have for dinner when you’re in a rush isn’t always easy. You want something quick but healthy and nutritious, too, but those two factors don’t always go hand in hand.
However, you really can’t go wrong with salmon, rice and veggies. While this combination might not sound like the most exciting, seasoning is everything, and my simple four-ingredient marinade instantly makes salmon taste restaurant-quality. Even better, it’s ready in the air fryer in just 10 minutes.
Although I do really love cooking, I don’t want to be spending hours in the kitchen every night, especially not when the weather is this warm. The beauty of this salmon recipe is that you don’t even need to turn the oven on, and the marinade is ready in seconds.
It’s made of four ingredients — garlic, honey, sesame oil and soy sauce. I’ve been making this for a while now and the key thing to remember is use a light soy, rather than a dark soy. Until recently I didn’t know the difference, but light is way better for flavour, and it’ll make such a difference if you do use this.
I’ve used rice as the base but you could use a summery salad if you want an even lighter meal for the warmer days. Here’s how you can recreate this dish at home, which serves one.
First, make your marinade. In a bowl or container, mix together the soy sauce, garlic, honey and sesame oil, and place the salmon fillet skin-side up. Use a spoon to coat the salmon in the marinade a little more and leave to sit for 10-15 minutes while you get started on the rest of the prep.
You can use pretty much any veggies to serve with this, but this time I went with some grated carrot and steamed Tenderstem broccoli. Edamame and cucumber salad also works really well.
Place the salmon in a lined air fryer basket and cook at 180C for 10-12 minutes depending on how you prefer the texture to be. Save the remaining marinade — you can drizzle this on top for some extra flavour.
Then, plate up your salmon bowl starting with your rice or salad, then the fillet and any other additions you like. Spoon some of the leftover marinade on top, followed by some sesame seeds, and you’re ready to serve.
This is one of the easiest yet most delicious recipes you’ll ever make. The flavours in the marinade combine to create a sweet, umami taste that’s hard to beat. Salmon is also considered a superfood, full of omegas that are good for your brain and mental health.
Once you make the switch from dark to light soy, you’ll never go back, so it’s worth a try if you want your salmon to taste even more delicious.
