Honey Garlic Salmon Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Honey Garlic Salmon Recipe

• Big flavor, simple ingredients. The honey garlic sauce is the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and savory—thanks to honey, Dijon mustard, fresh rosemary, thyme, and a touch of garlic. It soaks right into the salmon, making every bite rich and satisfying.
• Hands-off and hassle-free. No need to babysit a skillet or worry about overcooking. Just wrap it all in foil, toss it in the oven, and let the magic happen while you get the rest of dinner ready (or take a breather).
• Easy clean-up. Because of the foil, you don’t have to deal with a greasy baking sheet, which means less time is spent doing dishes after dinner!

If baked salmon is your jam, then you need to try out my honey mustard salmon, my citrus salmon in foil, or my garlic butter salmon!

What You’ll Need

Let’s get into the ingredients! Here’s what you’ll need to round up (you can find the exact amounts and the full set of directions in the recipe card below):

• Salmon: Buy fresh salmon with the skin on from your fish monger at the grocery store and cook it the same day for the best results.
• Honey: The honey is going to add a nice sweetness to your salmon and will crisp up when placed on the broiler for a few minutes. Trust me, that crispy exterior is everything!
• Garlic: Loads of minced garlic in every bite is key to this dish.
• Dijon Mustard: The dijon mustard is going to add a new tang to your sauce and compliment the honey perfectly. It’s just the ingredient to take this sauce over the top.
• Rosemary & Thyme: Fresh herbs are a must in any dish!
• Salt & Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper adds the best flavor.

How to Make Baked Honey Garlic Salmon

Garlic honey salmon comes together in just a few simple steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Then, line a baking sheet with a large piece of foil that you can fold over the salmon and seal to create a packet later on. For now, though, place the salmon in the center of the foil.
• Make the sauce. In a small bowl, add garlic cloves, dijon mustard, honey, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together until combined.
• Add the sauce to the salmon. Pour the honey garlic mixture over the salmon and rub it all over. Then, fold the foil up around the salmon to create a tent.
• Bake the salmon. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10-14 minutes – you want the fish to be flaky. Remove the salmon from the oven and turn the broiler on HIGH.
• Broil the salmon. Unfold the foil so that the salmon is uncovered. Place the salmon back under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until there is slight browning on top. Finally, remove the pan from the oven and garnish the salmon with chopped parsley and lemon slices!

Tips for Success

• How to cook salmon so that it doesn’t taste fishy. There’s nothing worse than opening your parchment wrapped salmon and having it smell like fish! The best way to get that “fishy smell” out is to wash it with cold water. If the fish has only recently started to smell, a quick rinse in cold water will remove most of the bacteria. Rinse it, pat it dry with a paper towel, season it, and then start cooking. 
• Don’t forget to pat the salmon dry before you season it. This will help the seasoning stick to the fish while it cooks.
• How to know when your salmon is done. The nice thing about salmon is it changes visually as it gets cooked. Typically salmon will change from a red or raw color to opaque (pink). After 6-8 minutes of cooking, I’d recommend checking for doneness. You can do this by taking a sharp knife or a fork to peek into the thickest part of the salmon. If the meat flakes, but still has a little translucency in the middle, it is done. This would be considered medium rare. If you want your salmon well done, the center should be opaque.

Topping Ideas

• Sauce: One of the main ways I like to add flavor to my salmon is by covering it in a sauce. You could do a honey mustard sauce, a lemon garlic butter, teriyaki, or even a sweet chili glaze.
• Spice Rub: Not feeling a sauce? No problem. Create an epic spice blend and rub that salmon down for added flavor in every bite.
• Salsa: Another great way to enhance and compliment the flavor of your salmon is to create a fresh fruit salsa or avocado salsa to put on top.
• Lemon: If you want to keep it super simple, then bake your salmon, season it with salt and pepper, and finish it with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to liven up the dish.

What Goes With Baked Honey Garlic Salmon?

Not sure what to serve with your baked salmon? Here are some of my go-to options:

• Salad: I highly recommend this Asian cucumber salad or this mango couscous salad.
• Potatoes: This grilled sweet potato salad is always a hit, or you could try this twice baked sweet potato with oatmeal pecan streusel.
• Veggies: I’m a big fan of this parmesan roasted cauliflower recipe, these honey soy roasted Brussels sprouts, and this grilled asparagus with lemon zest.
• Rice or Noodles: You could also keep things simple and serve your salmon over jasmine rice or some noodles!

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

If you end up with leftover honey garlic salmon, save it for later! Here’s the best way to do that:

• To store: Once the salmon has cooled completely, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
• To reheat: You can use the microwave if you like, or heat your leftovers up on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through.

More Salmon Recipes

• Pan Seared Salmon With Sage Brown Butter Sauce
• Honey Glazed Salmon
• Cedar Plank Salmon
• Grilled Lemon Pepper Salmon
• Honey Blackened Salmon