Dinner in just 10 minutes? You betcha. For this spectacular yet almost effortless meal, salmon is pressure cooked in a sweet and tangy Vietnamese-inspired caramel sauce.

Three salmon filets on an oval platter in a soy caramel sauce, topped with cilantro and scallions.

Pressure Cooker Vietnamese Caramel Salmon

4.59 / 12 votes
Whether you use an Instant Pot or your old stove top mode pressure cooker, you won’t regret making this Vietnamese caramel salmon. It comes together in minutes–minutes!–and is rich with Asian flavors.
David Leite
CourseMains
CuisineVietnamese
Servings4 servings
Calories352 kcal
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted, or 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce or low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lime (about 2 teaspoons)
  • Juice of 1/2 lime (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 (6-to 8-ounce) salmon fillets, preferably center-cut pieces
  • Sliced scallions (white and green parts), for garnish
  • Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Instructions 

  • In your pressure cooker or Instant Pot, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, ginger, lime zest, lime juice, and black pepper. Use the sauté function to bring to a simmer and then turn off the heat.
  • Place the fish in the pressure cooker, skin-side up (if there is skin still attached, that is). Spoon the sauce over the fish, cover, and cook on low pressure for 1 minute. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes; then release the remaining pressure manually. Check the fish for doneness by cutting into a fillet. If you prefer your salmon more well-done, cook it for another minute or so using the sauté function.
  • Carefully lift the salmon fillets onto a serving platter, flipping them over so the browned caramelized side is facing up. (The fillets may fall apart a little as you lift them out. That’s okay. They’ll still taste ridiculously lovely.)
  • Use the sauté function to reduce the sauce until it’s thick and syrupy, about 3 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the salmon and garnish it with the scallions and cilantro.
Dinner In An Instant Cookbook

Adapted From

Dinner in an Instant

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 portionCalories: 352 kcalCarbohydrates: 20 gProtein: 35 gFat: 14 gSaturated Fat: 5 gMonounsaturated Fat: 4 gCholesterol: 94 mgSodium: 1517 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 18 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2017 Melissa Clark. Photo © 2017 Christopher Testani. All rights reserved.

Recipe Testers’ Reviews

I’ve tried to like my Instant Pot. I’ve tried soups and stews. Rice and beans. Meats. I’ve read tons of recipes. Blog posts. Magazine articles. There is an Instant Pot love fest happening around me but I’ve always been left scratching my head wondering why. Until now.

With my mind suitably blown by this Vietnamese caramel salmon, I’m finally feeling the love. The salmon was moist and beautifully flavored with the tangy caramel sauce and made a lovely meal served with steamed rice and a salad. Aside from a bit of measuring and a few stirs, there was no work involved as the Instant Pot did the rest.

My only issue was that when the Instant Pot reached pressure, it overheated and I had to turn it off. Despite this, the salmon was still perfectly cooked. Next time, I’ll double the sauce ingredients to hopefully prevent this from happening. Added bonus? More syrupy caramel to add to my steamed rice.

This Vietnamese caramel salmon is the perfect weeknight dinner–quick, easy and I had all the ingredients in my pantry. I served it with rice and an Asian cucumber salad. This received rave reviews and requests for this dish to be in our regular rotation of dinner ideas.




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appรฉtit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


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30 Comments

  1. Hi, it sounds a delicious recipe but I haven’t got a pressure cooker or instant pot. Is there any other way I can cook it? Thank you

    1. Jale, the recipe was specifically designed to be made in a pressure cooker so that the salmon becomes infused with the flavor of the sauce. It won’t be the same, but you could simmer the sauce ingredients on the stovetop until you get a syrupy sauce, and pour it over pan-seared or baked salmon. I’d cook them separately though, as the sauce contains quite a bit of sugar and it’s possible that the sauce might over reduce and burn before the salmon cooks through if they’re in the same skillet or baking dish.

  2. 5 stars
    Super fast. Super good. Served with rice. All three of our picky children ate it. Salmon cooked to perfection!

  3. 5 stars
    Everyone loved this salmon. It came out so moist and perfectly cooked. It barely fit in the pot so I overlapped the thin ends a bit. It was really quick and easy and delicious. I had never tried cooking fish in the pressure cooker but I’ll definitely make this one again.

    1. Hi Amy, so glad you found this recipe. It’s one of my favorites as well. Like you said, easy and delicious!