Honey Mustard Salmon – An Easy Baked Salmon Recipe

If you are looking for an easy, yet delicious way to cook salmon then you will love this Honey Mustard Salmon Recipe! Salmon fillets are coated in an easy to make glaze and put in the oven to bake until they are nice and flaky.

It is a quick and easy recipe that takes little effort to make. And best of all, it is ready to eat in under 20 minutes!

It is the perfect weeknight dinner recipe. However, it is also elegant enough to serve for Sunday night supper and to share with guests.

While the salmon is baking in the oven, make a simple side salad and you have a complete and healthy dinner ready to eat with very little effort.

Or if you are wanting a dinner that is a little more filling, make Air Fryer Red Potatoes to serve alongside the salmon. However, to make sure everything is ready to eat at the same time, start the potatoes right after you turn the oven on to preheat.

Then by the time the salmon is ready the potatoes will be crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. However, don’t just limit your side dishes to salad or potatoes.

There are several side dishes that pair well with the honey mustard flavor. But the key here is what can you make in a short amount of time.

Quick Side Dishes To Serve With Honey Mustard Salmon

• 1. Salad
• 2. Air Fryer Roasted Red Potatoes
• 3. Instant Pot White Rice
• 4. Pasta
• 5. Garlic Green Beans
• 6. Steamed Broccoli
• 7. Asparagus
• 8. Air Fryer Green Beans
• 9. Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
• 10. Sautéed Spinach

When it comes to cooking a quick and easy side dish you have three options. First, use a skillet or pan to make a vegetable.

Whether you saute, steam or boil fresh, frozen or canned vegetables can be ready to serve in just a few minutes. And all of them pair well with honey mustard salmon.

However, if you want a more hands off approach to making side dishes, I highly recommend using a pressure cooker. I love my 3 quart Instant Pot when making recipes for two.

It is the perfect size to make smaller meals and it is my go to appliance when making white rice. However, it also makes ‘baked’ potatoes in a fraction of the time that it takes in the oven.

Finally, you can’t go wrong with making side dishes in an air fryer! This countertop convection oven is the ideal appliance when cooking for two.

Not only can you make baby potatoes and green beans, but you can actually even make Air Fryer Salmon! Although for this honey mustard salmon recipe, we will stick to the oven.

What Type of Salmon To Purchase

However, before you head to the grocery you may be wondering what type of salmon to purchase. It isn’t quite as simple as heading to the seafood counter and picking out a fish fillet.

Instead you must choose between farm raised and wild caught salmon. Even though it is more expensive, I highly recommend purchasing wild caught salmon.

Wild caught salmon is much healthier for you as it contains less calories and less fat than farm raised salmon. That is because wild caught salmon gets way more natural exercise searching for food.

In addition, farm raised salmon are fed fish supplements and in many cases antibiotics. You can even visually see the difference between farm raised and wild caught salmon.

Salmon that is pale pink in color is most likely farm raised. On the contrary, wild caught salmon will be deep pink, almost red in color.

Although most of the salmon that you will find at the grocery store will be farm raised, if you take a closer look, you will most likely find a small section of wild caught salmon at the seafood counter as well.

However, if you can’t find fresh filets in the butcher section, you can often find frozen wild caught salmon in the seafood freezer section. Just be sure to thaw out the salmon before making this recipe.

Honey Mustard Salmon Recipe

*A printable recipe card is located at the bottom of this article which contains the specific measurements, temperatures and cook times. However, continue reading below to learn about more helpful tips about this specific recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 salmon fillets, 4-6 ozs. each
• 3/4 tablespoons honey
• 3/4 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• Pinch salt
• 4 round lemon slices

INSTRUCTIONS

Start by preheating the oven to 400°F (200°C). Then line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set the pan aside.

Next, prepare the honey mustard sauce for the salmon. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, Dijon mustard, parsley, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Set aside.

Recipe Substitution: If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can use 1 teaspoon of jarred minced garlic. Or you can substitute 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder in place of 1 clove of garlic.

Prepare the salmon by brushing the fillets with olive oil on both sides. Then place 2 lemon slices on the baking sheet and then place each of the fillets skin side down on top of the lemon slices.

Use a pastry brush to coat the top and sides with the homemade honey mustard sauce. The place a lemon slice on top of each fillet.

Place the pan in oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until just barely cooked in the center.

How To Know When Honey Mustard Salmon Is Cooked Perfectly

Even though the salmon will be coated in a honey mustard sauce it will still be easy to tell when it is cooked and ready to be pulled out of the oven. To check for doneness, taking a sharp knife to look into the thickest part of the filet.

If the fish begins to flake, but still has a slight bit of translucency in the center, it is done. However, it should not look completely red or raw in the middle.

Do not be concerned if your filet has a thin end that is done cooking before the thicker middle section. There is more fat in the those thinner edges and it will still remain moist while the salmon finishes cooking.

However there is another method that you can use to check to see if your salmon is done. It may sound crazy but using a butter knife will help you check for doneness.

Insert a butter knife in the thickest part of the filet. Then remove it and quickly touch it to your bottom lip. If the knife is warm, the salmon is ready!

However if it is only slightly warm, the salmon needs to continue cooking for a few more minutes. This method requires a little practice, but it actually works.

However, after I remove the filet from the pan I will still check the center for doneness. But once you learn this method, it is actual surprisingly accurate.

Internal Temperature For Salmon

However, for those who prefer a more scientific method, you can also check the salmon with an Instant Read Digital Thermometer. Although the USDA recommends you cooking salmon to an internal temperature of 145°F, many people find that salmon is overdone when cooked to this temperature.

Therefore I prefer to take my salmon out of the oven when the internal temperature reaches between 125-130°F. Then when you remove the fillets from the heat, they will continue to cook in the center.

Enjoy! Mary

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