This Citrus & Honey Baked Salmon is jam packed with savory, sweet and sour flavors. Only 11 ingredients and ready (from prep to finish) in just 30 minutes, this salmon isn’t just delicious and elegant, it is also SO easy!
*Updated*
This post was originally published in February 2017. I made edits to the photos and added a RECIPE VIDEO to show you how easy this is to make! However, the actual story and written words below in this post remain the same.
Well heeeeeeey there, friends! Happy Monday, better known as THE Monday over 1.5 million people will call in sick.
Wait… are you playing hooky right now?! I promise your secret is safe with me!
Soooo, did you party it up Super Bowl style yesterday or what?
I’ll be honest, I’m not exactly sure what that type of partying should look like anymore, because I’m rather old and slightly anti-social, but I’m fairly certain it should include, but not be limited to, the following:
Yelling at the TV (and quite possibly your friends if they are rooting for the other team)
Fist bumping (or perhaps wall bumping depending on how much you have done the next thing…)
Drinking. Lots and lots of drinking.
Stuffing your face with ALL the things humanly possible. Wings. Sliders. Pizza. Dozens of dips.
If you did all those things, plus more, on Super Bowl Sunday, I’m going to go ahead and take an educated guess that you’re feeling less than stellar today. And I feel your pain.
Well, not really because I didn’t behave like an animal yesterday. 😉
But, just so you know, I AM on team “this Monday should be a national holiday”.
High five. Just point me in the right direction to the petition and I will sign away.
Anyways, I’ll stop my rambling and keep things moving today, because I’m 99.99999% sure at least half of you are hung over.
Since the super bowl is now over we can OFFICIALLY move on to Valentine’s Day!
WAHOOOOOOO!
And today I have a SUPER easy, yet tres ELEGANT dish that is absolutely PERFECT for your valentine.
Easy Citrus & Honey Baked Salmon
AKA my favorite roasted salmon to date.
Seriously, you guys, this citrus salmon is AMAZING.
Succulent, mild, melt-in-your mouth tender roasted salmon coated in a citrusy, honey sweet sauce. Served on a bed on subtly sweet, shredded fennel, spicy chiles, earthy thyme, and thinly sliced blood oranges and lemons, then topped with fresh micro greens.
This baked salmon is like WHOA.
#SymphonyOfScrumptiousness
This citrus salmon is so simple to make, yet jam PACKED with flavor.
Oh, and it’s healthy to boot!
Fist bumps for winning at LIFE. Or, at the very least, winning at dinner.
How to make Citrus Salmon?
Legit, this salmon could NOT be any easier to prepare… well, unless you ate it raw.
First you are going to make the marinade which doubles as a sauce by whisking together some honey, orange and lemon juice, chili powder and cumin. Pour a few tablespoons of the marinade into a small ramekin and reserve as the sauce. Transfer the rest to a large Ziploc bag and add the salmon. Set the salmon aside and let the flavors marry.
Add the slices of fennel, citrus, chiles and sprigs of thyme to a 9×13’’ baking dish, toss with a bit of oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread it out to form a “bed” for the salmon. Place the salmon on top and brush with the excess marinade.
Transfer the dish to the oven and bake until the salmon is cooked to your liking (check out note #2 below).
Drizzle with the reserved sauce and garnish with desired toppings.
Take a bow. Or a curtsey if you’re feeling fancy.
You have just 5 starred some salmon. Double high fives.
What goes with citrus salmon?
This roasted honey citrus salmon recipe is accompanied by roasted oranges and fennel, however if you are looking for more side options, I’ve listed some delicious pairings below:
- Roasted bell peppers
- Green beans
- Couscous
- Rice
- Quinoa
How to tell when salmon is done? How long do I bake salmon?
The USDA recommends you cook salmon to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F, which is medium (on a scale of rare to well done).
The exact amount of time salmon will need to roast, or bake, in the oven depends on the thickness of your salmon. Measuring from the thickest part of the salmon, calculate a roast time of 4-8 minutes for every 1/2” of salmon. A 4-5 minute roast time per 1/2” will give you salmon that is on the medium-rare side, and 7-8 minutes will give you salmon that is medium-well.
If you don’t have an instant-read thermometer, you can also tell when the salmon is done by touch. Salmon is cooked through when it flakes easily with a fork.
Tips & Tricks for the best Citrus Salmon Recipe:
- You can either use one whole filet of salmon or you can use individual salmon filets. I used one (1 ½ #) center cut filet, because I think it looks more aesthetically pleasing, but if you are serving your family, I would use 4 (6 ounce) filets. If it’s just you and your S.O, you can scale a filet of salmon up or down.
- The cooking time for the honey baked salmon recipe below is approximate. It will really depend on how thick your salmon is and your desired doneness.
- If you want a crisper top on your salmon, I recommend you broil it for the last few minutes of cooking. Once the salmon is almost cooked to your desired level of doneness, switch the oven to high broil and broil, watching it CAREFULLY, until the top of the salmon is lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
- If you are buying the fennel whole and thinly slicing it yourself, you can reserve the fronds and use them as a garnish.
- If you don’t like red chiles, can’t find them, or simply don’t want to use them, you can substitute crushed red pepper flakes to taste.
- While salmon is best if enjoyed immediately, leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. They can be gently reheated in the microwave or eaten cold (I recommend the latter).
Easy enough for a weeknight dinner, yet elegant enough for Valentine’s Day dinner, this Citrus & Honey Baked Salmon is guaranteed to please! Give your loved ones the 5 star treatment and add this dish to your menu TODAY.
Until Thursday friends, cheers – to easy elegance.
XOXO
Cheyanne
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The best Citrus & Honey Baked Salmon Recipe and step-by-step Video👇
This Citrus & Honey Roasted Salmon is jam packed with savory, sweet and sour flavors. Only 11 ingredients and ready (from prep to finish) in just 30 minutes, this salmon isn't just delicious and elegant, it is also SO easy!
- 1 medium Fennel Bulb – thinly sliced*
- 1 Blood Orange – thinly sliced & seeds removed
- 1 Meyer (or regular) Lemon – thinly sliced & seeds removed
- 4 Sprigs Thyme
- 1 Red Chile or Serrano Chile – thinly sliced
- 4 (6 ounce) Salmon Filets , skin on (preferably center cut)*
- 1/4 cup + 1 TBS Honey , divided
- 3 TBS Orange Juice
- 3 TBS Lemon Juice
- ½ tsp each: Chili Powder, Cumin
- 3 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil , divided
- Sea Salt, Ground Black Pepper , to taste
- Optional Garnishes & Serving: Micro Greens, Scallions, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, Arugula
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x13’’ pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Make the Marinade: In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of honey, orange juice, lemon juice, chili powder and cumin. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the mixture and set aside to use as a sauce. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the marinade and whisk together. Place the salmon in a large Ziploc bag and pour on the citrus-honey marinade. Transfer to the refrigerator and let marinate for 20 minutes.*
- Meanwhile, thinly slice the fennel, orange, lemon and chile. Be sure to remove and discard the seeds from the citrus.
- Toss the fennel, orange slices, lemon slices, thyme, and chile in the pan. Toss with 1 tablespoon of oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Spread the fennel mixture out across the prepared pan to create a “bed” for the salmon.
- Remove the salmon from the bag and place it, skin side down, on top of the fennel mixture. Use a pastry brush to apply the excess honey mixture to the tops of the salmon. Season generously with sea salt and pepper.
- Roast the salmon in the oven for 15-25 minutes*, or until fish is cooked and flakes easily with a fork. Meanwhile, add the remaining tablespoon of honey to the reserved sauce and whisk to combine.
Remove from salmon from the oven, drizzle with reserved citrus-honey sauce and top with desired garnishes. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
- You can either use one whole filet of salmon or you can use individual salmon filets. I used one (1 ½ #) center cut filet, because I think it looks more aesthetically pleasing, but if you are serving your family, I would use 4 (6 ounce) filets. If it’s just you and your S.O, you can scale a filet of salmon up or down.
- The cooking time in the recipe below is approximate. It will really depend on how thick your salmon is and your desired doneness. Salmon is cooked through when it flakes easily with a fork.
- If you want a crisper top on your salmon, I recommend you broil it for the last few minutes of cooking. Once the salmon is almost cooked to your desired level of doneness, switch the oven to high broil and broil, watching it CAREFULLY, until the top of the salmon is lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
- If you are buying the fennel whole and thinly slicing it yourself, you can reserve the fronds and use them as a garnish.
- If you don’t like red chiles, can’t find them, or simply don’t want to use them, you can substitute crushed red pepper flakes to taste.
- While salmon is best if enjoyed immediately, leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. They can be gently reheated in the microwave or eaten cold (I recommend the latter).
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