Baked Honey Garlic Salmon in Foil is the ultimate easy dinner recipe! A whole salmon is coated in a sweet and tangy honey garlic sauce, and then baked and broiled for a delicious crispy topping.
If baked salmon is your jam, then you need to try out my honey mustard baked salmon, my citrus baked salmon in foil, or my 20 minute garlic butter baked salmon in foil as well!
Baked Honey Garlic Salmon in Foil
Each Sunday, I typically will sit down and create my menu for the week, as well as plan out the recipes I intend to make and photograph for the blog. What I have realized lately is that I will always have one night with salmon. It’s just one of those meals I can always count on when I need an easy, filling dinner in a pinch.
This week, honey garlic salmon baked in foil is on the meal plan, and I’m so excited to share it with both my family and you all! Flaky salmon is covered in a tangy honey garlic sauce made with dijon mustard and fresh herbs, and topped with zesty lemon slices. Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is!
Oh, and did I mention how quickly this meal comes together? It only takes a little over 20 minutes to make from start to finish. On busy weeknights, this honey garlic salmon recipe will be your best friend!
Why You’ll Love This Honey Garlic Salmon Recipe
There are so many reasons to love this baked salmon, but here are just a few:
- Packed with flavor. This honey garlic sauce is made with tangy dijon mustard, sweet honey, earthy rosemary and thyme, and more. It pairs perfectly with buttery salmon!
- Quick and simple. There’s no need to stand over the stove and watch your salmon cook with this recipe. Just prep the fish, pop it on a baking sheet, toss it in the oven, and then dig in.
- 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!
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 in Foil
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
As you can see, making honey garlic salmon is a breeze, but there are a few more quick tips I’d love to share with you:
- 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
There are a couple of ways to add flavor to your salmon. Here are a few of my favorite options if you’re not crazy about the honey garlic flavor combination:
- 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 10 minute 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
If you loved this honey garlic salmon recipe, be sure to check out some of these other easy salmon recipes too!
- Pan Seared Salmon With Sage Brown Butter Sauce
- Honey Glazed Salmon
- Cedar Plank Salmon
- Grilled Lemon Pepper Salmon
- Honey Blackened Salmon
Baked Honey Garlic Salmon in Foil
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 17 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Seafood
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Baked honey garlic salmon in foil is an easy dinner that the whole family will adore. Flaky salmon is covered in a tangy honey garlic sauce and topped with zesty lemon slices!
Ingredients
- 1 pound salmon
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- salt and pepper to season
- 1 lemon, sliced
- optional: garnish with chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Line a baking sheet with a large enough piece of foil that you could fold over and seal to create a packet later on. Place salmon in the center of the foil.
- In a small bowl, add garlic cloves, dijon mustard, honey, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix everything together until combined.
- Pour honey garlic mixture over the salmon and rub all over. Then fold foil up around salmon to create a tent.
- Place in oven and bake for 10 to 14 minutes, you want it flaky.
- Remove salmon from oven and turn broiler on HIGH.
- Unfold the foil so the salmon is uncovered. Place salmon back under broiler for 2 to 3 minutes till there is slight browning over caramelization on top.
- Remove from oven. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon slices. Serve.
Notes
- 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.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 oz.
- Calories: 221
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 138 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 57 mg
6 comments on “Crazy Easy Baked Honey Garlic Salmon in Foil”
Super easy and very tasty! We loved it!!
Yippie! It’s so easy and soooo good!
This was absolutely delicious. I added minced ginger, and it worked beautifully. We don’t normally use anything like this on salmon, but agreed we’ll be eating it again! We paired it with baked potatoes and asparagus.
Getting out of your usual go-to seasonings can be challenging, I am so glad you gave this recipe a try, and it was a hit
I’ve made this twice now and it is so delicious! Only a few minutes of prep time, fast cook time, and delicious flavors. Tonight I had it with rice and asparagus and it was phenomenal.
So happy you liked it! It’s the perfect entrée that goes with virtually any side!