We have salmon for dinner about once every two weeks, and a couple years back I had been wanting to throw together a marinade that was a little bit different than my usual go-to salmon recipe.
A little lemon juice and zest, a little honey (or maple syrup!), a little butter, salt, pepper, and dijon, and we’re set. Pour it over, bake it up, and bite into buttery lemon garlic salmon perfection.
Sidney was one at the time and couldn’t get enough of this one. We had made it with maple syrup because he couldn’t have honey quite yet. He shoved it into his mouth, along with steamed buttered broccoli and delicious creamy coconut rice. Then next to me, Tony took a bite and exclaimed, “Oh WOW!”
One bite in, I knew this recipe absolutely had to make it on the blog for all of you. I love it so much that I had to re-share it! It’s delicious served with pesto pasta, creamy rice or a hearty salad. Lots of suggestions below! Enjoy.
Keys to the perfect salmon marinade
Let’s talk about this honey lemon garlic marinade magic. There are a few components to a marinade or glaze that make it perfect for adding to proteins like fish and other meats.
- Fat from oil, butter or even a full fat yogurt.
- Acid from different types of vinegar or citrus fruits.
- Seasonings from spices and fresh or dried herbs.
- Bonus: sweetness! I love adding a touch of sweetness to marinades & glazes to balance the flavors.
Everything you’ll need to make lemon garlic salmon
The best part about this delicious lemon garlic salmon recipe is how such simple ingredients can create such amazing flavors. Here’s everything you’ll need to make it:
- Wild or farmed Salmon: you’ll need 1 pound of salmon in this recipe. You can choose wild or farmed — more on this below!
- Butter: using a fat in the lemon honey garlic marinade is key. I love the savory flavor that butter adds.
- Sweetener: as I mentioned, I love adding a little sweetness to glazes and marinades. In this recipe I used honey, but you can use maple syrup instead if you prefer.
- Zing: yes, we’re adding some “zing” with the acidity from fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and a little tang from grainy dijon mustard. This takes it to the next level, trust me!
- Seasonings: you’ll also mix in garlic (fresh cloves or garlic powder) and plenty of salt and pepper.
What’s the best type of salmon to use?
Feel free to use wild or farmed salmon in this recipe. Farm-raised salmon tends to be milder in flavor and more fatty/buttery in texture, while on the other hand wild salmon can be a little more spendy, but is leaner, pinker, and higher in minerals such as zinc and iron. Both are delicious!
How to cook the perfect salmon in the oven
I absolutely love cooking salmon in the oven so that it’s moist, flavorful, and stays together well. Here’s exactly how to bake this lemon garlic salmon so it comes out perfectly every time:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Generously season your salmon with the amazing lemon garlic honey marinade.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and grease lightly with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray.
- Place salmon skin side down on a baking sheet. Pour/brush marinade over the top of the salmon.
- For every inch of thickness, bake for 15 minutes. My salmon is usually perfect around 16-18 minutes. Flake salmon with a fork and serve!
As a rule of thumb, it’s best to undercook rather than overcook your salmon so that it does not dry out.
How to grill salmon
This easy lemon garlic salmon recipe would be perfect for grilling, too! Get all of my tips for grilling salmon (two different ways!) here.
Just like with baking, it’s best to slightly undercook your salmon rather than overcook it.
What to serve with this lemon garlic salmon
This easy lemon garlic salmon is perfect for serving with any of your favorite salads, side dishes or even pasta dishes. We love it with broccoli and coconut rice, but here are some other of my favs:
- Crispy Parmesan Roasted Potatoes with Garlic, Lemon & Herbs
- Carrot Arugula Salad with Fig, Goat Cheese & Avocado
- Gigi’s Veggie-Packed Garlic Turmeric Rice
- Brown Butter Pistachio Pesto Pasta with Chickpeas (this is the most perfect addition to make this a full meal!)
- Date Night In Cilantro Pistachio Pesto Shrimp Pasta (just leave out the shrimp!)
- Roasted Veggie, Chickpea & Pesto Quinoa Salad
- Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Sesame Garlic Roasted Asparagus
- How to Make Cauliflower Rice
- Maple Glazed Carrots with Goat Cheese & Pistachios
How to store leftover salmon
If you happen to have salmon left over, simply place it in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Call me crazy, but I actually love leftover salmon with scrambled eggs. Try it in breakfast tacos or a breakfast quesadilla like this one!
More delicious seafood recipes
- Damn Good Salmon Taco Bowls For Two
- Date Night In Cilantro Pistachio Pesto Shrimp Pasta
- Blackened Salmon Tacos with Forbidden Rice & Mango Guacamole
- Firecracker Salmon with Peach Avocado Salsa
- Homemade Crispy Baked Fish Sticks (kid & toddler-friendly!)
Get all of my seafood recipes here!
I hope you love this easy honey lemon garlic salmon recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Honey Lemon Garlic Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 pound salmon
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons honey (or sub pure maple syrup)
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, preferably grainy dijon
- ½ lemon, juiced
- Zest from 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (or 3 cloves garlic, minced)
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and grease lightly with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray. Place salmon skin side down.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, honey, dijon, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Generously brush the salmon with the marinade.
- Place salmon in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until salmon easily flakes with a fork. Mine is always perfect at 16-18 minutes. Enjoy immediately.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on January 18th, 2021, republished on May 5th, 2022, and republished on April 7th, 2024.
Loved it!
I’m so glad!
You don’t list any exact amounts of ingredients, when I look for a recipe I usually don’t like to experiment. However, Honey was a good addition to a regulated lemon pepper salmon recipe, so thank you for that
Hi! The full recipe can be found at the bottom of the post. Feel free to click “Jump to Recipe” to get right to it.
I love your recipes. I’ve made 2 salmon recipes , both were outrageously delicious!
So happy to hear that!
Looking forward to cooking this for the fam tonight with the salmon my husband just caught off Fish Creek in Alaska. Will post update! I’m not a salmon eater myself but am looking forward to trying it anyways :).
Amazing! Sounds like the perfect dinner 🙂
The honey and Dijon mustard just made this dish SING. I had some extra sauce and poured it over asparagus and baked that too. Simple and easy. Thank you!
Love that!!
Delicious! Definitely making it again!!!
So glad you enjoyed!
Made this tonight, my husband who claims he doesn’t like salmon
is now a fan. This recipe made all the difference.
Thanks so much for sharing all these recipes!!
Ah this is the best! Glad you both are loving this recipe ❤️
This was delicious and easy to make! Thank you for a great recipe 🙂
Such a quick and delicious marinade! I opted for garlic powder but wish I would have used fresh. I also added a little bit of dill – came together in less than 5! Thanks for the foolproof directions on cooking the salmon too!
Oooh the dill is such a great add! Happy you enjoyed it and that it was easy to make 🙂
this is hands down my favorite recipe from AK me and my husband make this once a week and have been for years. Would love a way to do this recipe on the grill.
Ahhh I’m SO happy you both love it!! I actually have a whole post on how to grill salmon 🙂 Hope it turns out amazing!
Perfect😊🙌 I added some homemade salsa to the mixture, husband said it was his favorite ☺️🙌 praise God 🙂 thank you so much!
Yummm that sounds amazing! So happy you both loved it 🙂
This salmon recipe is good! I went with cilantro pistachio pesto pasta as a side and it was so good. I had saved some of the marinade for another use as it was a lot for our small salmon. Thanks for the recipe, Monique!
Great recipe!
Thanks so much, Sheelagh! Happy you enjoyed it 🙂
This was 1st time making salmon in oven. Recipe is easy and quite delicious! Oven smells are amazing. 17 minutes for my perfect meal! Served with steamed Brussel sprouts and cheezy cauliflower rice. Will make this again. Followed marinade recipe exactly, it came out a bit runny. Chopped garlic in bigger bits, like the way garlic came out, tasty bits
That’s amazing to hear! SO happy it came out well. The marinade definitely will be a bit runny — that’s correct! Those sides sound wonderful, too 🙂
Such an easy and delicious way to make salmon, I find myself coming back to this recipe time and time again. Another winner!
Aw thank you so much! I’m so glad you’re a fan of this recipe, Mariana 🙂 Appreciate the review!
This recipe is to die for! I didn’t make it to eat right away, but actually used it to meal prep. I had 3 portions of wild salmon (thawed) to cook up, so this was perfect. Even reheated after a day or two the salmon was still flaky and didn’t dry out. The marinade has the perfect t balance of sweet, with a little tang. I used maple syrup instead of honey. The only thing I didn’t put in was the lemon zest, and that is solely because I forgot! This will be my go to salmon marinade. Next time I am going to use honey, and hopefully remember the lemon zest! Thanks Monique! 😊
Such a great one for meal prepping! Happy you loved it so much, and thanks for the review! ❤️
We’ve made this several times and just love it! We’ve only baked it in the oven, and it has come out great every time. It is super easy to prep and cook, and is very tasty.
Yay! Glad that you’re enjoying this one 🙂