If you are a fan of salmon like my whole family, you're going to love this honey butter Old Bay salmon recipe. An easy glaze using simple ingredients you likely already have in your pantry and fridge creates the perfect balance of salty and sweet.
Pair it with steamed green beans and roasted Yukon gold or red potatoes, and you've yourself an easy dinner to serve on a busy weeknight. In fact, besides this being a delicious, healthy meal, what I love most about this easy salmon recipe is that it's ready in less than 30 minutes. That gets an A+ from this busy mom!
I'm always on the hunt for easy dinner ideas, and this is a delicious way to fit that bill any time of year. It's also super versatile so I often change up the menu and serve it with our other favorite sides.
In the summer, my Roasted Beet and Watermelon Salad with Goat Cheese is great to serve alongside. Finally, the salmon and glaze is delicious when I lean in to the Asian soy sauce flavor profile and serve it over rice with steamed broccoli or air fryer broccolini too.
Looking for other easy weeknight recipe ideas? That is one of my specialties since I am too! Be sure to check out my Cast Iron Chicken Parm, Chicken Cobbler with Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuit Topping, Vegetable Hash and Sausage Stew, and Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Browned Butter Sauce recipes.
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Ingredients
Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this recipe.
- fresh salmon fillets
- Old Bay seasoning
- unsalted butter
- honey
- lemon juice
- soy sauce
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- crushed red pepper flakes
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Instructions
Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!
First, sprinkle the Old Bay seasoning on top of the salmon and on the sides.
Next, transfer the salmon fillets, skin side down, to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375°F for 6 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk the honey, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and crushed red pepper flakes into the melted butter. Simmer until the mixture is syrupy.
Finally, spoon half of the sauce over the salmon. Roast for 6 minutes longer or until the salmon is flaky. Transfer to a serving platter and spoon the remaining glaze over the top.
Hint: I highly recommend lining your baking sheet with parchment paper. It'll make cleanup so much easier since the glaze includes sticky ingredients that can become baked onto the pan.
Substitutions
Need to make some adjustments to this recipe? Here are a few suggestions:
- Salmon - I prefer fattier salmon, like Scottish salmon or King salmon for this recipe because the salmon fillets don't dry out. Feel free to use Coho salmon or other wild-caught varieties. Just be sure to cook the salmon less. The fillets I tested with were about 1 to 1 ½-inches-thick.
- Old Bay Seasoning - Old Bay seasoning is a seasoning blend of celery salt, ground red pepper, black pepper, and paprika, and is used most often for seafood boils. If you don't have Old Bay, Cajun seasoning is a great alternative. I recommend tasting it first because some blends are spicier than others.
- Salmon Filet - Use one filet instead of smaller fillets, if you prefer.
Variations
Here are some more ideas to change up this recipe:
- Spicier - add more crushed red pepper flakes to make this a spicy salmon recipe.
- Shrimp - the spice blend is also great on shrimp. Instead of baking it though, season the shrimp with the Old Bay, sauté in a frying pan, and add the glaze directly to the skillet.
- Honey Garlic Salmon Bites - need an easy recipe to serve as an appetizer? Cut the salmon into smaller pieces and follow the same directions either in the oven (cooking for a total of only 8-10 minutes) or in a skillet like you would with the shrimp recipe recommendation above.
Equipment
Here's the equipment you'll need for this delicious dish:
- measuring spoons
- dry measuring cups
- rimmed baking sheet
- small saucepan
- whisk
- meat thermometer
Storage
Store any leftover salmon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Tasty tip
I am always on the hunt for a bargain, so whenever I see a slab of salmon on sale at my local grocery store or Costco, I grab it. Then, I cut the salmon into individual fillets or leave it whole and freeze it. It thaws beautifully and then I have a weeknight dinner solution at the ready.
Frequently asked questions
I think the secret to the best salmon is to make sure and not overcook it. Also, don't season it until just before you plan on cooking it. Salt will draw out the moisture of the salmon if it stands too long.
The great thing about salmon is that it's such a versatile fish. I like to make sure there's salt, fat, acid, and heat; in this case, that's soy sauce and Old Bay seasoning, butter, lemon juice, and crushed red pepper flakes. The sweetness from the honey also helps balance all those flavors.
You can do either, but I prefer to bake the salmon. It's less messy, and baking tends to cook the salmon more evenly.
Uncovered. You don't want to steam the salmon and covering it would do that. Baking the salmon uncovered allows the glaze to become syrupy and caramelized.
The salmon will flake easily with a fork. And, an instant read thermometer will register 145°F at the thickest part of the salmon.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite recipes to serve with this Old Bay honey salmon:
🍽Get the recipe
Old Bay and Honey Butter Roasted Salmon Fillets
Equipment
- measuring spoons
- dry measuring cups
- rimmed baking sheet
- small saucepan
- whisk
- meat thermometer
Ingredients
- 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Sprinkle the salmon with the Old Bay seasoning.
- Place the salmon on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake the salmon for 6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the honey, lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture is syrupy, about 3 minutes.
- Remove the salmon from the oven and spoon half of the sauce over the salmon. Return to the oven and roast for 6 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork. Transfer the salmon to a serving platter and spoon the remaining sauce over the top before serving.
Video
Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your cook times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Food safety
Finally, don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe.
- Cook the salmon to a minimum temperature of 145°F.
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw seafood/meat.
- Wash your hands after touching raw seafood/meat.
- Don't leave leftovers sitting out at room temperature for extended periods of time.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
Dave says
The honey butter with Old Bay is such a great combo. It came out so flavorful!
Jessica says
GREAT recipe! We absolutely devoured this, and I will be making it again.
Swathi says
I tried this honey butter roasted salmon with old bay seasoning. so good, perfect meal.
Jack says
We really enjoyed this recipe. The sweetness of the honey with the Old Bay is perfect.