Baked Salmon Honey Garlic (Printable)

Salmon fillets baked with a sweet honey garlic glaze for a flavorful, easy dinner option.

# What you'll need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 salmon fillets (approximately 5.3 oz each), skin on or off as preferred

→ Marinade & Glaze

02 - 3 tablespoons honey
03 - 3 tablespoons soy sauce (gluten-free if required)
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
07 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
08 - ¼ teaspoon salt

→ Garnish (optional)

09 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
10 - 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
11 - Lemon wedges, to serve

# Directions:

01 - Set the oven to 400°F and prepare a baking tray by lining with parchment paper or lightly greasing a baking dish.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, lemon juice, minced garlic, olive oil, black pepper, and salt until combined.
03 - Arrange salmon fillets skin-side down on the prepared tray and evenly spoon the honey garlic mixture over each piece.
04 - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and is cooked through.
05 - Optionally broil the salmon for an additional 2 minutes to caramelize the glaze, monitoring closely to prevent burning.
06 - Remove from oven and let rest for 2 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley, sesame seeds, and lemon wedges if desired, then serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's genuinely hard to mess up, and the payoff is a silky, sweet-savory salmon that feels indulgent on a Tuesday night.
  • The whole thing comes together in 25 minutes, which means you can go from craving something good to having it on the table before you've finished pouring a drink.
  • The glaze works with whatever mood you're in—serve it plain, add heat with red pepper flakes, or swap the honey for maple syrup depending on what's calling to you.
02 -
  • Soy sauce burns easily in the oven, so don't exceed 400°F or leave it in longer than 15 minutes—I learned this the hard way by charring a batch and wondering why it tasted bitter.
  • Minced garlic raw in the glaze becomes mellowed and sweet rather than aggressive, which is exactly what you want; you're not frying it, so it stays tender and integrated rather than harsh.
  • Salmon continues cooking even after you pull it out, so it's better to remove it slightly undercooked than to wait for it to look perfectly opaque—residual heat will finish the job and keep the flesh impossibly moist.
03 -
  • If your salmon is thick, butterfly it slightly before glazing so the heat reaches the center evenly, or just add a few minutes to the baking time without stress.
  • The sesame seeds toast slightly in the residual heat, releasing their nutty flavor right as the dish lands on the plate—a detail that surprised me the first time I noticed it.

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