This one-pan honey glazed salmon dinner is perfect for when you want to eat well but don’t want to work for it. Sweet, savory and full of flavor, this recipe for honey glazed salmon requires only 7 ingredients and comes together in just 25 minutes.
Easy Honey Glazed Salmon
Our honey glazed salmon recipe is unlike any other recipe out there. It’s unique and flavorful while still maintaining the promised ease of a quick glazed salmon recipe. To instead of the all-too familiar honey garlic glazed salmon, we opt for a much brighter and flavorful glaze made with lime zest, coriander and a touch of spice from cayenne. (But if you want to add garlic, go ahead!).
To make this an all-in-one-meal, we toss a bunch of snap peas onto the sheetpan with the salmon and let it all cook together. The result is perfectly moist salmon and tender, charred snap peas. It’s bright, sweet, savory and so satisfying.
Ingredients for Honey Glazed Salmon
- Skin-on salmon: we recommend using thick skin-on salmon fillets for this recipe. You’ll likely need to use farm-raised salmon in order to get the thickness you want. Make sure you know what to look for when buying salmon. And if you’re buying the salmon a couple days ahead, here’s how to store salmon.
- Honey: honey is the base for the glaze. You’ll need ¼ cup.
- Lime: lime zest is added to the glaze for a bright zing. Save the zested limes to then squeeze over the salmon right before serving.
- Spices: we use a combination of coriander and cayenne for an herby, spicy kick. Play around with other spices like cumin, oregano, and chili powder. You’ll also need kosher salt and black pepper.
- Sugar snap peas: to make this a quick and healthy sheetpan salmon dinner, we load up the pan with fresh snap peas. They cook alongside the salmon and become tender and deliciously charred.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: you’ll need just a couple tablespoons of evoo to coat the snap peas with.
- Scallions: fresh scallions get sprinkled over top right before serving. You can also use chives, fresh parsley or cilantro instead.
How to Make Honey Glazed Salmon
- Toss the snap peas with oil, salt and pepper. Broil the snap peas until slightly tender and starting to char.
- Meanwhile, stir together the honey, lime zest and spices.
- Make some room on the baking sheet for the salmon fillets. Arrange the salmon skin-side down and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the honey glaze over the salmon and broil until charred and cooked through.
- Sprinkle scallions over salmon and peas and serve with additional glaze and lime wedges.
How to Broil Salmon
Broiling salmon is a quick and easy cooking method. So how long do you need to broil salmon? The quick answer is 6–10 minutes.
But there are a few factors you need to consider first.
- Thickness of salmon: the thicker the piece of salmon, the longer it will need to broil until it’s cooked through. The thinner the fillet, the less time it will need to broil. This is why we offer a measurement of how thick the salmon fillets should be for this broiled salmon recipe.
Ideally, the fillets should be between 1 and 1 ¼ inches in thickness. If you can only find thin wild-caught fillets, that’s OK, you’ll just need to decrease the cook time.
> Salmon fillets that are 1 to 1 ¼-inch thick will broil for 10–12 minutes.
> Salmon fillets less than 1-inch in thickness will broil for 4–6 minutes. - Rack location: when broiling, we recommend setting the rack 6-inches from the heating element. This is usually on the second notch down from the top. We’ve always found this to be the level where ideal cooking-to-browning ratio is achieved.
- All broilers are different: it’s important to know your broiler. Some run hotter while others run cooler. Additionally, some broilers have both a high and low setting while others simply have a “broil” setting. This recipe calls for broiling on high.
Tips for Cooking Salmon
- Use fresh, thick fillets of salmon. If it’s hard to find thick salmon in your area, ask the seafood counter to give you a 1½-pound center-cut fillet of salmon, then cut it down into 6-ounce pieces yourself (or ask the counter to do it for you). We find Whole Foods reliably has thick quality fillets.
- Keep an eye on the salmon and snap peas as they broil. Every broiler is different and salmon can quickly go from perfect to over done.
- Pull the salmon out of the over when the internal temperature reaches 120ºF (48ºC) to 125ºF (52ºC). The USDA recommends cooking salmon to 145ºF (63ºC), but for the best quality and most delicious salmon, it’s best when cooked to 125ºF (52ºC). We pull salmon out of the oven when a digital instant-read thermometer (this is our favorite!) registers 120ºF (48ºC)—it will keep cooking as it rests on the sheet pan.
How to Keep Salmon Moist
Keeping salmon moist is all about cooking it to the perfect medium-rare. There’s no way around it—if salmon is over-cooked, it’s dry. We recommend utilizing a thermometer (the ThermapenONE is our favorite in the test kitchen) to keep an eye on the internal temperature of the salmon as it cooks.
For medium-rare doneness, cook your salmon to an internal temperature of about 125ºF. The USDA recommends cooking fish to an internal temperature of 145ºF, but if you trust the sourcing of your salmon and enjoy a moist medium-rare fillet, cook it to an internal temp of 125ºF.
And when reheating salmon, reheat it gently on the stove top of in the microwave on 50-percent power just until heated through. You can also drizzle it with olive oil before reheating which will help to keep it moist.
What to Serve with Honey Glazed Salmon
Since this recipe already features snap peas, you’re 75-percent of the way to a full meal. Here are a few side dishes we recommend serving with honey glazed salmon.
Homemade naan is a wonderful pairing. The soft, supple bread is a mouthwatering pairing with the moist, glazed salmon.
For a gluten-free bread, try our Nut and Seed Bread. It’s loaded with healthy fats, fiber and plant protein.
We also love to serve honey glazed salmon with cornbread. Salmon and cornbread are a natural pairing! Need it to be gluten-free? We’ve got a great gluten-free cornbread recipe as well.
If you choose to skip the snap peas and plan to just make the salmon, serve the salmon with our simple Butter Lettuce Salad. Or try our Fennel Salad.
Storage and Reheating Tips
Store leftover honey glazed salmon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freezing isn’t ideal, but can be done. Honey glazed salmon can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Reheat honey glazed salmon on the stove top in a nonstick skillet with a splash of oil over low heat. Cook just until warmed through. Or pop it in the microwave and reheat on 50-percent power in 30-second increments until warmed through.
If the salmon is frozen, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating and enjoying.
Variations on This Recipe
- Swap the snap peas out for asparagus, green beans, broccoli or bok choy.
- Skip the snap peas and serve this honey glazed salmon with a side salad instead. Our Asian Cabbage Salad is a must-try.
- Add 2 minced garlic cloves to the honey glaze to make honey garlic glazed salmon. Or add some garlic powder in addition to the coriander and cayenne.
- Skip the spices altogether in the glaze and use lemon zest instead of lime zest. Add some minced garlic.
- Make this a triple citrus salmon and add a combination of orange zest, lemon zest and lime zest to the honey glaze.
- Use red pepper flakes instead of cayenne.
- Use cumin and chili powder in place of coriander and cayenne.
- Add thinly sliced shallots to the snap peas and skip the scallions.
Can I Prepare Honey Glazed Salmon Ahead of Time?
You can prepare the glaze and toss the vegetables with oil ahead of time. We do not recommend glazing the salmon until right before cooking.
The glaze can be made and stored at room temperature for 1 day. Any longer, and the glaze should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow the glaze to come to room temperature before using.
Make sure you know how to store fresh salmon if you purchase it ahead of time.
FAQ
I mean, we think this one is pretty good! But this recipe for Broiled Salmon is a great how-to guide and can be riffed on countless times.
First and foremost, our Pan-Seared Salmon is outrageously delicious. It’s simple and foolproof and one of our most popular recipes to date. Our Balsamic Glazed Salmon is another simple recipe that requires just 4 ingredients. And finally, our Miso Glazed Salmon is a must-try! It’s easy to make and loaded with savory flavor.
The ideal sauce for salmon is a Lemon Butter Sauce. It’s rich and zesty—the perfect pairing for a gorgeous piece of salmon. Tartar sauce is also a classic, as is a chimichurri.
Our Salmon Patties are incredibly affordable, easy to prepare and delicious. They’re a great addition to your weekly meal plan!
More Salmon Recipes to Try
Pesto Salmon and Pasta is one of our favorite weeknight salmon recipes. You can make your own pesto, or make it easier on yourself and buy some fresh pesto from the store.
Make a Salmon Nicoise Salad with loads of crisp vegetables and Easy Salmon Patties. An entree salad the entire family will enjoy!
Enjoy a bowl of Salmon Curry with crisp-tender snow peas, fresh herbs, and large chunks of salmon.
Give the BLT a punch of added protein and a much needed makeover with our Salmon BLT Sandwiches.
30-Minute Meal
Salmon Pesto Pasta
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Honey Glazed Salmon Recipe
Description
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sugar snap peas, strings removed
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 lime, zested
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander, or cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 (6-ounce) skin-on salmon filets, 1–1 ¼ inches thick*
- 2 scallions, sliced
Instructions
- Heat broiler to high with rack set 6-inches from element.
- On a large baking sheet, toss peas with oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Broil peas until slightly tender and starting to char, 3–6 minutes (see notes below)*
- Meanwhile, whisk together honey, 2 teaspoons lime zest, coriander, cayenne, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Clear four spaces on baking sheet and arrange salmon fillets skin-side down on prepared sheet; pat dry and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of glaze in a separate bowl for serving; spread remaining glaze evenly over salmon fillets.
- Broil salmon until mostly opaque but center still looks undercooked, tops are charred, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the centers registers 120–125ºF (48–52ºC), 10–12 minutes.
- Spoon reserved glaze over salmon and sprinkle with scallions. Serve with lime wedges.
Equipment
Notes
Here’s how to adapt the recipe: broil snap peas until tender and somewhat charred. Add salmon to baking sheet and broil until cooked through and flaky, 4–6 minutes. Snap Peas: The fresher more plump the peas are, the longer the broiling will take. The smaller and less plump the peas are, the less broiling time they will need. Additionally, every broiler is different, so keep an eye on them and give them a toss every couple of minutes as needed. Coriander: if you don’t have coriander you can substitute with cumin, though I really prefer coriander here.
Nutrition
