Dry Pot Salmon Stir Fry

For a quick and undeniably delicious meal, whip up this dry pot salmon stir fry. Inspired by Szechuan flavors, this seafood stir fry is loaded with fresh vegetables, beautifully tender salmon, and a ton of flavor.

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Salmon: The popular fatty fish with a rich, flavorful taste and a firm, flaky texture is great for stir-fries because it is able to hold its shape and retain all of the flavors. You can also use cod, shrimp, scallops, chicken, beef, pork shoulder, or tofu.
• Vegetables: This recipe calls for bell peppers and snow peas, but you can use any other vegetable that is in season. Some options include broccoli, snap peas, edamame, zucchini, or cabbage to name a few.
• Thai chile: Small, slender chili peppers that are often used for their heat and bright flavor. For a milder dish, you can omit the chilies.
• Hot bean sauce: Also known as broad bean chili sauce or doubanjiang, hot bean sauce is a spicy and savory sauce made from fermented soybeans, chili peppers, and sometimes garlic. You can find the sauce in most Asian markets.
• Five spice powder: A spice blend used in Chinese and Asian cuisines, typically containing a combination of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise, and Szechuan peppercorns. If you can't find Chinese five spice, you can make your own blend at home.
• Szechuan peppercorns: Small reddish-brown peppercorns with a unique citrusy and numbing flavor. They are a key ingredient in Szechuan cuisine.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Season salmon

What I love the most about this dry pot salmon stir fry is that it's quick. Some stir-fries can take a bit of time but this one can be done in a cinch.

Since we're using salmon as the main protein, we don't need to marinate it for long, only ten minutes. Toss the salmon with salt, pepper, sesame oil, brown sugar, and ground ginger, and let it sit. We're only lightly seasoning the fish since it will be reseasoned later on.

I took the skin off of the fish but if you want that crispy bottom, you can keep it on.

Step 2: Prepare stir fry

While the salmon is marinating, prepare the rest of the ingredients. For this recipe, I used bell peppers and snow peas for the vegetables. However, you can get creative and swap them out for whatever you please. Broccoli, corn, bok choy, and mushrooms are all great choices.

I wouldn't recommend removing the red onion, scallions, and garlic, since these are the aromatics of the stir fry. I added a Thai chile for just a hint of spice but you can omit it.

Step 3: Putting it all together

Now it's time to get cooking. Heat oil in a large saute pan or wok and cook the salmon until seared and firm. We want to fully cook the salmon since it's going in for only another minute later on.

Remove the salmon and set it aside.

In the same pan, saute the red onion until it starts to get tender, about 5 minutes. Then, add the remaining vegetables and saute until they become tender, about another 5 minutes.

Add back the salmon along with the seasonings, the five spice powder, ground Sichuan peppercorns, soy sauce, and hot bean sauce.

Hot bean sauce also known as spicy bean sauce, broad bean chili sauce, or la doubanjiang, is a type of chili bean paste. You can find it in most Asian markets. It adds a ton of flavor, both savory, spicy, and salty, so I would not skip this ingredient. If you can't find hot bean sauce, you can use chili oil with sweet soybean paste.

Simmer the dry pot salmon stir fry for another minute, letting all the ingredients soak up those flavors. Then, sprinkle chopped cilantro and sesame seeds on top and enjoy with a bowl of rice. You can also create a full menu and serve it alongside other takeout-style dishes like chili basil tofu stir fry or twice cooked black pepper pork belly.

This stir fry was incredibly satisfying for me. It seems so simple and yet, delivers on flavor. It's not too spicy and the salmon is a great vessel to carry all those spices. A winner in my book!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: You can marinate the salmon overnight if you prefer.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Frequently asked questions

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Recipe

Print Recipe

Dry Pot Salmon Stir Fry

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: seafood

Servings: 4

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

• 1 pound salmon cut into large chunks
• salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
• ½ medium red onion cut into wedges
• ½ red bell pepper chopped
• ½ green bell pepper chopped
• 2 ounces snow peas
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 green onions cut into 2-inch segments
• 1 Thai chile chopped
• 1 tablespoon hot bean sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon five spice powder
• ½ teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

• Season salmon with salt and pepper, sesame oil, brown sugar, and ground ginger, tossing to coat. Let sit for 10 minutes.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saute pan or wok over medium heat. Add salmon and cook until seared and firm, about 6-7 minutes. Remove salmon and set aside.
• In the same pan, heat another tablespoon oil. Add red onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add red bell pepper, green bell pepper, snow peas, garlic, green onion, and Thai chile and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add salmon back to the pot along with hot bean sauce, soy sauce, five spice, and ground Sichuan pepper. Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 1 minute and remove from heat. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and sesame seeds on top and serve with rice.

Notes

Although this recipe calls for salmon, you can also prepare the dish with any other protein of your choice including chicken, beef, tofu, or shrimp.