This colorful Salmon Stir Fry is a delicious way to eat healthy. Chunks of perfectly cooked salmon and tons of vegetables combined in a spicy, savory sauce!
Salmon is always welcome on our dinner table around here, whether it’s an every day Panko-Crusted Salmon Fillets recipe or a special occasion Salmon Wellington. You may not have considered stir-frying salmon before, but we’re here to tell you this is a delicious way to enjoy perfectly cooked salmon with tons of vegetables.
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Why Make This Recipe
- Cooks in 20 Minutes: Prep the ingredients in advance, and you can have dinner on the table in 20 minutes! Love a stir-fry for a quick meal.
- Healthy: Less than 400 calories per serving and packed with nutrients and Omega-3s. A great gluten-free option as well!
- Budget-Stretcher: Just one pound of salmon in this recipe stretches into a meal for 4!
🥗 Ingredients
- Soy Sauce: For a gluten-free salmon stir-fry recipe, make sure you use tamari rather than traditional soy sauce. Just check the tamari sauce packaging to make sure it is entirely gluten-free.
- Brown Sugar: Either light or dark brown sugar can be used. If you don’t have either, try replacing with honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: I like my stir-fries with a little bit of spice but not a ton. If you like less, leave it out. If you like more, add more spice, or throw in a chopped jalapeño pepper.
- Salmon: We try to buy the most sustainable salmon we can find. Usually that means wild-caught, but sometimes farmed as well. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch has a great guide to help you find the most sustainable seafood, and you can access it from your phone as well.
- Mushrooms: Feel free to replace the button mushrooms with shiitake or cremini mushrooms.
- Red Onion: You can replace this with a yellow or white onion or a shallot. Or use the white part of some scallions.
- Garlic and Ginger: If you don’t have fresh garlic or ginger, consider adding some ground garlic or ground ginger to the sauce instead.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Whisk together ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper for the teriyaki sauce, and set aside.
Pat dry a 1-pound skinless salmon fillet, and cut into large chunks. Slice ½ of a red onion into half moons. Peel and mince 2 garlic cloves.
Peel and grate ginger until you have about one tablespoon. De-seed 2 bell peppers, then cut into bite-sized chunks.
Wipe any dirt off 8 ounces of mushrooms, then cut into quarters (or eighths if mushrooms are very large).
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat, then add salmon.
Let salmon cubes cook, without stirring, until bottoms are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Flip pieces over carefully and cook until the opposite sides are lightly browned as well, about 3 minutes.
Salmon should be just barely cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add mushrooms to the pan. Sauté until mushrooms begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Push the mushrooms to the sides of the pan and add ½ tablespoon oil to the middle of the pan. Then add the broccoli florets.
Stir together, then cover and cook for 2 minutes. Remove cover, stir, then clear a space in the middle of the pan. Add ½ tablespoon of oil, then add onions, garlic, ginger, and peppers to the pan.
Stir together and sauté for 5-7 more minutes, until vegetables are tender and starting to brown. Add salmon pieces back into the pan, and stir gently. Whisk the sauce again to make sure the cornstarch is well incorporated.
Make a well in the center of the pan, then pour in the sauce. Stir while sauce thickens and turns into a glaze, about 30 seconds, then serve. Garnish with sliced green onions, if desired.
🧐 Recipe FAQs for Salmon Stir Fry
You can use vegetable oil, peanut oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, or canola oil. All of these oils have a high smoke point, which ensures that they won’t burn while you are stir-frying at a high heat.
Don’t use oils with a low smoke point like walnut oil, pumpkin seed oil, and flaxseed oil, which could burn while you are cooking. Save those oils for salad dressings, especially since they may also have strong flavors that could compete with the salmon and vegetables.
Yes! There are so many vegetables in this dish I should really call it Stir Fry Veggies with Salmon. You can pack tons of good-for-you vegetables in a stir fry, and then add a little protein (or not!).
Stir-frying does not require a ton of cooking oil, which makes this a pretty healthy way to cook. Also, stir fries allow you to cook vegetables just until they are crisp-tender, so that they retain more of their nutrients than if you had boiled them.
This stir-fry is great with so many sides, and the good news is that veggies are already built in so no need to pair with another vegetable dish. We like to serve it with white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, farro, or quinoa.
(If you want to keep this a gluten-free stir fry, pair with any of those except farro.) You can also serve it over your favorite kind of noodles, or just eat it as is!
👩🍳Expert Tips
The trickiest part of this stir fry salmon recipe is making sure that the salmon and vegetables are each perfectly cooked. That is the reason for making the stir-fried salmon first, then removing it from the pan. And that is also the reason for cooking the mushrooms, then broccoli, before adding the rest of the vegetables.
If you try to save a step and sauté them all at once, you’ll either undercook the mushrooms or broccoli, or overcook the peppers. Also note that the size of your vegetables will also impact their cook time. I like my broccoli florets fairly small, so that they cook more quickly. Big pieces will take forever to cook.
In addition, watch the heat on your pan. Depending on your stove and pan, you may need to turn the heat down to medium-high to make sure nothing burns. But keeping it at as high heat as possible will give you those nice browned edges that are so delicious in a salmon and vegetable stir-fry.
Take care to not stir the salmon around too much, either while you are browning it the first time or when you are stirring it back into the veggie stir fry. Salmon breaks apart super easily, so if you like those big chunks of salmon, handle it carefully!
Our final tip is for the mushrooms. Are you wondering why we suggest wiping them off but not rinsing them? Mushrooms quickly absorb any liquid, even if you are just rinsing them off gently. All of that extra moisture will then come out as you cook them, which can lead to a soggy vegetable stir fry.
Now that you've got all the tips you need for a perfect stir fry, you should try some other ingredient combinations. Flank steak, carrots, and snow peas star in this flavorful Beef Stir Fry. Or try our Chicken and Shrimp Stir Fry, packed with vegetables and lean protein.
Want another option for an asian-inspired salmon meal? How about these Teriyaki Salmon Noodles?
Other Delicious Salmon Recipes
If you liked this healthy salmon stir fry, you might want to check out some of my other favorite salmon recipes. This Teriyaki Glazed Salmon is quick and super flavorful, as are these Panko Crusted Salmon Fillets. This Air Fryer Everything Bagel Salmon couldn't be easier (or tastier!). Or check out one of these favorites:
If you try this Stir Fry Salmon recipe, I would love to hear from you! Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below—your feedback is invaluable to me.
And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter. I'd love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!
📖 Recipe
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Salmon Stir Fry
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce or Tamari
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
For the Stir-Fry
- 1 pound skinless salmon fillet
- ½ red onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1- inch piece of ginger
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 8 ounces white button mushrooms
- 8 ounces broccoli florets about 3 cups
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
- Chopped scallions to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk together ingredients for sauce, and set aside.
- Pat dry salmon fillet, and cut into large chunks.
- Slice red onion into half moons.
- Peel and mince garlic cloves.
- Peel and grate ginger until you have about one tablespoon.
- De-seed bell peppers, then cut into bite-sized chunks.
- Wipe any dirt off mushrooms, then cut into quarters (or eighths if mushrooms are very large).
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat, then add salmon.
- Let salmon pieces cook, without stirring, until bottoms are lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
- Flip pieces over carefully and cook until the opposite sides are lightly browned as well, about 3 minutes. Salmon should be just barely cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add mushrooms to the pan. Sauté until mushrooms begin to brown, about 3 minutes.
- Push the mushrooms to the sides of the pan and add ½ tablespoon oil to the middle of the pan.
- Add the broccoli florets. Stir together, then cover and cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove cover, stir, then clear a space in the middle of the pan.
- Add ½ tablespoon of oil, then add onions, garlic, ginger, and peppers to the pan.
- Stir together and sauté for 5-7 more minutes, until vegetables are tender and starting to brown.
- Add salmon pieces back into the pan, and stir gently.
- Whisk the sauce again to make sure the cornstarch is well incorporated.
- Make a well in the center of the pan, then pour in the sauce.
- Stir while sauce thickens and turns into a glaze, about 30 seconds, then serve.
- Garnish with sliced green onions, if desired.
Notes
The trickiest part of this stir fry salmon recipe is making sure that the salmon and vegetables are not undercooked and not overcooked. That is the reason for making the stir-fried salmon first, then removing it from the pan. And that is also the reason for starting by cooking the mushrooms, then broccoli, before adding the rest of the vegetables. If you try to save a step and sauté them all at once, you’ll either undercook the mushrooms or broccoli, or overcook the peppers. Also note that the size of your vegetables will also impact their cook time—I like my broccoli florets fairly small, so that they cook more quickly. Big pieces will take forever to cook. Take care to not stir the salmon around too much, either while you are browning it the first time or when you are stirring it back into the veggie stir fry. Salmon breaks apart super easily, so if you like those big chunks of salmon, handle it carefully!
Nutrition
Instagram Users: Now that you've made this Salmon Stir Fry with Vegetables, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I'd love to see your results!
More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
Kimberly Melenson says
Hi
I would like to know if I don't have rice vinegar in the stir fry salmon do I have to use.
Molly Pisula says
You don't have to use it, but you probably want to add a little bit of acid into the recipe as a replacement. Rice vinegar is pretty mild, so substitute a smaller amount of apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or lemon juice. You might also want to add a little bit of sugar, since rice vinegar is sweeter than all of those. Thanks for asking!
jo anne bingham says
Loved, loved, loved this recipe - so easy and adaptable. We all enjoyed the flavors with a side dish of fried rice that soaked up the sauce beautifully. Instructions were right on and the tips helped very much too. I was looking for a different way to serve our 2 x week salmon meal and Voila! I had never stir fried anything but chicken. All the flavors worked so well. I only used bell peppers and asparagus, as that is what I had on hand Thx for the new yummy recipe.
Molly Pisula says
Thanks so much for letting me know! So glad you found a great new way to use your weekly salmon!
Mimi Rippee says
This is wonderful! I don’t think I’ve ever made a stir fry with any fish! Shrimp, yes, but I guess I thought the fish would fall apart. Yours looks perfect!
Molly Pisula says
As long are you are fairly delicate with tossing the salmon around, it actually works really well! And is so tasty.
Barb says
The stir fry salmon states that there are 1224mgCARBOHYDRATES per serving. This seems absurdly high! Is this a typo?
Chef Molly says
Hi Barb! Actually, the nutrition info is a little hard to read. The actual number of carbs comes after where it says "CARBOHYDRATES", not before--for this recipe the carbs are 17g. The 1224 mg is for the sodium content, which is very high, and almost entirely due to the soy sauce. If you use low-sodium soy sauce, that number goes down quite a bit. Hope that helps!
Kampus entrepreneurship says
What vegetables are best for salmon?
Chef Molly says
You can really use whatever vegetables you have on hand--that's the beauty of a stir-fry! But I like the combination of broccoli, peppers, and onions in this recipe.
Chef Mimi says
Nope, I don’t think I’ve ever stir fried any fish, just shrimp. but why not?! And salmon lends itself so well to asian flavors. Love it!
Chef Molly says
Yes, I don't know why I hadn't tried this before. Works great!
Sara says
I've never had salmon in a stir fry before. This recipe looks amazing!
Chef Molly says
Thank you! Salmon is actually really delicious in a stir-fry--I can't believe it took me so long to figure that out! 🙂