This Hot Honey Salmon is giving off major fancy-to-eat-but-not-fancy-to-make vibes. Spicy-sweet salmon coated in fresh garlic, stone ground mustard, sweet honey, and flecks of red peppers flakes. It’s a magical little number!
Hot Honey Salmon
Featured comment
I was looking for a spicy-ish salmon recipe and happened to look on Instagram and saw this SOS recipe. I immediately knew it was dinner tonight! The flavors go together so well and it was super simple to throw together. I would definitely make this again.
Daryl
What looks fancy but actually comes together super quickly and makes you feel like A BOSS with all that big, feisty flavor?
It’s this. It’s Hot Honey Salmon.
And it’s here for us because this is the SOS series, and fancy-but-not-actually-fancy is the vibe we aspire to.
This is a spicy-sweet little number (hello, “hot honey”) and it gets its name from the sauce that gets brushed over the whole thing, which is grainy from the mustard and flecks of fresh garlic, sweet and sticky from the honey, and a little, medium, or LOT hot from however many red pepper flakes you wanna throw in there. I cannot stress enough how beautiful it is to look at! And it’s one of those salmon recipes that works for even people who aren’t salmon people, because garlic, honey, stone ground mustard, and some peppery heat are magical little wonder foods. If you’re one of those people and want to further your adventure into delicious salmon, we have a how-to guide for cooking salmon right here.
It is about the most foolproof way you could ever think to make salmon. Chaotic dinnertime, stress, and lack of time and energy is no problem for this beauty.
The Ingredient Details
Our basic / fabulous ingredient list:
- Stoneground mustard
- Honey
- Garlic
- Paprika
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Lemon
- Salmon
… Salt? Olive oil? I’m trying to think if there’s anything else worth mentioning, but I think that’s pretty much the whole shebang right there.
You shake up the sauce, you brush the salmon, and you bake it.
That’s the whole recipe.
And this is why the SOS series is my favorite.
Looking for another SOS salmon favorite? This Bang Bang Salmon is SO GOOD.
What To Serve with This Salmon
A pro tip: your sauce can actually work really nicely as a dressing, so save a little bit in your jar, drizzle with olive oil, and toss it on some greens and you’ll almost immediately round out your meal.
This salmon is extremely versatile – pair it with those dressed up greens, or steamed green beans from the garden, some roasted potatoes or rice or cauliflower rice or, preferably, HOT CRUSTY BREAD WITH BUTTER, and just enjoy your life, really.
Hot Honey Salmon: FAQs
What kind of salmon should I use?
Fresh Atlantic salmon or wild sockeye salmon work great here! The Atlantic salmon has a bit more fat in it, so the fish doesn’t dry out as easily. It’s so good!
That salad – YUM! How did you make it?
Super SOS-friendly salad here. Just some mixed greens of your choice and toss some of that extra hot honey sauce on your salad for a quick dressing. Another idea is this Toasted Bread and Parmesan Kale Salad – muah! Delish!
Not a big salmon fan here. Anything I can sub?
But have you tried THIS salmon yet? This one might convert you to start proclaiming “Salmon 4 Prez!” If you’re still like 🙅♀️🙅♀️🙅♀️, try the hot honey sauce on some chicken or tofu. Yum!
Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?
Watch Lindsay make this salmon on stories!
Print
Hot Honey Salmon
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
Description
This Hot Honey Salmon is giving off major fancy-to-eat-but-not-fancy-to-make vibes. Spicy-sweet salmon coated in fresh garlic, stone ground mustard, sweet honey, and flecks of red peppers flakes. It’s a magical little number!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the salmon:
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup stoneground mustard
- 3–4 cloves of garlic, minced
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional, for color)
- 1–2 pounds salmon (I usually buy it in one filet and then cut into 3-4 individual pieces)
Extras:
- 4 cups salad greens
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 1 baguette
Instructions
- Make the sauce: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix the sauce ingredients in a small dish. Set a little sauce aside for to make a salad dressing later. See notes for this.
- Bake the salmon: Line a baking sheet with foil (optional, but makes cleanup much easier). Place salmon skin side down. Brush or spoon the sauce over the salmon, getting it really well coated on top. Bake for 8-10 minutes depending on desired doneness and the thickness of your salmon filets, and broil for just a few minutes at the end to get it extra browned and pretty on top.
- Finish and serve: Top each piece with more red pepper flakes. Serve with little lemon wedges, plus a green salad and maybe (for surely) a hunk of hot, crusty, buttered bread. Dreamy.
Notes
Salad hack: If you take care not to dip your raw salmon utensils back into the sauce, you can repurpose any remaining sauce as a dressing for some spring greens! Just add a little olive oil and red wine vinegar, and there’s your dressing. Easy green salad, done.
Nutrition: The nutrition info listed is only for the hot honey salmon and doesn’t include any of the extras.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: baked salmon recipe, hot honey salmon, easy salmon recipe
More Salmon Recipes To Make ASAP
- Coconut Curry Salmon (this sauce though!!)
- Spicy Salmon Burgers (another SOS fave)
- Baked Salmon with Amazing Lemon Sauce (comes together on one pan)
- BBQ Salmon Bowls with Mango Avocado Salsa (the sweet-smoky fish with the fresh, bright salsa, YES!)
Time To Show You Off!
One More Thing
This recipe is part of our collection of sweet honey recipes. Check it out!
Filed Under: 5 Ingredients All Recipes Dairy-Free Dinner Fish and Seafood Gluten-Free Healthy Main Dishes Quick and Easy Salmon SOS Series Summer
August 30, 2021
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
Did you make a recipe? Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can find you!
Love your recipes!
Thanks so much, Elise!
Can you recommend a substitute for stone ground mustard? We don’t have this in Thailand 😉
Dijon mustard would be a great substitute!
This recipe looks incredible and easy! Will definitely try it since I just thawed my salmon fillets for tonight! Question: Do you think I could substitute the mustard for a grey coupon mustard instead? and Lime instead of lemon?
Thank you for sharing so many amazing and diverse recipes! I really love your blog! 😀
Yes, those would be great substitutes! Enjoy!
I was looking for a spicy-ish salmon recipe and happened to look on Instagram and saw this SOS recipe. I immediately knew it was dinner tonight! The flavors go together so well and it was super simple to throw together. I would definitely make this again.
So glad to hear it, Daryl! Thanks for giving the recipe a try!
Found your recipe this morning on Instagram. Baked it for lunch … my goodness it’s delicious!
You wasted no time! Love it! So glad you enjoyed the salmon, Maggie!
Hi Lindsay,
I made this last night. Wow it was scrumptious. No photos though – we ate it that fast. I’ll definitely be putting this recipe in my rotation.
Best wishes,
Anna-beth
So glad you enjoyed the salmon, Anna-beth!
Made this tonight! So delicious! Served it over a bed of couscous and roasted broccoli at the same time the salmon was cooking. Used your vinaigrette hack allllll over it. Easy and scrumptious dinner!
So glad you enjoyed it, Brittney!
Yum! Your new SOS series is hitting what we have in our fridge and salmon is one. The honey mustard is on point!! I’m going to try it with chicken for sure. The salad dressing here is a definite plus. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed the salmon, Karen!
This was so good and SO easy! We roasted some veggies on the same sheet pan and called it dinner. Will definitely make again!
So glad you enjoyed the salmon!
My sauce did not look like yours, it was very thin and did not stick to the salmon, where did I go wrong? I’m sure the flavor would have been awesome if it was actually baked on the salmon and not on the baking sheet 😕
Sorry to hear that, Janet! The lemon juice is the only thing I can think of that may have contributed to a thin sauce. Was your lemon larger in size?
Best salmon ever! Even my husband loved it and he dislikes salmon. This will be the only salmon I make from now on. Also it’s super easy and doesn’t make a mess.
So glad it was a hit, Jennie! Thanks for the comment!
So good! I added a tbsp of olive oil to this, and then mixed the leftover marinade on delicata squash half way through it roasting and it got all caramalized and amazing. Sooooo good!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Larissa!
This was amazing!! I threw some quinoa in the salad too. My husband said it was outstanding! The dressing was awesome!! Thank you for a great, interesting recipe! This will be on rotation for us.
I have many questions 😆
1 will frozen and thawed salmon still be good ?
2. Is this too spicy for little people? He’s ok with some spice
3 air fryer?
Thanks! It’s mainly the first question. I really am looking for recipes to get more salmon in our diets but just haven’t found the one and frozen salmon is much easier to get here
1. Yes, you can use frozen and thawed salmon.
2. It isn’t too spicy, and if you leave out the red pepper flakes, it shouldn’t be spicy at all.
3. Haven’t tested this in the air fryer, but I think it’d come out wonderfully!
So glad it was a hit, Brittni!
Easy and delish! Will definitely make this again soon!
Thank you for all of the work you put into providing and sharing wonderful recipes!
You’re so welcome, Char!
YUM – I defrosted some salmon this morning and needed a quick recipe tonight. So good.
I usually eat my salmon with cauliflower rice but it can be dry and flavorless sometimes – not with this mustard sauce.
Love that this only uses pantry staples!
This was so good and easy! Loved the extra dressing on salad greens – even without the oil and vinegar because I forgot. I’ll have to try it when I make it again because that’s definitely happening!
I used to use foil too. Parchment has changed my life. Give it a try. 🙂
OMG so simple and amazingly good! I will increase the red pepper next time! Made it with brown rice and steamed broccoli and it was a quick and yummy dinner! Thank you for the recipe!
Fantastic salmon recipe! Highly recommend!
Looks like we’ve found a new weekly favorite at our house!! This recipe is perfect. I’ve been making this hot honey salmon into sandwiches, tacos, wraps, you name it. Ordered a ton more salmon (love this kind https://lummiislandwild.com/our-seafood/wild-king-salmon-portions/) so I can meal prep for this upcoming week. Thanks for the recipe!
Great recipient but Atlantic salmon is farmed. Yuk!
Delicious, quick lunch! Used the salad hack listed and loved it!
I am going to make this on a kale salad tonight! For a dressing, I do not have red wine vinegar but I have balsamic vinaigrette or apple cider vinegar.. do you recommend one of these would work with olive oil to make a dressing with the sauce? Looking forward to this meal!
Either will work just fine!
Excellent and very easy! I did halve the sauce recipe because there’s only two of us at home now. Thank you!
I completely forgot to add the garlic but it was still delicious! I cooked some cubes of sweet potato for about 30 min, then threw the salmon on the same pan for an additional 10 min. It was all perfect! I will absolutely make this again.