Seafood

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Ponzu and Sesame Chili Crunch

September 2, 2026

If you’re like me, then you experience very intense and unignorable cravings for sushi on a weekly basis. This dish is my answer to those cravings. What I realized is that I don’t really need sushi- sushi to scratch this itch— just fish, rice, and the citrusy, Japanese ponzu sauce. Salmon that’s slow- roasted but still very pink in the center is not a consolation prize— it’s the real deal. Especially when it’s doused with a chunky, sesame- studded, dried chili–packed, oily, vinegary drizzle that’s somewhere between Chinese chili crisp and Mexican salsa macha.

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Ponzu and Sesame Chili Crunch

yields :Serves 4 to 6

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Ingredients

1 (2½ - pound) skin-on salmon fillet
2 lemons, thinly sliced
2 limes, thinly sliced
Ponzu, for serving
3⁄4 cup diagonally sliced scallions (white and green parts, about 4 scallions)
Cooked sushi rice for serving
4 mini cucumbers, sliced, for serving
2 avocados, sliced, for serving
Extra- virgin olive oil
Kosher salt

For the Sesame Chili Crunch (store-bought works too)

1⁄4 cup crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
10 medium garlic cloves, peeled
1 medium shallot, halved and peeled
1 1⁄3 cups vegetable oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1⁄4 teaspoon sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon MSG
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice vinegar

Instructions

For the Salmon

Preheat the oven to 250°F.
SLOW ROAST THE SALMON: Using a sharp knife, make a few. Small incisions into the salmon skin without slicing into the flesh. Season both sides of the salmon with salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on a small sheet pan and arrange the lemon and lime slices in an even layer on the pan. Place the fish, skin side down, on top of the citrus slices. The citrus will prevent the fish from sticking to the pan, help retain its moisture, and flavor it as it cooks. Bake until the salmon is flaky but still slightly pink on the inside, 30 to 35 minutes.
While the salmon is roasting, make the sesame chili crunch (see below)
ASSEMBLE AND SERVE: Transfer the salmon to a platter and top with a few tablespoons of ponzu, a few spoonfuls of the sesame chili crunch, and some of the thinly sliced scallions. Serve with rice, sliced cucumber, avocado, more ponzu, more scallions, and more sesame chili crunch.

For the Sesame Chili Crunch

PREP: In a medium heatproof bowl, combine the red pepper flakes, white and black sesame seeds, and paprika. Fit a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl and set aside.
Using a food processor, chop the garlic and shallot by pulsing the machine on and off.
FRY THE AROMATICS: In a small saucepan, combine the vegetable oil, garlic, and shallot. Heat over medium-low heat until the oil starts to bubble. Let the mixture sizzle, occasionally stirring and scraping any bits from the sides or the bottom of the pot, until the garlic just begins to brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
STRAIN: Immediately strain the hot oil mixture through the sieve over the pepper flakes. Transfer the fried garlic and shallots to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. (The hot oil activates the heat and flavors of the chili flakes; straining out the garlic and shallots will keep them crispy.) Let cool for 30 minutes.
ASSEMBLE: When the oil has cooled, add the garlic and shallots back to the oil mixture along with sesame oil, salt, sugar, and MSG. Wait to add the soy sauce and vinegar until right before you're ready to use, as this will shorten the shelf life of the chili crunch and make the crispy garlic and shallots go soggy.
Measure approximately how much chili crunch you'll need for one sitting into a separate container, then add soy sauce and vinegar. For example, if you're using 2 tablespoons of sesame chili crunch, mix in about ½ teaspoon soy sauce, and ⅛ teaspoon rice vinegar.
This may seem over the top, but it's worth it to preserve the integrity and longevity of the crunch. Plus the soy adds a great salty depth of flavor while the vinegar brings a much needed hit of acid.
FOR STORAGE: With soy sauce and vinegar, this will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. Without soy sauce and rice vinegar, this will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 weeks or longer.