Spicy Salmon Marinade
This spicy salmon marinade recipe makes the most flavorful salmon, made with soy sauce, spicy brown mustard, chili flakes and more. Super easy to make.
Get your salmon fillets ready, my friends. We’re whipping up a new batch of Spicy Salmon Marinade today in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen, and it’s going to add a ton of bold flavor to your meal.
Salmon is one of my favorite fish. We probably eat it once a week. I love it anyway I can get it, baked, grilled, broiled, you name it. There are many ways to coax maximum flavor out of your salmon, and one of my favorites is with a good marinade.
A great salmon marinade will infuse the salmon with all sorts of extra wonderful flavor, and it’s easy to whip together. All it takes is a bit of chopping and whisking a few ingredients together in a small bowl. Then, marinate!
You just need a bit of extra time to let that salmon soak up all those wonderful flavors, so plan ahead if you can! Alright, are you ready for some salmon?
Let’s talk about how we make this spicy salmon marinade, shall we?
Spicy Salmon Marinade Ingredients
- The Liquids. The Liquids. Use ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons honey (or use brown sugar), 3 tablespoons brown mustard (I use spicy brown mustard) and 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or juice from ½ lemon)
- The Spicy Factor. I use 1 serrano pepper, diced (or use even hotter peppers to really spice things up), along with a teaspoon (or more) of spicy red pepper flakes. You can skip the hot peppers for a milder version. You’ll still get some heat from the chili flakes.
Flavor Builders. Use 4 cloves garlic, minced (or more if you’d like) and 1 teaspoon dried oregano - Salmon. This recipe is good to cover 2 6-ounce salmon fillets. You might be able to squeeze 3 of them in there.
How to Make Spicy Salmon Marinade – the Recipe Method
Combine and Whisk. Whisk together the soy sauce, olive oil, honey or brown sugar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and red pepper flakes in a small bowl until well combined.
Marinate. Place the salmon in a large zip-lock bag and pour the marinade over them. Seal the bag and refrigerate at least 15 minutes to 20 minutes, or for 1 hour before cooking. You’ll get a bit more flavor penetration with 1 hour. You can also set the salmon into a wide pan such as a baking dish or bowl and cover them with the marinade, then top with plastic wrap.
Boom! Done! Get your salmon marinating! Fire up the grill! I love a great grilled salmon recipe, though this salmon marinade works no matter how you’re cooking up your salmon. Works for any cut of salmon, too.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Other Ingredients. Other flavors are popular for marinating salmon. Try using orange juice instead of lemon juice, worcestershire sauce and cracked black pepper.
- Benefits of a Marinade. Marinating is a big flavor building component. A good marinade helps to add moisture to your proteins, especially fish. It also helps the salmon from drying out while you’re cooking it. Salmon is an oilier fish, so you can easily get away without marinating, though the marinade really adds a lot of flavor.
- Marinating Time. I like to get my marinade going in the morning and marinate the salmon all day long so they’re ready for cooking or grilling later that night. You’ll still get good flavor, though, with only 30 minutes. Go 1 hour if you can.
- The Heat Factor. You’ll get a nice level of heat if you go with some spicy chili peppers here, though you can omit them if you’d prefer a milder heat. Stick with the red pepper flakes and you’ll be good to go.
- Grilling Salmon. If you’re going to grill your salmon, get your grill going to medium heat and lightly oil the grates. Grill the salmon for 4-5 minutes per side, or until it is cooked through to your liking. If you’re cooking with skin on salmon, start with the skin side down so you can get a nice, crispy skin.
- Baking Salmon. If you’d like to bake your salmon, heat your oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through. You want 4-6 minutes per inch of thickness, depending on how you like it done.
That’s it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my spicy salmon marinade recipe, and the salmon! However you cook it up.. Let me know if you make it. I’d love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!
Try My Spicy Salmon Marinade with Some of These Salmon Recipes
- Blackened Salmon
- Grilled Salmon with Honey-Sriracha Sauce
- Cajun Baked Salmon with Cajun Rice
- Baked Salmon with Cajun Lemon Butter
- Teriyaki Salmon
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
- Carne Asada Marinade
- Zingy Pork Chop Marinade
- Spicy BBQ Chicken Marinade
- Bold and Zesty Steak Marinade
- London Broil Marinade
- Teriyaki Marinade
- Jamaican Jerk Marinade
- Shrimp Marinade
- See all of my Spicy Marinade Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Spicy Salmon Marinade Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons brown mustard I use spicy brown mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey or use brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice or juice from ½ lemon
- 1 serrano pepper diced (or use even hotter peppers to really spice things up - optional, for extra spicy)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Red pepper flakes to taste use ¼ to 1 teaspoon, or to taste
- 2 6- ounce salmon fillets
Instructions
- Whisk together the soy sauce, olive oil, honey or brown sugar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and red pepper flakes in a mixing bowl until well combined.
- Place the salmon in a large zip-lock bag and pour the marinade over them. Seal the bag and refrigerate at least 15 to 20 minutes, or for 1 hour before cooking.
Notes
Nutrition
14 comments
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This was the third time I made your recipe. This time I doubled the recipe for 2 1/2 pounds of salmon. I used the marinade and slow roasted the fish at 275. Used sauce when I served it up. Wonderful. My wife wants it for Christmas dinner. Thanks for a tremendous website.
Great, Chip! Super happy you enjoyed it! This would be a great holiday meal for sure.
Thank you for this recipe! It was delicious. I can’t wait to try the orange juice variation.
Thanks, Jeanne!
I am usually disappointed by how salmon turns out when I make it at home, but this is recipe was fantastic! I actually ate all my salmon first before touching anything else on my plate.
I left out the Serrano pepper and added a full teaspoon of the red pepper flakes. I also reserved a few tablespoons of the marinade to pour on top of the fish at the end. So good!
Nice! Glad you enjoyed it, Gia! Excellent.
I made this and this was SO GOOD! YUM!
Great, thanks!!
Super easy and yummy! I used 3 wiri wiri peppers instead of the red pepper flakes. BTW, this makes a lot of marinade; I used 18 oz of salmon, and had plenty of marinade. I served the leftover marinade alongside the salmon, and we spooned it over the grilled salmon. Thank you for another terrific recipe!!!
Thanks, Jazz! Glad you enjoyed it.
Sounds amazing
I am planning to make it for dinner using your suggested orange juice instead of lemon.
Thanks got all your wonderful recipes.
Thanks, Oosha! Enjoy!
Can you reserve some of the marinade and use it as a mop as well? Thanks.
You surely can, Andy. Let me know how it goes! Enjoy.