I Thought I Hated Salmon—Until I Tried This Recipe

Do you wish you liked salmon so you could reap its health benefits? I might have the solution.

Reviewed by Dietitian Annie Nguyen, M.A., RDReviewed by Dietitian Annie Nguyen, M.A., RD

Unpopular opinion coming up: I don’t love salmon. I really, really want to, because I know that salmon is so good for you, but I usually find the flavor and texture off-putting—unless it’s cold-smoked. So a bagel with lox or some avocado toast adorned with silky slices of smoked salmon works for me for breakfast, but when I’m planning fish for dinner, I tend to choose a white fish like cod or haddock.

While I know that white fish are still good for me, they don’t offer quite as many health benefits as salmon, so I refuse to give up on the orange-fleshed fish.

What’s So Great About Salmon?

While most fish are a good addition to your weekly meals, salmon is one of the healthiest fish to eat regularly. That’s because it’s packed with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, which have benefits that include reducing inflammation. Salmon is also very high in protein, which is essential for everything from muscle maintenance and growth to healthy digestion and weight loss. Additionally, salmon is a great source of vitamins B12 and D. B12 is necessary for red blood cell formation and maintaining healthy nerve cells, while vitamin D supports a healthy immune system and bone health and can improve your mood.

In addition to its health benefits, salmon is a very versatile fish that’s easy to cook. You can grill it, roast it, poach it or sauté it. It also takes well to many different seasonings and marinades. Because of its abundant unsaturated fat, salmon is pretty forgiving to cook too.

Related: The 5 Best Types of Fish for Brain Health, According to Scientists

What’s the Best Way to Make Salmon If You Don’t Like Salmon?

So how did I finally get around my dislike of salmon? I tried salmon bites, which are salmon fillets cut into chunks, seasoned or marinated, then broiled until browned and crispy on the edges. The beauty of salmon bites is that they give you more surface area than a fillet, which means they take on lots of flavor when you marinate or glaze them, and they crisp up and get firmer when you cook them. Both characteristics helped me get over the usual taste and texture of a roasted salmon fillet.

Luckily for me, EatingWell has no shortage of salmon bite recipes. They all start off the same way, with cutting skinless salmon into 1-inch pieces. It’s best to purchase a center-cut fillet for even thickness, if you can. If you have some thinner pieces, they might overcook a bit in the time it takes the bigger pieces to cook through—I actually don’t mind this at all (the firmer and crispier the better!), but some people might. Once the salmon is cut into bite-size pieces, there are all different ways to flavor it.

For me the No. 1 salmon recipe to make if you hate salmon is our Ginger-Soy Salmon Bites. I love how the combination of ginger and soy works with the salmon. To make these bites, you’ll marinate the salmon pieces in reduced-sodium soy sauce, sesame oil, lemon juice, mirin and garlic powder for just 15 minutes while you preheat the broiler. Then you’ll arrange the salmon pieces on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil them until they’re crispy on the edges (and cooked through). After they come out of the oven, you simply brush them with a ginger-soy glaze and sprinkle them with chives and sesame seeds. The grated fresh ginger in the glaze adds a little warmth, while the soy sauce deeply seasons the fish. I love to make a brown rice bowl with these salmon bites and some tender-crisp veggies like broccoli, sugar snap peas or cucumbers.

Once you try the ginger-soy bites, you can branch out and experiment with other flavor combinations like our Lemon-Garlic Salmon Bites, which are flavored simply with lemon and garlic; our Crispy Hot Honey Salmon Bites, which get brushed with a mixture of hot honey and lemon juice; or our Balsamic-Butter Salmon Bites, which are boldly flavored with a glaze that includes balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard. You can add any of these bites to rice bowls or try them with pasta, on salads or in wraps.

Related: 25 Savory Bite-Sized Recipes You’ll Want to Make Forever

Bottom Line

There are ways to enjoy salmon even if you’re not a big fan of the fish. For me that means two things: dressing up the salmon with flavorful ingredients like ginger and soy and getting the bites nicely browned with crispy edges. I like the fish when it takes on these other flavors and when the texture is transformed into one I enjoy eating. If you’ve always steered away from salmon but want to give it another try, these salmon bites might just convince you there’s a way you can like salmon too.

Read the original article on Eating Well.