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Slow-Cooker Chili-Garlic Glazed Salmon with Brown Rice Salad

By Sara Mayer

Published on October 16, 2019

Time

1 to 2 hours on low

Yield

Serves 4

Slow cooker size

4 to 7 quarts

Slow-Cooker Chili-Garlic Glazed Salmon with Brown Rice Salad

Ingredients

1⅔ cups boiling water 1½ cups instant brown rice 3 tablespoons vegetable oil Salt and pepper 4 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin on bias ½ inch thick3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 2 tablespoons Asian chili-garlic sauce 2 tablespoons honey 4 (6- to 8-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets, 1 to 1½ inches thick2 oranges ¼ cup rice vinegar 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Before You Begin

Look for salmon fillets of similar thickness to ensure that they cook at the same rate. Leave the skin on the salmon to keep the bottom of the fillets from overcooking and to make it easier to skin the fillets once done. Be sure to use instant rice (sometimes labeled minute rice); traditional rice takes much longer to cook and won't work here. You will need an oval slow cooker for this recipe. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil and then measure out the desired amount. Check the salmon's temperature after 1 hour of cooking and continue to monitor until it registers 135 degrees.

Instructions

  1. Lightly coat slow cooker with vegetable oil spray. Combine boiling water, rice, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in prepared slow cooker. Gently press 16 by 12-inch sheet of parchment paper onto surface of water, folding down edges as needed.
  2. Combine scallion whites, sesame oil, chili-garlic sauce, and honey in bowl; measure out and reserve half of scallion mixture in medium bowl until ready to use. Season salmon with salt and pepper, brush with remaining scallion mixture, and arrange, skin side down, in even layer on top of parchment. Cover and cook until salmon is opaque throughout when checked with tip of paring knife and registers 135 degrees (for medium), 1 to 2 hours on low.
  3. Cut away peel and pith from oranges. Cut oranges into 8 wedges, then slice wedges crosswise into ½-inch-thick pieces. Using 2 metal spatulas, transfer salmon to serving dish; discard parchment and remove any white albumin from salmon. Whisk vinegar, ginger, and remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil into reserved scallion mixture. Fluff rice with fork, then gently fold in oranges (adding any accumulated juices), scallion greens, and half of vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve salmon with salad, passing remaining vinaigrette separately.
Slow-Cooker Chili-Garlic Glazed Salmon with Brown Rice Salad
Photography by Daniel J. van Ackere. Styling by Catrine Kelty.

Slow-Cooker Chili-Garlic Glazed Salmon with Brown Rice Salad

Save

Time

1 to 2 hours on low

Yield

Serves 4

Slow cooker size

4 to 7 quarts

Ingredients

1⅔ cups boiling water
1½ cups instant brown rice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
4 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin on bias ½ inch thick
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons Asian chili-garlic sauce
2 tablespoons honey
4 (6- to 8-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets, 1 to 1½ inches thick
2 oranges
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1⅔ cups boiling water
1½ cups instant brown rice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
4 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin on bias ½ inch thick
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons Asian chili-garlic sauce
2 tablespoons honey
4 (6- to 8-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets, 1 to 1½ inches thick
2 oranges
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1⅔ cups boiling water
1½ cups instant brown rice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
4 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin on bias ½ inch thick
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons Asian chili-garlic sauce
2 tablespoons honey
4 (6- to 8-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets, 1 to 1½ inches thick
2 oranges
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

To keep things easy, we reserved half of the glaze to make a vinaigrette for our rice. We then stirred some orange segments and scallion greens into our rice salad.

Before You Begin

Look for salmon fillets of similar thickness to ensure that they cook at the same rate. Leave the skin on the salmon to keep the bottom of the fillets from overcooking and to make it easier to skin the fillets once done. Be sure to use instant rice (sometimes labeled minute rice); traditional rice takes much longer to cook and won't work here. You will need an oval slow cooker for this recipe. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil and then measure out the desired amount. Check the salmon's temperature after 1 hour of cooking and continue to monitor until it registers 135 degrees.

Instructions

  1. Lightly coat slow cooker with vegetable oil spray. Combine boiling water, rice, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in prepared slow cooker. Gently press 16 by 12-inch sheet of parchment paper onto surface of water, folding down edges as needed.
  2. Combine scallion whites, sesame oil, chili-garlic sauce, and honey in bowl; measure out and reserve half of scallion mixture in medium bowl until ready to use. Season salmon with salt and pepper, brush with remaining scallion mixture, and arrange, skin side down, in even layer on top of parchment. Cover and cook until salmon is opaque throughout when checked with tip of paring knife and registers 135 degrees (for medium), 1 to 2 hours on low.
  3. Cut away peel and pith from oranges. Cut oranges into 8 wedges, then slice wedges crosswise into ½-inch-thick pieces. Using 2 metal spatulas, transfer salmon to serving dish; discard parchment and remove any white albumin from salmon. Whisk vinegar, ginger, and remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil into reserved scallion mixture. Fluff rice with fork, then gently fold in oranges (adding any accumulated juices), scallion greens, and half of vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve salmon with salad, passing remaining vinaigrette separately.

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