Salmon Bites with Hot Honey

These pan-seared salmon bites are juicy on the inside, crisp on the outside, and amped up with hot honey. This easy-to-make entrée will have your tastebuds zinging!

Hot Honey Salmon Bites

What can I say about this pan fried salmon, except that it’s so good! Crisp nuggets of salmon are seared and then glazed with spicy sweet hot honey. It’s irresistible. Go ahead and double the recipe because these juicy salmon bites will go in a hurry. Serve hot honey salmon bites over rice with veggies, on top of salads, or as is for an easy appetizer. You can’t go wrong!

Why You’ll Love This Salmon Bites Recipe

• Quick. You will love this recipe because it can be ready in 15 minutes, maybe less if you’re fast. The salmon only has to cook for about five minutes.
• Flavorful. The salmon is seasoned with a simple brown sugar rub before it’s seared in a nice hot skillet and lightly glazed with hot honey. The brown sugar caramelizes on the outside of the salmon for a deliciously crisp crust.
• Versatile. These salmon bites can be served as an entrée or an appetizer. Serve them with a fancy toothpick and watch them disappear at parties. Move over, cocktail meatballs, salmon is in town!

What You’ll Need

I’ll get you started with some quick ingredient notes. As always, you’ll find the printable recipe card near the end of the post with complete instructions, measurements, and nutrition information.

• Salmon Fillet – The recipe calls for 12 ounces of salmon which is two to three servings. Either fresh salmon or frozen is fine; thaw frozen salmon overnight in your refrigerator. If your salmon is skin-on, remove it before you proceed with the recipe.
• Brown Sugar – The salmon is seasoned with a rub, and brown sugar is the base of the rub. The sugar encourages the caramelization that takes place over high heat.
• Paprika – Use regular (sweet) paprika which has a subtle flavor and adds a bit of color but not a lot of spice.
• Garlic Powder – For just a hint of garlic flavor. Garlic powder is dried garlic that is finely ground into a powder and is not the same thing as garlic salt.
• Salt & Pepper – Simple seasonings that we can’t live without, right? Adjust the amount to your taste.
• Olive Oil – Half of the oil is added to the rub and the other half is used for frying. Other types of oil are fine, as long as they can stand a little heat (high smoke point).
• Hot Honey – I use homemade hot honey (it’s really easy to make) or you can buy it from the store. A popular brand is Mike’s Hot Honey. Our homemade version is milder, but delicious nonetheless.

What Is Hot Honey?

Hot honey is plain honey that’s been infused with chili peppers for a spicy kick. It’s a sweet-spicy combo that’s hard to resist.

Incidentally, our homemade hot honey (linked above) isn’t as mouth-tingling as many of the commercial brands we’ve tasted. Which is fine by me! Of course, you can always up the heat if that’s your preference. That’s the beauty of “homemade,” you can make it how you like it.

How to Make Salmon Bites

Here is a visual step-by-step showing just how simple it is to make hot honey salmon bites. You’ll find the printable instructions in the recipe card below the post.

• Prep the salmon. If your salmon is skin-on, use a sharp knife to carefully slice it away from the salmon fillet.
• Cut the salmon into bites. Cut the salmon into one-and-a-half to two-inch pieces, as close to the same size as possible so it will cook evenly. Using paper towels, pat the salmon dry.

Add the rub. Mix the brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the salmon with olive oil, and then rub the sugar/spice mixture into it.

• Sear the salmon. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick. Add the salmon pieces in a single layer. Don’t disturb them for two minutes. You want them to get nice and brown, even slightly charred before you turn them.
• Flip. Using tongs or spatula, quickly flip the salmon bites over and continue to fry for two to three minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature. Well-done salmon is 145ºF.

• Toss with hot honey. Lastly, lightly toss the salmon with the hot honey. If you prefer, the hot honey can be drizzled over the salmon on the serving platter. Serve immediately. The salmon bites are best when they are hot out of the pan!

Tips for Success

These are my tips for perfect hot honey salmon bites:

• Use your choice of salmon. You can make these bites with farm-raised, wild-caught, sockeye salmon, etc. This recipe is great because you can often make it with a cheaper, smaller cut of salmon since you’ll be chopping it up anyway.
• Get a good sear. Searing the salmon until it’s encrusted and browned on all sides is key for flavor, and holding the salmon together so that it doesn’t flake.
• Don’t overcrowd the skillet. Your salmon bites won’t crisp up if they’re crowded together tightly in the pan. Fry them in a single layer so that they don’t steam.
• Pan fried salmon is best eaten immediately. If you plan on making hot honey from scratch, do that ahead of time. This salmon recipe cooks quickly, so it’s a good idea to prepare your sides first or at least get them going so that they’re ready at the same time as the salmon.

Make This Salmon Bites Recipe Your Own

Looking to change up the flavors and ingredients in this salmon bites recipe? Here are some of out favorite ideas:

• Use any seasoning rub you like for the salmon. Try my BBQ rub, this easy salmon seasoning, or your favorite pre-made rub.
• Try a different sauce. Not crazy about hot honey? Toss the salmon with maple syrup, barbecue sauce, or hot sauce instead (also see my glazed salmon recipe). The salmon nuggets are good with no sauce at all, too.
• Substitute chicken for the salmon. If you prefer, make this recipe with boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of salmon. The cooking time will be slightly longer. Refer to my chicken bites recipe for specific instructions.
• More in the mood for steak? Try garlic butter steak bites, my new favorite way to enjoy steak.

How to Serve Salmon Bites

I like to serve the spicy salmon bites with creamy coconut rice or jasmine rice, and lightly steamed broccoli or sautéed spinach or roasted vegetables. Any extra hot honey can be drizzled over the veggies, too! These spicy salmon bites are also a delicious filling for salmon tacos with cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

For an easy appetizer, serve these salmon bites on a platter with toothpicks and extra hot honey for dipping. Or, try another dipping sauce like cooling tzatziki, tahini sauce or even fry sauce.

Make Ahead Ideas

This recipe is super fast and easy to make so there’s not a lot to do ahead. If you want to save a couple of minutes, prepare the spice mixture ahead of time. The salmon can be cut and refrigerated until you’re ready to cook it.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

• Refrigerate. Salmon bites are best eaten immediately. If you have leftovers, refrigerate them promptly in a covered container for up to 3-4 days. See easy ways to use leftover salmon bites in the section below.
• Reheat. Heat these salmon bites in a skillet, or you can reheat individual portions in the microwave.

Leftover Love

Salmon bites with hot honey are great on a salad, from green leafy salads to grain salads. They add healthy protein and so much flavor! Add salmon bites, either right from the skillet or cold, with the hot honey or without, to this roasted cauliflower salad with arugula & sweet potato.

Interested in a weekly meal plan (it’s free!) that includes this salmon recipe? Take a look at my Meal Plan #9. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let me do the planning for you this week! Or, browse all of our meal plans.