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Vietnamese Caramel Salmon ( Instant Pot or Oven Baked)
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5 from 1 vote

Easy Vietnamese Caramel Salmon {Oven Baked or Instant Pot}

Easy Vietnamese Caramel Salmon - The most delectable, flaky melt in your mouth savory salmon. Ready in under 30 minutes. Can be made in the oven or in an Instant Pot (instructions for both cooking methods included in recipe).
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Main Dish, Seafood
Cuisine: American, Vietnamese
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 337kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
  • cup packed light brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 ½ tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 salmon fillets approx. 6 oz. each
  • Fresh cilantro and sliced green onions for garnish
  • Extra limes for squeezing over cooked salmon (optional)

Instructions

Oven Baked Method

  • Preheat oven to 350F
  • In an oven-proof baking dish (large enough for salmon fillets to lay flat) combine oil, brown sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, lime zest and pepper.
  • Lay salmon fillets in baking dish with sauce (flat side with skin facing up).
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes. Carefully remove salmon from baking dish, flipping salmon over so that the flat side (skin side) is on serving platter (reserving sauce in baking dish).
  • Set oven to broil. Place baking dish with remaining sauce back into the oven (about 6 inches from heat) for an additional 1-2 minutes to thicken sauce. Remove baking dish from oven and spoon sauce over salmon. Garnish with fresh cilantro and green onions.
  • Salmon will continue to cook for a few minutes once you’ve removed from the oven so keep this in mind

Instant Pot Method

  • Set Instant Pot to sauté function. Add olive oil, brown sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, lime zest and black pepper. Mix and bring to a simmer. As soon as mixture starts to simmer, turn off the sauté function.
  • Add salmon, skin-side up. Spoon sauce over salmon. Set Instant Pot to Manual and cook on low pressure for 1 minute. Allow pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes; then set pressure release to manual and release any remaining steam. Check salmon for doneness, if necessary (if filets are extra thick) cook an additional minute or so using the sauté function.
  • Lift the salmon (carefully) onto a serving platter, flipping so that the skin side is down and the browned, caramelized side is facing up. Set Instant Pot to sauté function one final time, allowing the sauce remaining in the pot to reduce and become thick and syrupy (about2- 3 minutes). Spoon sauce over salmon and garnish with fresh cilantro and sliced green onions ( both white and green parts). Drizzle with additional lime juice if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 337kcal | Carbohydrates: 22.2g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 14.3g | Saturated Fat: 2.1g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 1094.3mg | Sugar: 16g