A generous layer of sesame seeds, adhered to the fillets with a simple swipe of soy sauce, adds toasty flavor and pops of crunchy texture to this weeknight-friendly salmon. Use a blend of black and white sesame seeds for an elegant two-toned crust, or stick with just one if that’s what you’ve got on hand. Paired with a crisp shaved carrot salad (easily prepped with a vegetable peeler) tossed in a zesty ginger-sesame vinaigrette, it’s a quick and satisfying meal that comes together in under 30 minutes.
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What you’ll need
Vegetable Peeler
$12 $10 At Amazon
Citrus Juicer
$20 $15 At Amazon
Medium Skillet
$50 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
30 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
½
6
2
2
1
½
2
2
4
4
6
2
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk together ½ cup fresh lemon juice, 6 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil, 2 Tbsp. honey, 2 Tbsp. finely chopped pickled ginger, one 2" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated, and ½ cup soy sauce in a small bowl. Set dressing aside.
Step 2
Toss 2 lb. carrots, peeled, very thinly sliced lengthwise with a vegetable peeler, and 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl to combine and let sit 15 minutes to allow carrots to release excess liquid.
Step 3
Pour off any liquid that has accumulated in bowl; discard. Drizzle ¼ cup reserved dressing over carrots, add 4 scallions, thinly sliced on a diagonal, and toss to combine. Set carrot salad aside.
Step 4
Pat four 5–6-oz. skinless salmon fillets dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt. Place on a large plate with a lip; drizzle remaining 2 tsp. soy sauce over and rub on both sides to coat. (Doing this will help the sesame seeds adhere to the salmon.)
Step 5
Place 6 Tbsp. white and/or black sesame seeds on another large plate. Working one at a time, place salmon on top and turn to coat, pressing seeds to adhere.
Step 6
Heat 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium. Working in 2 batches, cook salmon until golden brown and firm, about 5 minutes per side.
Step 7
Transfer salmon fillets to plates and mound some steamed white rice and reserved carrot salad alongside. Serve with remaining reserved dressing.
Leave a Review
Reviews (4)
Back to TopThis came together beautifully and quickly! The only change I made was that I only crusted one side of my fillets with the sesame seeds - my piece of sockeye came skin on so I left it and crisped it up in the pan. Loved all of the flavors and the carrot salad gives it a nice tart freshness. Had lots of extra dressing, so might add in some radishes next time too. Great for those warm evenings when you don’t want to turn the oven on!
MFranklin
Brooklyn, NY
6/3/2024
The ratio of carrots to salmon to dressing was totally out of whack, and I'd cut down the carrots to one pound and at least halve the dressing. Peel-slicing that many carrots also really pushed the boundary of weeknight-friendly (at least for me, a home cook). The salmon ended up a bit under seasoned. I wouldn't make this again; the dressing reminded me of a strip mall Japanese restaurant and nothing was really that interesting relative the amount of labor that was thinly slicing two pounds of carrots.
Anonymous
Sioux falls, SD
6/13/2024
The salmon itself was extremely easy and a tasty preparation. My friend (a notoriously picky eater) ended up staying for dinner unexpectedly, and they enjoyed it. On the other hand, the idea that it "comes together in under 30 minutes" is laughable. I agree with the other reviewer who mentioned that prepping two lbs of carrots alone - washing them, peeling them, and then thinly slicing with a vegetable peeler - can take that long (at least for this home cook). If you want to make this a quick weeknight meal, prep the salmon with rice and a simple side salad instead. Cucumber salad would work nicely too. If you *are* making the carrot salad, I highly suggest using a mandolin instead of a veggie peeler to make quicker work of it.
Anonymous
Medford, MA
6/17/2024