Hot Honey Salmon with Coconut Rice

Ingredients

Ingredient notes & substitutions

Hot honey:

This is the backbone of the glaze — if you can't find it, regular honey plus a pinch of red pepper flakes in the pan gets you there.

Salmon fillets:

Skin-on gives you that crisp texture to sear against, but skinless works fine, just watch the timing since it cooks a touch faster.

Light coconut milk:

Full-fat works too and makes the rice richer, but light coconut milk keeps the dish from feeling heavy alongside the buttery salmon.

Mango:

Ripe but firm is ideal so it dices cleanly; frozen mango chunks (thawed and patted dry) are a fine stand-in off-season.

Sweet chili sauce:

Adds sticky sweetness and a mild kick to the glaze — Thai-style bottled sweet chili sauce is exactly what you want here.

Fresh ginger and garlic:

Both get bloomed in butter for 30 seconds before the sauce goes in, which is where a lot of the flavor actually comes from.

Method

1. 1

   Start the rice: combine the rinsed basmati, coconut milk, water and salt in a pot. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low 12–14 minutes. Rest 5 minutes off the heat, then fluff.

   
2. 2

   Toss the mango, avocado, red onion, lime juice, cilantro, chili and salt together for the salsa. Chill until serving.

3. 3

   Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Sear in a hot pan with a little oil, skin-side down first, about 3–4 minutes per side until crisp and nearly cooked through.

4. 4

   Lower the heat and add the butter, garlic and ginger to the pan, letting them sizzle for 30 seconds.

5. 5

   Stir in the hot honey, sweet chili sauce and soy sauce, and spoon the bubbling glaze over the salmon for 1–2 minutes until sticky and lacquered.

6. 6

   Pile the coconut rice into bowls, set the glazed salmon on top, spoon over the pan sauce and finish with a generous scoop of mango avocado salsa and a lime wedge.

7. 7

   Bon appetit..

   

Variations to try

• Swap the salmon for shrimp or chicken thighs — just adjust sear time since shrimp cooks in 2-3 minutes per side
• Use jasmine rice instead of basmati for a slightly stickier, sweeter base
• Skip the mango when it's out of season and use diced pineapple or peach instead
• For less heat, drop the sweet chili sauce and use plain honey with just a whisper of chili flakes

Storage & make-ahead

Store the salmon, rice and salsa in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days — the salsa especially should stay separate so the avocado doesn't brown into the rice. Reheat the salmon gently in a skillet or low oven to keep the glaze from burning, and warm the rice with a splash of water or coconut milk to loosen it back up. The salsa is best eaten fresh within a day since the avocado softens over time; this dish doesn't freeze well due to the salmon and avocado texture changing once thawed.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make the coconut rice ahead of time?

Yes, cook it up to a day ahead and store covered in the fridge — reheat with a splash of water or coconut milk over low heat, stirring to loosen it before serving.

My glaze isn't getting sticky, what went wrong?

Make sure the pan is still hot when you add the honey, chili sauce and soy sauce — it needs a good bubble and reduce for a minute or two to thicken into that lacquered coating.

Is there a way to make this dish less spicy for kids?

Use regular honey instead of hot honey, skip the optional fresh chili in the salsa, and you'll still get all the sweet and savory flavor without the heat.

What can I use if I don't have fresh ginger?

A scant 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger works in a pinch, though fresh gives a brighter, sharper flavor that really wakes up the glaze.