Hoisin Glazed Salmon with a Quick Pickled Cucumber
This Hoisin Glazed Salmon with a Quick Pickled Cucumber is the perfect balance of sweet, sour and umami. Super healthy, and ready in under 20 minutes, this seafood dish is the perfect weeknight dinner.
We just celebrated Mother’s Day. I know it’s a silly Hallmark holiday, but these type of days always make me reflect (either that or maybe it’s because it was the first hour I had alone to myself since this whole pandemic began)! Whatever the reason, I had some quiet time to myself and I thought about what it means to me to be Jack and Will’s mom.
Ever since I was little, I always wanted to be a mom. It seems funny now, but I was that little girl who would dream up what she would name her kids some day and went back and forth on if I wanted 4 or 6 kids (are you kidding me?!). We have two and I can NOT imagine a life with S.I.X. children (for those of you that do, bless your soul).
The Perfect Side Dishes
No amount of daydreaming about your future kids or hours spent babysitting can adequately prepare you for motherhood. Nothing can prepare you for the love that you will feel, or the difficulties you will endure, or the joy they will bring you. There is something about holding your baby for the first time and staring at them that creates an unbreakable bond. That moment when it becomes truly real that you, just you, are their Mom.
My boys breathe life into me. They have infectious personalities, huge smiles, the best belly laughs and the most kind and tender hearts. Is being a mom tough? Yes, of course. I have experienced challenges with Jack and Will that have tested me to my core but they have truly brought the most joyful and fulfilling times into my life.
When one of them runs up to hug me out of the blue and whispers “I love you, Mom”, I know that I have found my true calling.
Well now that that emotional soliloquy is over, let me introduce you to my new recipe!!
Hoisin glazed salmon with a quick pickled cucumber
I love eating fish but sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming knowing how to prepare it. Enter my easy Hoisin Glazed Salmon with a Quick Pickled Cucumber – minimal ingredients, cooks in minutes and tastes of restaurant quality. What more could you want?!
What is Hoisin Sauce?
Hoisin sauce is commonly used in Cantonese cuisine. The key ingredient in hoisin is fermented soy bean paste. Hoisin is incredibly flavorful and the perfect combination of salty and sweet. If I ever see a menu item made with hoisin, I almost always order it!
What Should I Serve with this Salmon?
The options are endless but I love serving this salmon with quickly pickled cucumbers and brown rice. Other tasty options include noodles, salad or grilled vegetables. This is a healthy, quick and easy meal the whole family will love!
This salmon is perfect for leftovers – whether you want to serve it hot or cold it will be delicious either way. I love serving it cold on top of a salad, it’s so delicious!
Healthy, Quick & Easy Recipes
Whenever I ask my readers what types of recipes they would like to see more of, the resounding answer is always “quick and easy dinners”. I always like hearing that answer because those are the kind of recipes that I want to make! So, whenever you come to Land of 10,000 Recipes, you will always be able to find recipes that are healthy, quick and easy!
Tips for Involving Kids
- Have your kids help you brush the sauce on the salmon.
- Let them use their own knives to slice the cucumbers.
- There is always going to be a mess when you cook with your kids but, like my little guy Will (3 years old) always says, “It’s okay Mom, chefs make messes and then they clean it up.” Have fun cooking with your kids!!
Hoisin Glazed Salmon with a Quick Pickled Cucumber
Ingredients
Salmon
- 4 salmon filets
- ¼ cup hoisin
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- ½ Tbsp rice vinegar
Pickled Cucumbers
- 1 cucumber thinly sliced
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- pinch of red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- While the oven is preheating, combine all of the cucumber ingredients into a mason jar and shake to combine. Set aside to let the cucumbers get slightly pickled.1 cucumber, ½ cup rice vinegar, 1 tsp brown sugar, pinch of red pepper flakes
- Spray oil on a baking sheet and put the salmon on it (skin side down, if it still has it).4 salmon filets
- Combine the ingredients for the hoisin glaze in a small bowl and mix well.¼ cup hoisin, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, ½ Tbsp rice vinegar
- Brush the sauce over the filets, reserving about ¼ of it.
- Put the salmon in the oven and bake 10-12 minutes.
- Halfway through, brush the remaining sauce over the filets.
- Serve with pickled cucumbers and brown rice!
