Bang Bang Salmon

My favorite meal to get at almost any restaurant is plated salmon, so when I discovered a way to turn that into a quick and easy meal at home, I was all in. As good as any restaurant version, this delicious Bang Bang Salmon is easy to prep and a breeze to cook. It makes us feel so spoiled and honestly if you buy salmon from a warehouse store or wait for sales, it doesn’t even have to be that expensive!

My life is so much easier because I cook this way. If you haven’t gotten hooked on freezer meal cooking yet, we have a few more options you are going to want to try that elevated this method with restaurant worthy results. For instance, this Teriyaki Salmon is another great choice and our Mongolian Meatballs are the some of the best I’ve ever had.

If you are already ready to jump right in, be sure to check out the Freezer Meals 101 Club for all of the latest recipes and videos.

Bang Bang Salmon Recipe

Ingredients

• salmon fillets
• salt and pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. honey

Ingredients for the Sauce

• 3 Tbsp. plain Greek yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. Thai sweet chili sauce
• 2 Tbsp. Sriracha sauce
• 1 tsp. rice vinegar

How to Make Bang Bang Salmon

Assembly Instructions

1. Put salmon in large bag.
2. Add minced garlic, paprika, honey, salt and pepper.
3. In a small bowl, mix together sauce ingredients and put in medium bag.
4. Remove excess air and seal both bags.
5. Staple them together above the seal.
6. Lay flat to freeze.

Oven Cooking Instructions

1. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
2. Empty bag contents on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Brush with some of the sauce.
4. Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes.
5. Once baked, brush with the rest of the sauce. 

Air Fryer Cooking Instructions

1. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
2. Brush with some of the sauce.
3. Place the fish in the air fryer, in batches, air fry at 400°F for 7 to 8 minutes, or longer depending on thickness of the salmon.
4. Brush with the remainder of the sauce.

BBQ (Grill) Cooking Instructions

1. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
2. Preheat BBQ to medium.
3. Create a tin foil packet for the salmon, place it inside and brush with some of the sauce before sealing.
4. BBQ 10-15 minutes or until it flakes fairly easily with a fork.
5. Brush with the remainder of the sauce.

What is the best way to make sure the salmon is cooked?

Salmon is cooked when it is light in color and flaky when poked with a fork. To be very sure it is safe, use an instant read thermometer and check the internal temperature of the thickest portion of meat to make sure it is at least 145ºF.

Is this recipe spicy?

Sriracha sauce is pretty spicy, but the Greek yogurt tames it down quite a bit. Spiciness is a very personal metric, so your mileage may vary. Feel free to change up the sauce recipe to adjust the level of spice to your liking. We have suggestions for this below.

Bang Bang Salmon Recipe Ideas

Top with sliced green onions, chives, or sesame seeds.

Salmon doesn’t keep as well as other meats, so if you don’t have very many mouths to feed, consider splitting the recipe between two freezer bags.

You can bring down the heat in the sauce by balancing it out with a little brown sugar or peanut butter if needed. Alternatively, bump up the heat by adding a small amount of red pepper flakes to the freezer bag with the salmon.

How do I store Bang Bang Salmon?

Refrigerate salmon within two hours of cooking it. Store leftover salmon in an airtight container with excess air removed. Keep the salmon for one or two days and reheated carefully. If the salmon shows any of the following signs, it should not be eaten: intense smell, slimy surface, discoloration different than when it was first cooked, or mushy texture anywhere on the fish. Reheat the salmon to 165ºF for food safety reasons.

What to Serve with Bang Bang Salmon

I love having my salmon over a small bed of rice with salad or roasted veggies on the side and a freshly baked dinner roll. Frozen dinner rolls are a huge time saver and can be reheated on a secondary rack in the oven as the salmon finishes.

For roasted veggies, try asparagus, brussels sprouts, broccoli, or green beans. Each of these can be tossed in a light drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper or lemon pepper, (or a seasoning blend of your choice,) and roasted for 10-13 minutes in the oven at 400ºF until they start to brown. This works great if you have double ovens. A toaster oven or air fryer can also be used.