• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • About
  • Contact
  • Podcasts
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet
  • Recipes
  • Cooking Classes
    • Gift Certificates
    • Testimonials
  • Videos
  • Articles
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • Articles
  • Cooking Classes
    • Gift Certificates
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Contact
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    • A pedestal tray with gluten free Mocha Cheesecake Brownies decorated with pansies.
      Gluten Free Mocha Cheesecake Brownies
    • A platter with skewers of Lemongrass Chicken surrounded by lemongrass, carrots, cucumber and lemon wedges.
      Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Skewers
    • A plate divided in four showing whole almonds, almond flour, quinoa seeds and quinoa flour.
      How To Use Almond Flour and Quinoa Flour
    • A hand holding one perogy above a counter covered in circles of dough ready to make more perogies.
      Gluten Free Perogy Dough Recipe
    • Three piles of flour in shades of yellow; cornmeal, corn flour and masa harina.
      How To Use Corn Flour, Cornmeal and Masa Harina
    • A dish of gluten free Lobster Macaroni and Cheese decorated with the head and tail of the lobster.
      Gluten Free Lobster Mac and Cheese
    • An egg just dropped into a pile of millet flour.
      How To Use Millet Flour and Sorghum Flour
    • Gluten free Strawberry Shortcake on a plate filled with strawberry sauce and whipped cream; with a bowl of strawberry filling beside it.
      Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake
    • The word 'starch' drawn in a pile of tapioca starch.
      How To Use Starch in Gluten Free Baking
    • Mongolian Pork Chops on the grill with red pepper pieces and zucchini wedges around them.
      Gluten Free Mongolian Pork Chops
    • A tub of Tamarind concentrate beside a package of tamarind paste, with a small dish in front showing the paste.
      Tamarind Concentrate vs Tamarind Paste
    • A sifter with rice flour coming out of it onto a pile of flour below.
      How to Use Rice Flour in Gluten Free Baking
    Home » Recipes » Gluten Free Main Course

    Salmon with Chinese Pesto

    Published: Feb 8, 2024 · Modified: Mar 5, 2024 by Cinde LittleThis post may contain affiliate linksLeave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Except for the soy sauce this Salmon with Chinese Pesto is naturally gluten free. It's a healthy Asian fusion recipe that comes together quickly. If you love Asian cuisine like I do get your Gluten Free Asian pantry set up so you can make any recipe you want.

    Three pieces of Salmon with Chinese Pesto.

    Salmon with Chinese Pesto is delicious for an everyday meal and memorable enough for a Chinese New Year celebration. I would start with this Green Salad with Asian Dressing and Crispy Bean Thread Noodles. For a vegetable I like Asparagus with Black Bean Butter Sauce when it's in season or a vegetable stir fry. Steamed Rice is essential and for a fusion dessert I love this dairy free Coconut Ice Cream topped with fresh mango.

    Jump to:
    • 🥢 Ingredients
    • 🥢 Substitutions
    • 🥢 Variations
    • 🥢 Equipment
    • Salmon with Chinese Pesto (gluten free)

    🥢 Ingredients

    If you're new to cooking Asian dishes at home you need to stock your pantry with some new gluten free ingredients. Check out this post, How To Set Up A Gluten Free Asian Pantry.

    • salmon
    • gluten free soy sauce
    • dry sherry
    • sesame oil
    • ginger & garlic
    • lemon juice
    • rice vinegar
    • green onion
    • gluten free soy sauce
    • cilantro
    • Sichuan peppercorns (or black pepper)
    • cornstarch

    See recipe card for exact amounts.

    🥢 Substitutions

    Soy Sauce or Tamari - Gluten free cooks need to taste and compare options for soy sauce. I did that with a tasting to compare what was available in my area and wrote about it in this post, soy sauce vs tamari tasting.

    Dry sherry - This is the substitute for Chinese cooking wine. I buy W&H Dry Sack sherry which is easy to find at a liquor store. Substitute with additional chicken stock if you don't have it.

    Sichuan Peppercorns – Substitute with an equal amount of regular black pepper.

    🥢 Variations

    The Chinese pesto sauce is made separately in a pan on the stove. That makes it a year round recipe cooking the salmon with the method you prefer in the moment.

    • Baked - 350℉ for 25 minutes in an oven.
    • Grilled - at 350-400℉ for 20-25 minutes on the upper rack of a barbecue.
    • Steamed - 12-15 minutes depending on the thickness of your salmon.

    🥢 Equipment

    I steam salmon, dumplings and other Asian dishes is a bamboo steamer set in my flat bottom wok. I highly recommend a wok for healthy stir fry dishes, steaming, curries, deep frying and many other uses. This 12-inch flat bottom wok with clear lid is my pick if I was buying a new wok.

    My love affair with Asian and Asian Fusion all started when my husband gave me this one cookbook, Pacific Flavors by Hugh Carpenter. Let me know in the comments below if you tried this salmon recipe.

    __________________________________________________________________________

    New here? I've got the help you need to learn to make gluten free food the whole family wants to eat. Subscribe and get your free resource, 29 Tips for GF flour.

    Send me those 29 Tips!

    🎉 I made it into the Top 100 Gluten Free Blogs for 2025 and the Top 40 Gourmet Food Blogs. Learn all the ways I can help you by visiting this page, Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet.

    _________________________________________________________________________

    Three pieces of Salmon with Chinese Pesto.

    Salmon with Chinese Pesto (gluten free)

    Except for the soy sauce this Salmon with Chinese Pesto is naturally gluten free. It's a healthy Asian fusion recipe that is great for a weeknight dinner and will bring rave reviews from friends you make it for.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: asian
    Keyword: Salmon with Chinese Pesto
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Marinating Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 115kcal
    Author: Cinde Little

    Ingredients

    • 4 4-oz salmon filets

    MARINADE

    • 1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon dry sherry
    • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
    • 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger

    CHINESE PESTO SAUCE

    • 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 3 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
    • 2 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
    • 2 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoon sugar
    • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon crushed Sichuan peppercorns (or substitute with more black pepper)
    • ¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper

    THICKENING

    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 1 tablespoon water

    COOKING

    • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    MARINATE SALMON

    • Combine soy sauce, dry sherry, sesame oil and ginger then pour over salmon in a shallow bowl. Marinate for 20 minutes.

    COOK SALMON

    • Fill a wok with a few inches of water and top. Line a bamboo steamer with a piece of foil and place inside the wok leaving space for the steam to come through. Cover the wok and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat.
    • Place salmon on the foil, cover and steam until the it is firm to the touch and flakes with a fork, 12-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the salmon.
    • While the salmon is cooking make the Chinese Pesto.

    CHINESE PESTO SAUCE

    • Combine cornstarch and water in a small dish, set aside.
    • Combine ginger and garlic and set aside.
    • Combine remaining sauce ingredients in a measuring cup and set aside.
    • Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté ginger and garlic for 30 seconds then add lemon juice mixture. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and continue stirring as it thickens. Remove from heat, pour over salmon and serve.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Salmon with Chinese Pesto (gluten free)
    Amount Per Serving (1 person)
    Calories 115 Calories from Fat 63
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 7g11%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Trans Fat 0.02g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
    Monounsaturated Fat 2g
    Cholesterol 1mg0%
    Sodium 1047mg46%
    Potassium 78mg2%
    Carbohydrates 11g4%
    Fiber 0.3g1%
    Sugar 7g8%
    Protein 2g4%
    Vitamin A 38IU1%
    Vitamin C 6mg7%
    Calcium 10mg1%
    Iron 0.5mg3%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    More Main Course

    • Gluten Free Wheat Starch Pizza
    • A basket of gluten free Battered Fish and Chips with lemon wedges and a dish of tartar sauce.
      Gluten Free Battered Fish
    • A plate with a fork and knife cutting into a Salisbury Steak smothered in gluten free onion gravy, surrounded by mashed potatoes and broccoli.
      Salisbury Steak with Gluten Free Onion Gravy
    • A plate of Mango Chutney Chicken sprinkled with chopped green onion and coconut flakes.
      Gluten Free Mango Chutney Chicken
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Cinde Little, the Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet, in her kitchen holding a bowl of soup.

    Hi, I'm Cinde!

    As a foodie and health educator I'm here to help you learn to cook gluten free. Every gluten free journey is unique but we all need to eat. I share recipes that work, resources to learn about GF flours and tips for success in the kitchen. Subscribe NOW to get the help you need.

    More about me...
    Badge showing Top Gluten Free Food Blogs.

    Healthy Recipes

    • A green smoothie in a bowl, half covered with a garnish of cut up apple and kiwi, sprinkled with granola.
      Gluten Free Fruit Smoothie Bowls
    • Cinde in her kitchen surrounded by an array of 30+ fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and more.
      30 Plants a Week: A Gluten Free Food Challenge
    • A bowl with rice, falafel balls, hummus, chopped cucumber, roasted peppers, radish, olives and spinach. There is a bowl of pomegranate dressing on the side.
      Gluten Free Falafel Bowls
    • A bowl filled with brown rice, cucumber, spinach, cabbage slaw, mango and roasted peanuts; with peanut dressing on the side.
      Gluten Free Buddha Bowl

    HELP FOR GLUTEN FREE COOKS

    Someone holding a strainer with gluten free flour coming out onto a pile of flour.

    How To Use Gluten Free Flour

    Read more →

    Cinde in her kitchen set up for a virtual cooking class with lights, camera, laptop and pizza that just came out of the oven.

    Cooking Classes

    Class Calendar →

    A small tin of Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce with a dish of them beside it and a mound of chipotle chile powder beside it.

    GF Ingredients

    Pantry essentials →

    How To Start a Gluten Free Gourmet Dinner Club

    Dinner Club

    7 complete menus →

    GLUTEN FREE BAKING HELP

    • A stack of gluten free Molasses Ginger Cookies on a clear plate.
      Gluten Free Molasses Ginger Cookies
    • Gluten Free Flour Conversion Chart showing cup measurements and the weight for each in grams.
      Gluten Free Flour Conversion Chart
    • A baking rack of gluten free Chocolate Chip Cookies and a glass of milk.
      Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Gluten Free Millet Bread

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Cinde
    • New to Gluten Free?
    • Contact

    Newsletter

    • Sign up here for updates and free resources

    Cooking Classes

    • Class Calendar
    • Gift Certificates

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · Disclosure Policy

    Copyright © 2025 Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet

    Photo of typical ingredients used in Chinese cooking, the start of your Asian Pantry. And a pic of Salmon with Chinese Pesto.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required