Chilli Crisp Butter Salmon

This Chilli Crisp Butter Salmon is the kind of dish I turn to when I want something that looks impressive and delivers big, bold flavours, but takes minimal effort. You simply brush a side of salmon with soy and honey, then oven-grill it until just cooked through and lightly caramelised on top. While it’s in the oven, you brown some butter with garlic, cinnamon and star anise, then finish it with chilli flakes and a dash of soy. It’s essentially a butter-based chilli crisp, which, spooned over the salmon just before serving, is so incredibly delicious. You can watch me make it on Instagram or TikTok.

Table of Contents

• Ingredient Breakdown
• Roasting the Salmon to Perfection
• The Start of this Chilli Crisp Butter Salmon
• How to Serve this Chilli Crisp Butter Salmon
• Final Thoughts on Chilli Crisp Butter Salmon
• More Salmon Recipes

Ingredient Breakdown

• Salmon: A full side works beautifully here. It oven-grills evenly, presents well, and soaks up flavour while holding its shape.
• Light soy sauce: Brings depth and savouriness to both the glaze and the butter without overpowering the salmon.
• Honey: A touch of sweetness helps the glaze caramelise and balances the soy.
• Unsalted butter: Forms the base of the chilli crisp. It browns slightly and carries the flavour of the aromatics.
• Garlic: Sliced instead of minced so it toasts rather than burns, adding texture and a sweet, mellow edge.
• Cinnamon stick: Adds warmth and an unexpected layer of spice that pairs well with the richness of the fish.
• Star anise: Just a quarter is enough to bring a subtle liquorice note without dominating.
• Chilli flakes: Bring the heat and texture. Go for a medium one—not too fiery, but enough to cut through the butter.
• Sugar: A small amount rounds off the chilli butter and balances the bitterness from toasted garlic.

Roasting the Salmon to Perfection

This Chilli Crisp Butter Salmon recipe relies on very high heat to get the salmon just right. You’re aiming for just-cooked flesh with a caramelised glaze on top. Simply brush the salmon with equal parts soy and honey, then transfer it to a foil-lined tray. If your salmon fillet is thinner, start checking at 10 minute mark. If it’s thicker through the centre, you might need closer to 16. You’re looking for flakes that separate easily when pressed but still hold moisture. As soon as the salmon comes out of the oven, pour the chilli crisp brown butter over the top while everything is still hot, then you’re ready to serve.

The Start of this Chilli Crisp Butter Salmon

The star of the show in this Chilli Crisp Butter Salmon recipe is definitely the sauce. You’re essentially building a brown butter sauce and infusing it with aromatics you’d find in chilli crisp, all in one continuous process.

Start with cold butter in a pan and melt it over a medium heat. Once fully liquid, add the sliced garlic, cinnamon stick and star anise. From this point, the butter will begin to brown gradually while drawing flavour from the aromatics. The garlic should toast slowly, becoming lightly golden at the edges. At the same time, the milk solids in the butter start to settle and darken, giving it a deeper, nuttier flavour.

The key is to work steadily. If the garlic colours too quickly, the heat’s too high. You want the aromatics to infuse as the butter browns — not after the fact. Once the garlic is golden and the butter has taken on a warm brown hue, take the pan off the heat.

The chilli flakes go in at this stage. The residual heat is enough to bloom them properly without burning. They add heat and depth to the butter while lifting the overall flavour. A splash of soy and a pinch of sugar balance it out — the soy brings salinity and umami, while the sugar rounds out all the savoury flavours. What you’re left with is a hot, aromatic butter that acts like a loose, fresh chilli crisp — designed to be used immediately.

How to Serve this Chilli Crisp Butter Salmon

This Chilli Crisp Butter Salmon doesn’t need much. I usually serve it with plain jasmine rice or mashed potatoes — something neutral that lets the chilli crisp butter shine. A simple cucumber salad or lightly dressed greens works well alongside.

The flavours are bold but not heavy, so it holds its own in a larger spread too. And if there are leftovers, they flake beautifully into rice bowls or noodle dishes the next day. This also works well at room temp. You can roast the fish a little ahead, hold it on the counter, then reheat the butter and pour over just before serving. It still tastes fresh, and the butter brings everything back to life.

Final Thoughts on Chilli Crisp Butter Salmon

This Chilli Crisp Butter Salmon is all about technique. The high-heat oven-grill allows the glaze to caramelise without compromising the texture of the fish. The chilli crisp butter is where most of the flavour sits — not because it’s heavy or loaded with ingredients, but because the process extracts so much from so little. Browning, infusing, blooming — each step builds on the last.

It’s a useful technique to carry forward. The idea of using brown butter as a base for something sharp and aromatic has applications far beyond this recipe. It behaves differently to neutral oil: it has nuttiness and depth, before anything is added to it.

More Salmon Recipes

If you love this Chilli Crisp Butter Salmon recipe, here are some other delicious salmon recipes that you might enjoy.

• Salmon with Mango & Avocado Salsa: Oven-roasted salmon fillets served with a bright, zingy mango and avocado salsa. This healthy salmon dish is super tasty, easy to make, and perfect for a quick lunch or weeknight dinner.
• Gochujang Salmon Burger: A show-stopping burger. It’s packed with bold flavours, featuring juicy salmon patties with a kick of Korean gochujang, balanced by a crisp sesame slaw and tangy cucumber pickles. 
• Salmon in a Turmeric Coconut Sauce: This dish features salmon fillets cooked in a rich turmeric coconut sauce, accompanied by kale and tenderstem broccoli, making it a nutritious and flavourful meal.
• Gochujang Salmon Rice Bowl: This gochujang salmon rice bowl is as delicious as it is quick and easy to make. The salmon is undoubtedly the star of the show. 
• Miso Salmon: Marinated in a mix of white miso paste, mirin and sugar, this salmon is roasted to perfection and served with steamed rice and vegetables.
• Garlic and Chilli Butter Salmon: This recipe feature a baked salmon side topped with a delicious garlic and chilli butter sauce, making for a flavour-packed dish.
• Olive Salsa Salmon: This dish pairs salmon with a tangy olive salsa, adding a Mediterranean twist to the meal.
• Peri Peri Salmon Tray Bake: This tray bake combines salmon with peri peri spices, baby potatoes and tenderstem broccoli for a simple yet flavourful meal.