Are you on the hunt for the ultimate quick and healthy weeknight dinner? A meal so elegant, so flavorful, and so unbelievably easy, it will become your new go-to for busy nights? This incredible, restaurant-quality Honey Mustard Baked Salmon is that perfect recipe! We’re talking flaky, tender, and perfectly moist salmon, coated in a luscious, tangy, and sweet homemade honey mustard glaze that comes together in minutes.
This isn’t just another salmon recipe; it’s a guide to your new favorite foolproof fish dinner. We’ll show you the simple but crucial secrets to a flawless, from-scratch glaze and how to bake your salmon to buttery, melt-in-your-mouth perfection every single time. This is a taste of pure elegance, ready in about 15 minutes from start to finish.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate 15-Minute Healthy Dinner
What makes this Honey Mustard Baked Salmon so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, fresh flavor and its brilliantly simple and fast cooking method. This recipe is a masterpiece of modern efficiency. The heart and soul of the dish is a luscious, from-scratch honey mustard glaze, infused with fresh garlic, lemon, and dill. This beautiful sauce is brushed over high-quality salmon filets, which are then baked in a hot oven for just a few minutes until the fish is impossibly tender and flaky and the glaze is beautifully caramelized. It’s a complete, well-balanced, and stunningly delicious meal that is perfect for any night of the week.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 20 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4 |
The Simple Luxuries: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of fresh, high-impact ingredients to create its signature vibrant and savory flavor.
- The Salmon: For the best, most succulent result, it is highly recommended to use high-quality, fatty fish like salmon. Its rich oils are perfect for a quick-roasting method and help to keep it wonderfully moist. You can use any of your favorite varieties, like Coho, Sockeye, or Atlantic salmon.
- The Honey Mustard Glaze: A simple but powerful combination of classic flavors.
- The Base: A perfect 1:1 ratio of sweet honey and tangy, sharp Dijon mustard.
- Fresh Aromatics: It is absolutely essential to use freshly minced garlic, fresh chopped dill, and fresh lemon juice and zest. The vibrant, authentic flavor you get from fresh ingredients is a world away from their dried or bottled counterparts and is the key to a truly restaurant-quality sauce.
The Salmon Masterclass: The Secret to Perfectly Moist, Never-Dry Fish
The number one, non-negotiable secret to perfectly cooked salmon is to not overcook it. Salmon is a delicate fish that cooks very quickly.
- Look for Visual Cues: The salmon is perfectly cooked when its color has turned from a translucent, deep pink to an opaque, light pink, and it flakes easily with a fork.
- Use a Thermometer: For truly foolproof results, the best way to check for doneness is with an instant-read thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the filet. For a moist, tender, and slightly pink center (medium-rare), you should pull the salmon from the oven when it registers between 125-130°F (52-54°C).
- Remember Carryover Cooking: The salmon will continue to cook for a few minutes from the residual heat after you have removed it from the oven, so it’s always best to err on the side of slightly undercooked.
Step-by-Step to the Best Honey Mustard Baked Salmon
This elegant, one-pan meal is incredibly simple to prepare.
Step 1: Make the Honey Mustard Glaze
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to a hot 400°F (200°C).
Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the glaze: the 3 tablespoons of honey mustard (or 1 1/2 tablespoons each of honey and Dijon mustard), the 3 cloves of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, the 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh dill, and a pinch of salt.
Part 2: Prepare, Glaze, and Bake to Flaky Perfection
Step 1: Line a roasting pan or a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for the easiest cleanup.
Step 2: Pat your 4 salmon filets completely dry with a paper towel. Brush the salmon fillets on both sides with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Step 3: Place the filets, skin-side down, on your prepared, foil-lined pan.
Step 4: Use a basting brush to generously coat the top side of each of the filets with your prepared honey mustard mixture.
Step 5: Place the pan in the oven and bake at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes, until the salmon is just barely cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to overcook the salmon! It’s okay if it is still a little rare in the very center when you remove it from the oven, as it will continue to cook as it rests.
Pro Tip: For an extra beautiful, caramelized glaze, you can switch your oven to the broil setting for the last 1 to 2 minutes of cooking. Be sure to watch it very closely to prevent it from burning!
Let the salmon rest for a few minutes before serving.
Mustard Baked Salmon (A 15-Minute Recipe!)
A quick, easy, and healthy recipe for Honey Mustard Baked Salmon. This simple weeknight meal features salmon fillets that are brushed with a flavorful, no-cook glaze made from honey, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, olive oil, and fresh dill. The salmon is then baked in a hot oven for a short time until it is just barely cooked through and flaky, resulting in a moist and tender fish with a sweet and tangy crust.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds salmon fillets
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a roasting pan or baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Make the Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, Dijon mustard, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the lemon juice, dill, and salt.
- Prepare the Salmon: Brush the salmon fillets on both sides with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place the fillets, skin-side down, on the foil-lined pan.
- Use a basting brush to coat the top side of the salmon fillets with the prepared honey mustard mixture.
- Bake the Salmon: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the salmon is just barely cooked through and flakes easily. It’s okay if it’s a little rare in the very center when you remove it from the oven, as it will continue to cook with residual heat.
- Let the salmon rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- This is an extremely fast and flavorful meal, perfect for a busy weeknight.
- The key to perfectly cooked salmon is not to overcook it. The fish is done when it changes from translucent to opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
- Lining the roasting pan with foil makes for very easy cleanup.
- The final instructions were not fully provided in the source article and have been inferred.
What to Serve With Your Honey Mustard Salmon
This beautiful and saucy dish is a fantastic, light, and healthy meal. It pairs wonderfully with classic, simple side dishes.
- Roasted Vegetables: For a true, all-in-one sheet pan meal, you can roast some quick-cooking vegetables like asparagus, broccoli florets, or some sliced bell peppers on the same pan. Simply give them a 10-minute head start in the oven before you add the salmon.
- Rice or Grains: A bed of fluffy jasmine rice, a nutty quinoa, or a simple rice pilaf is the perfect, classic partner for this dish.
- A Simple Green Salad: A crisp green salad with a bright and zesty vinaigrette is another wonderful, light accompaniment.
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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: For a super-fast and impressive weeknight meal, you can get a head start by preparing the entire honey mustard glaze up to 5 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container or a jar in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Store any leftover salmon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Leftover salmon is fantastic flaked over a salad for lunch the next day!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to moist, not dry, baked salmon?
The secret is to not overcook it! Salmon cooks very quickly. The best way to ensure a perfect result is to use an instant-read thermometer. Pull the salmon from the oven when the thickest part reaches 125-130°F (52-54°C) for a perfect, tender, and slightly pink medium-rare.
Q2: Can I make this a one-pan sheet pan meal with vegetables?
Yes, absolutely! This is a fantastic sheet pan meal. The secret is to “stage” your ingredients. Simply toss some quick-cooking vegetables, like asparagus spears or broccoli florets, with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and give them a 10-minute head start in the hot oven. Then, you can push them to one side, add your glazed salmon to the pan, and finish roasting everything together for the final 8-10 minutes.
Q3: Can I make this recipe in an air fryer?
Yes, an air fryer is a fantastic way to cook this salmon! Simply preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Place the glazed salmon filets in a single layer in your air fryer basket and cook for about 7-9 minutes, until the salmon is cooked through and flaky.
Q4: Can I use a different kind of mustard?
Of course! While the smooth and tangy flavor of Dijon mustard is a classic choice, this recipe would also be delicious with a pungent, coarse whole grain mustard or even a spicy brown mustard.
Q5: What is the best kind of salmon to buy?
The great news is that this simple and delicious recipe works beautifully with any of your favorite varieties of salmon! A rich and fatty, farmed Atlantic salmon will be incredibly moist and forgiving. A leaner, wild-caught variety, like a Coho or a Sockeye salmon, will have a firmer texture and a more robust, “salmon-y” flavor.