Sweet Kung Pao Inspired Salmon with Blistered Peppers
This Sweet Kung Pao Inspired Salmon with Blistered Peppers is one of those dinners that feels far more impressive than the amount of effort it takes. The salmon is marinated in a sweet, savory, slightly spicy sauce, then baked until tender and flaky. Meanwhile, long red peppers are blistered in a hot cast-iron skillet before joining the salmon on the sheet pan to finish cooking.
Everything gets finished with a glossy reduction of the marinade, plenty of scallions, and sesame seeds. Serve it over steamed rice, and you have a colorful dinner packed with flavor.
The Sauce Makes the Salmon
The sauce is a simple combination of sweet, salty, spicy, and savory flavors. Soy sauce provides the salty base, while honey and hoisin add sweetness and depth. Fresh ginger and garlic bring plenty of warmth, sesame oil adds nuttiness, and chili garlic sauce gives everything just enough heat.
The salmon marinates in the sauce before baking, allowing all of those flavors to work their way into the fish. I like giving it at least 30 minutes, which is just enough time to make a noticeable difference without requiring much advance planning.
But the sauce doesn’t stop there. A portion is reserved before the salmon goes into the marinade and cooked down separately while the fish bakes. As it reduces, it becomes thick, glossy, and concentrated—the perfect finishing glaze for the salmon.
Don’t Skip the Blistered Peppers
The long red peppers are what really make this dinner stand out. Rather than simply roasting them alongside the salmon from the beginning, they’re first cooked in a very hot cast-iron skillet.
A little oil and plenty of heat give the peppers beautifully blistered, charred edges while keeping their natural sweetness intact. They don’t need to be completely cooked at this point because they’ll finish in the oven alongside the salmon.
Once they’re blistered, the peppers are arranged around the salmon on the sheet pan. As everything bakes, the peppers become tender and pick up even more color while the salmon cooks through.
Finish With Plenty of Flavor
Once the salmon is out of the oven, the reduced sauce gets brushed generously over the top. The glaze is sweet, savory, garlicky, and just spicy enough, and it clings beautifully to the warm salmon.
A generous handful of thinly sliced scallions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds finish everything off. The scallions bring a fresh, crisp contrast to the rich salmon, while the sesame seeds add a little nuttiness.
For even more crunch, chopped roasted peanuts are a great addition. And just before serving, I love adding a squeeze of fresh lime. That little bit of acidity brightens the entire dish and balances the sweetness of the glaze.
An Easy Weeknight Dinner
Serve the salmon and blistered peppers over fluffy jasmine rice, making sure to spoon some of that extra glaze over everything. The rice soaks up all those sweet and savory juices, making every bite a little better.
This is the kind of dinner that looks beautiful on the table but doesn’t require a complicated cooking process. The salmon marinates while you get everything else ready, the peppers take just a few minutes to blister, and then the whole meal finishes together in the oven.
Sweet, savory, spicy, smoky, and fresh, this Kung Pao-inspired salmon is an easy way to make a weeknight dinner feel a little more special.
Sweet Kung Pao Inspired Salmon with Blistered Peppers
Ingredients
For the salmon and marinade:
- 4 salmon fillets
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp plum vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp chili sauce
- 1 tbsp ginger freshly grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
For the peppers:
- 8 long red peppers such as Italian frying peppers
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
For finishing:
- 3 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp plum vinegar, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp hoisin sauce, 1 tbsp chili sauce, 1 tbsp ginger, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp cornstarch, and ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes until smooth. Reserve about ½ cup of the sauce in a separate container for glazing later.¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp plum vinegar, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp hoisin sauce, 1 tbsp chili sauce, 1 tbsp ginger, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp cornstarch, ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Place the 4 salmon fillets in a shallow dish or resealable bag and pour the remaining marinade over the top. Turn the salmon to coat, then cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours.4 salmon fillets
- When you're ready to cook, heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add the 1 tbsp sesame oil and the 8 long red peppers. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and cook, turning occasionally, until the peppers are deeply blistered and charred in spots but still have some bite, about 5–7 minutes. The peppers don't need to be completely cooked at this point, they'll finish roasting alongside the salmon.8 long red peppers, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp salt
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Remove the salmon from the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and arrange the fillets on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Discard the marinade that the raw salmon was sitting in.
- Arrange the blistered peppers around the salmon, making sure everything has a little room to roast rather than steam.
- Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and bake for about 10–12 minutes, depending on the thickness of your salmon. The peppers should be tender and lightly charred, while the salmon should be cooked through but still juicy in the center.
- While the salmon bakes, pour the reserved sauce into a small saucepan. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat and cook for several minutes, stirring often, until it reduces into a thick, glossy glaze.
- Remove the salmon from the oven and generously spoon or brush the reduced sauce over each fillet. Scatter the salmon and peppers with sliced 3 scallions and 1 tbsp sesame seeds.3 scallions, 1 tbsp sesame seeds
