Asian Sesame Crusted Salmon

This Asian Sesame Crusted Salmon is a recipe you’ll want to savor every last perfectly flaky bite of. Pair it with Asian slaw for a complete, paleo, Whole30-friendly meal. | My Fresh Perspective | #paleo #whole30 #glutenfree #sugardetox

With a simple marinade and delightfully crispy crust, this Asian Sesame Crusted Salmon is a recipe you’ll want to savor every last perfectly flaky bite of. Pair it with Asian slaw for a complete, paleo, Whole30-friendly meal.


Guys. This recipe. I almost have no words because it is just THAT good. But first…

It has been a very rainy, dreary February so far in LA, which means that I am very much counting down the days until I’m on the beach, eating my weight in poke and Hawaiian pineapples at the end of next week. You see, for my 30th birthday last summer, my mum’s gift to me was a trip to somewhere hot. Having had such an amazing solo trip to Maui back in 2017, I decided I’d like to cross another Hawaiian island off my bucket list. We decided that this would be our spot earlier last year when I was still living in Vancouver, when neither of us knew I’d be moving to LA. When summer came, we agreed that it didn’t make much sense for either of us to be flying anywhere. It was beautiful in Ontario (where my mum lives), and likewise here. In addition, I was still getting settled in and needed to earn some vacation time at work. I couldn’t just arrive and be like “Hi guys I’m here! Ok, now byyeeeeee!”

This Asian Sesame Crusted Salmon is a recipe you’ll want to savor every last perfectly flaky bite of. Pair it with Asian slaw for a complete, paleo, Whole30-friendly meal. | My Fresh Perspective | #paleo #whole30 #glutenfree #sugardetox

Fast forward to now, and the time has nearly arrived! Being the big planner that I am, I’ve built my Google map of must-see spots in Oahu, a list of things I plan to pack. My suitcase is open on my bedroom floor and in this very preliminary state, contains shorts, 2 dresses, flip flops, 3 bikinis and 2 bottles of sunscreen. I’m the type that tends to pack over the span of a few days, with most outfits going into the case and coming back out at least once before making my final picks. Am I the only one who packs like this?

While I’m over here making such groundbreaking decisions, you need to try some perfectly flaky on the inside, crispy on the outside, flavour-packed salmon, mmmkay?

When you think about crusted fish, the deep fried classic fish and chips might be the first thing that comes to mind – especially if you have British roots like me. As someone who is gluten-intolerant and whose tummy doesn’t cope well with fried food, I haven’t had classic fish and chips in a very long time. Deprivation is the last thing I feel though, because recipes like this Asian Sesame Crusted Salmon are (in my humble opinion) a bajillion times BETTER. I know. Bold statement, but it’s true.

Similar to the Easy Tandoori Chicken recipe I posted a couple of weeks ago, the work here is minimal. The amazing sesame flavour comes from a simple marinade that doubles as a dressing (hooray for multitasking!) and while 30 mins will flavour the fish really nicely, leaving it to marinate all day makes for an even more delicious result. Enjoy!

This Asian Sesame Crusted Salmon is a recipe you’ll want to savor every last perfectly flaky bite of. Pair it with Asian slaw for a complete, paleo, Whole30-friendly meal. | My Fresh Perspective | #paleo #whole30 #glutenfree #sugardetox

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This Asian Sesame Crusted Salmon is a recipe you’ll want to savor every last perfectly flaky bite of. Pair it with Asian slaw for a complete, paleo, Whole30-friendly meal. | My Fresh Perspective | #paleo #whole30 #glutenfree #sugardetox

Asian Sesame Crusted Salmon


  • Author: Angela Simpson
  • Total Time: 25 mins
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x

Description

With a simple marinade and delightfully crispy crust, this Asian Sesame Crusted Salmon is a recipe you’ll want to savor every last perfectly flaky bite of. Pair it with Asian slaw for a complete, paleo, Whole30-friendly meal.


Ingredients

Scale

Sesame Dressing/Marinade (makes about 3/4 cup – you will have some leftover)

  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp minced or pureed fresh ginger
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil (or extra virgin olive oil as a backup)
  • 2 tbsp each toasted sesame oil, coconut aminos (or low sodium tamari*), lime juice and rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp honey (totally optional – swap for a pinch of stevia if you prefer, or omit entirely if doing Whole30)

For the salmon

  • 2 skin-on sockeye salmon fillets, about 160g each (raw weight)
  • 1/4 cup dressing/marinade from recipe above
  • black + white sesame seeds

The rest

  • 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
  • 2 cups sliced or diced cucumber
  • 1/2 cup combination of roughly torn mint, basil and cilantro
  • 1 scallion, sliced thinly, white and light green parts
  • 1 package dried seaweed salad (I used SeaSnax SeaVegi, which comes in 25g packets), rehydrated in about 1/2 cup hot water
  • 1/2 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
  • pickled ginger and lime wedges, both optional, to serve

Instructions

  1. In a glass jar, shake all the ingredients for the dressing vigorously until well incorporated.
  2. Measure out 1/4 cup of the dressing and place it in a resealable bag, along with the salmon. Seal and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (but if possible, let it marinate for 4-8 hours for the best flavour!)
  3. Prepare all ingredients for the slaw (cabbage, cucumber, herbs, scallion, rehydrated seaweed) as directed above. Toss them together in a bowl along with a few tablespoons of dressing. This can be done either in advance, or when you’re cooking the salmon if you prefer.
  4. When ready to cook, mist a frying pan with avocado oil and let it heat up for 1-2 minutes. Meanwhile dredge the fleshy side of the salmon fillets in sesame seeds.
  5. Place the salmon sesame-side-down into the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, then flip and continue cooking another 3-4 minutes, or until completely cooked throughout. (This may take a little longer if your fillets are thick.)
  6. Remove the salmon from the pan and let it sit to cool slightly.
  7. Distribute the slaw between two bowls. Carefully remove the skin on the salmon (if on), then place a fillet in each bowl on top of the slaw.
  8. Serve with avocado and pickled ginger, with extra dressing on the side if needed.

Notes

Note that coconut aminos are Whole30 compliant, but tamari and soy sauce are not.

  • Prep Time: 15 mins + marinating
  • Cook Time: 8 mins
  • Category: dinner
  • Method: stovetop
  • Cuisine: Asian

Keywords: paleo, whole30, salmon, healthy salmon recipes, gluten free, dinner, lunch, Asian, sesame, dairy free, anti-inflammatory

Tell me… what’s the last vacation you went on? If you’ve been to Oahu, what were some of your favourite sights to see/things to do?

 

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