Honey Mustard Salmon Recipe

If you’re looking for an easy seafood dinner, try this honey mustard salmon recipe! Oven-baked salmon fillets are glazed and roasted on one sheet pan with veggies. Made in under 30 minutes, it’s sure to be a regular in your dinner rotation!

In our home I’m the popcorn fanatic. I just love it, especially with a little melted butter on top and maybe a sprinkling of salt. Hubby, on the other hand, isn’t a huge popcorn lover … or so he says.

I swear, I make a bowl and every single time he digs in. But, he’ll still say he isn’t a fan.

Um, no, hubby. You like popcorn, LOL.

You may be asking, ‘Dawn, what’s popcorn gotta do with honey Dijon salmon?’ Well, hubby proclaims he isn’t a huge fan of salmon because whenever we eat it at a restaurant it’s usually overcooked and just okay. I can’t blame him, though. Ain’t nobody got time for dry salmon, am I right? I made this honey mustard salmon recipe for him the other day and he dug in.

I asked for his assistance while I was photographing the pics and was towards the end of the photo shoot; He thought I was finished and started shoving the salmon into his piehole. Best compliment ever!

So, whether hubby loved the honey mustard sauce, the oven-baked salmon fillet itself or the whole sum of its parts, it was a winner in our home. Winner winner easy salmon dinner!

Fan of sheet-pan dinners? Try this oven-baked cod recipe!

Why We Love This Honey Mustard Salmon Recipe

• It’s cooked on one pan! Hello easy cleanup.
• There’s not a whole lot of ingredients (and the ones that are used are pretty basic).
• Dinner is on the table in under 30 minutes!
• It tastes delicious!

Honey Mustard Sauce

This honey mustard sauce is really simple! There’s literally 3 ingredients:

• Dijon mustard
• Whole Grain Mustard
• Honey

I like to use whole grain mustard because of the look it gives (we eat with our eyes, right?). If you only have Dijon on hand, just use that!

How to Cook Salmon Fillets in the Oven

Generally, I like a cook time of roughly 5 minutes per inch of thickness (measure at thickest part of the fillet to determine thickness) cooked at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for my oven-baked salmon. For me, it gives a perfectly cooked salmon fillet without being dry.

Obviously, you want the salmon to be cooked, but you don’t want to overcook it. Overcooking means dry salmon that tastes kinda chalky, bland and not moist. Cook times will vary depending on things like the thickness of the salmon fillets and desired doneness.

In Canada, the recommended minimum internal cooking temperature for fish is 158 degrees Fahrenheit (according to the Government of Canada). In the United States, the recommended minimum internal cooking temperature for fish is 145 degrees Fahrenheit (according to Foodsafety.gov). Not sure? Invest in an instant read food thermometer. They’re pretty inexpensive and a handy tool to have in the kitchen.

Having said that, just like with steak, different people like their salmon cooked to different levels. One person may enjoy their salmon just cooked, while another may love it well done.  Therefore, simply adjust cooking time to how you like it. You do what you feel is best for you and your taste buds!

How to Make This Recipe

Make sure pin bones are removed from the salmon fillets. Usually when you buy from your fishmonger, they are removed. However, sometimes there are ones that have been missed. I like to gently and slowly run my fingers along the sides of the salmon fillets and over top. You can feel any bones as they are hard. Use a set of really good tweezers and pluck them out at an angle and discard. Still, when enjoying the cooked salmon, be careful of any missed bones.

Prior to cooking, remove salmon from the fridge for about 10 minutes.

Then, to make this recipe:

1. Pat salmon dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Mix together Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard and honey. Brush or spoon over salmon
3. Fold narrow end of salmon fillets underneath. This helps even them out a little for a better cook. The salmon is cooked skin side down.
4. Drizzle veggies with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then, bake salmon and veggies on prepared parchment lined sheet pan and enjoy!

Full details are in the recipe card below.

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Should I Leave the Skin on Salmon?

The objective with oven baked salmon is not to crisp the skin like you would with pan seared salmon.

You can certainly remove, but I like to leave the skin on because (mostly) it’s less work. Plus, it helps to retain moisture. I just eat the salmon after it’s cooked and not the skin. If you still want to remove, you can.

Do I Need to Flip the Salmon Fillets?

Nope! No flipping required. Just place the honey Dijon salmon and veggies on the sheet pan and bake.

How to Know When It’s Done

Basically, the salmon should be cooked through, flake easily with a fork at the thickest part and reach the internal temperature mentioned above. If not, place bake in the oven to continue cooking.

Evidence of my hubby digging into the salmon before I finished taking photos.

More Recipe Tips

Like mentioned above, cook time will vary depending on a couple of things, like: how thick your salmon is and how you like it cooked.

Go for the freshest, best quality salmon fillets you can get your little hands on (but that goes without saying, right?). Get to know your fishmonger. Markets typically get their fish delivery at certain times or days every week. If you don’t know, don’t be afraid to ask how fresh the fish is. For this sheet-pan salmon recipe, I used ‘Atlantic salmon fillets‘.

Speaking of salmon fillets, I like to get centre cut if I can for even (pretty) pieces.

Maple mustard salmon is delicious too. Use maple syrup instead of honey. Use a little less, about 1 tablespoon, as maple syrup is more runny than honey.

For the veggie component of this easy baked salmon recipe, I used zucchini and asparagus. Those work lovely because the cook time was very minimal and that’s what I had on hand. Rather use another veggie? Go for it! Looking for another side? How about this apple & gouda mixed green salad?

And if you want to add another layer of flavour to your veggies, sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan cheese.

I like to bake the veggies less than the salmon fillets (because I still want a little bite). So, you can either give the veggies a few minutes head start and then put the salmon fillets on the pan to cook OR put everything on the pan to start with and remove the veggies partway through. It’s up to you!

More Delicious Seafood Recipes

• Traditional Newfoundland Cod-au-Gratin
• Oven Baked Fish Tacos
• Fish Curry
• Fish Pie

Hope you love this easy oven baked salmon recipe!

If you make this honey mustard salmon recipe, please leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed!

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