Baked Arctic Char With Honey Soy Marinade

Name: Baked Arctic Char With Honey Soy Marinade
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 52 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons soy sauce (use regular, gluten free or low sodium (whatever you prefer)); 2 tablespoons honey; 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger; 2 teaspoons sesame oil; 1 teaspoon sriracha; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1.5 pounds arctic char fillet (whole side) (skin on and bones removed); Sesame seeds; Green onion (sliced); Cilantro (chopped); Microgreens; Chili pepper (sliced); Lime wedges/juice

Published: March 4, 2020 Updated: March 5, 2020 / By: Dawn | Girl Heart Food 46 Comments

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This baked arctic char fillet with honey soy marinade makes for one easy (and scrumptious) seafood dinner that’s sure to be a family favourite!

Fillet of cooked arctic char on a sheet pan topped with chili pepper, sesame seeds & green onion.

Hi friends!

Today I’m sharing a delicious and easy seafood dinner of baked arctic char with a crazy good honey soy marinade.

I love using Newfoundland & Labrador (or Canadian) ingredients (like this moose stew recipe) whenever I can. So, when I got my little hands on some arctic char, I was elated!

This fish fillet is locally (wild) caught in Labrador. How cool is that? My parents often go snowmobiling in Labrador and they picked up a fillet for me at a local fish supply store that’s known for its arctic char.

A whole fillet is baked on a sheet pan and, when it’s all done, it’s garnished with colourful (and flavourful) ingredients, like chili pepper, sesame seeds and green onion. Sounds good, right?

What Does Arctic Char Taste Like?

Arctic char fish (or “arctic charr”) tastes like a cross between freshwater trout and salmon (more closer to salmon (specifically Atlantic salmon), if you ask me). If you enjoy salmon (like I do) you’ll likely enjoy arctic char as well!

It’s interior flesh can range in colour from a pale pink (like what was used in this recipe) to more of a brighter deep red hue.

Large, uncooked artic char fillet in a glass baking dish.

Honey Soy Marinade for Fish

Guys, this honey soy marinade is unbelievably easy to whip up and so freaking good! There’s soy sauce, honey, hot sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. With those flavourful ingredients, you know it’s going to be tasty!

How To Cook Arctic Char

You cook arctic char much like you would salmon. Even if your fish is labeled “boneless,” I always recommend checking for bones before preparing.

Note: Detailed instructions on how to cook arctic char are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:

In a dish (I like to use a large measuring cup), add marinade ingredients and whisk to combine. Lay to one side.
Check the fish fillet for bones and remove/discard (if any). Then pat dry of any excess moisture with paper towels.
Place the fillet into a baking dish and pour marinade over top. Flip the fillet over to ensure everything is well coated. Let sit for 30 minutes. Next, pour off marinade (don’t discard as it will be reduced for a honey soy glaze after the fillet is cooked). I also like to scrape off most of the garlic and ginger and put in with the marinade.
Place the fillet onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake. Once arctic char is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, carefully remove from the oven.
Place the reserved marinade into a small saucepan and cook over low heat so it reduces/thickens and heats through (you can do this while the arctic char is cooking if you like).
Brush or drizzle the thickened honey soy marinade over baked arctic char, then garnish with chili pepper, sesame seeds, green onion and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Collage of steps to make baked arctic char with marinade.

How Long To Cook Arctic Char

The fillet that was used in this recipe was about 1 inch thick (at the thickest part). At 400 degrees Fahrenheit, I like to cook between 12 to 15 minutes (it’s usually good for me at the 12-minute mark).

Note: Cook time can vary, depending on the temperature of your seafood before cooking and its thickness. Heat until it’s cooked through, is opaque and flakes easily with a fork when prodded.

Can I Eat the Skin?

Indeed you can. However, because this arctic char is baked (and not, say, pan-fried), the skin doesn’t get crispy so I don’t eat when it’s prepared this way.

If you like to remove and crisp up, you can totally do that! Serve on the side or crumble over your cooked fish.

Cooked arctic char fish with a fork stuck into the fish taking some up.

Is Arctic Char a Sustainable Fish?

Yes!

What I love about arctic char (specifically the fillet used here) is that it’s wild-caught and also sustainable seafood.

This cold-water fish can also be found farmed, but if I can get access to wild, that’s what I’m going for!

Can I Make This Recipe With Another Type of Fish?

Absolutely! I realize that not everyone may be able to obtain arctic char fillet.

Still want to try this marinated seafood recipe? Use salmon fillet instead!

Close-up of a cooked fillet of arctic char fish with a fork stuck into it taking some up.

Tips and Variations

You can often find “smoked” arctic char or simply a “natural” fillet arctic char. The straight-up natural arctic char fillet is used in this recipe.
For presentation purposes, I don’t fold under the tail of the fillet. As that is the thinnest part of the fish, it cooks more quickly than the centre portion does. You can fold the tail end underneath (as to not overcook) if you wish.
For this recipe, the fillet was left whole (but you can cut into smaller portions).

Sides To Serve With Fish

The star of this fish dinner is the arctic char, in my opinion, but if you are looking for some sides to make it more of a meal, it’s delicious with any of these:

Roasted veggies, like cauliflower or broccoli
Grilled asparagus
Mixed green salad
Roasted garlic mashed potatoes
Celeriac puree
Cauliflower rice
Fried rice or just a simple side of white rice
Quinoa

More Easy Seafood Recipes

If you make this baked arctic char recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!