Baked Firecracker Salmon

December 23, 2014 (Updated: April 14, 2020)

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You’ll love this spicy marinated Baked Firecracker Salmon!! Such a delicious and fiery fish dinner, perfect for any weeknight meal or date night!

Need something to keep you warm this holiday season? Forget the fireplace, the snugly wool blankets, and the snow bunny earmuffs. Firecracker salmon warms you from the inside. Wooooeee!!! The first bite of this salmon is KICKIN. I had to grow some major cojones to take that second bite. But man, that second bite. People live for bites like that.

I took this philosophy class in college. One day, the teacher asked us to debate what kid got more enjoyment from a candy bar: the kid that ate the entire candy bar at once, or the kid that took little nibbles, savoring every moment. I mean, it is the same candy bar and technically able to furnish a certain, predetermined amount of enjoyment. But, one kid gets a lot of enjoyment all at once while the other kid receives little bits of enjoyment over an extended period of time.

Maybe this question is totally off topic (and we can discuss this further in the comments if need be) but I was reminded of it last night eating this meal.

Jaryd is the first kid. He ate his entire fish before I took my third bite. Then, he spent the remainder of dinner staring longingly at my plate. Me? I savor. Take a bite. Mmmm. Talk about how delicious that was. Take another bite. Yup, still as good as I remember.

So here’s the thing, you could make this less spicy by grilling it, or not baking the salmon in all the marinade. That’s not how we roll, though. Discarding the marinade seemed a bit reckless to us. So, we baked our salmon all up in it… aaaaaand poured the extra on top when we served it. Crazy? Maybe. But man oh man, we loved it!!

Here’s how you make some Baked Firecracker Salmon:

First, whisk together the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, chopped green onion, agave nectar, minced garlic, freshly ground ginger, red pepper flakes, sesame oil and salt in a large bowl or dish.

Next, place your fish skin side up. I did it this way because in my mind this was the best way the fish could soak up all the goodness. I needed them to have direct contact. Technically, I don’t know if this is a proper way to marinate fish 🙂

Cover and let marinate in your fridge for 1-4 hours. This is where the magic happens.

I ended up transferring mine to baggies because I didn’t have enough room in my fridge for the whole bowl. I only had little baggies so here you go…

When you’re done marinating, remove your fish and place it in a baking dish. If you want a spicer fish, pour the remaining marinade into the dish and bake along with the fish. If not, you can discard the marinade.

If you live life on the edge and are sporting a “YOLO” tattoo, pour alllll the marinade onto the fish and bake it like this:

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the center of the thickest part of the fish isn’t translucent.

Serve with, or without the remaining marinade from the baking dish. Eat it all at once, or savor little nibbles. Your choice!

Did you make this? Leave a review below and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!

Recipe