House Favorite Maple Dijon Salmon
If you want a weeknight salmon recipe that tastes restaurant-level but takes five minutes to whisk together, this maple Dijon salmon is it. The sauce is sweet, tangy and creamy and relies on pantry staples I bet you already have on hand. This is one of my house favorites because I nearly always have the ingredients, it’s super quick and goes with anything!
Erica’s Thoughts
It’s a Baty house favorite y’all – maple mustard salmon. You can play the sauce game pretty fast and loose – squeeze of dijon, glug of maple, swish of olive oil, dollop of mayo, squeeze of lemon. That’s it. Season the salmon with salt and pepper, slather it with sauce and it’s the quick dinner I rely on whenever I’m stuck on what to make.
I’ve shared this recipe quite a lot of times over the years on Instagram, and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to get it officially up on the blog. I love to pair the salmon with roasted vegetables, fresh green beans, garlic bread, simple salad or fluffy coconut rice. Balanced, flavorful dinner headed to your kitchen in 3, 2, 1…
What You’ll Need To Make Maple Mustard Salmon:
- Olive oil: A touch of oil helps to lock in moisture. You could also use avocado oil.
- Mayo: I know this might sound a little bizarre, but I promise you can’t taste mayo—it’s meant to make a creamy glaze that locks in moisture and flavor.
- Maple syrup: Real maple syrup here y’all, no imitation stuff! You could also use honey.
- Dijon mustard: Tangy Dijon mustard balances the maple perfectly.
- Fresh lemon juice: What is salmon without a pop of fresh lemon!?
- Salmon fillet: I love the wild-caught Alaskan salmon from Costco (pictured), but any variety of salmon will work here. You may need to adjust the cook time based on the thickness of your salmon filets.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: For overall flavor!
How to Make this Maple Dijon Salmon Recipe
Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Whisk together the maple glaze ingredients: olive oil, mayo, maple syrup, dijon mustard, and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth and creamy.
Set the salmon skin side down on your prepared sheet pan and pat it dry with a paper towel. Season all over with salt and pepper. Spoon about two-thirds of the maple dijon sauce over the top of the salmon and use the back of a spoon or pastry brush to coat it evenly.
Place salmon in the preheated oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes. Salmon cooks at about 10 minutes per 1 inch of thickness, so thinner fillets cook faster and thicker fillets need a couple extra minutes. The salmon should flake easily with a fork, look just cooked through, and still have a slightly opaque center.
Serve with the remaining sauce drizzled over top or on the side for dipping. The side dishes pictured here are my miso honey roasted vegetables and perfect-every-time lemony green beans. 11/10.
Variation Ideas
- Use whole-grain mustard for a bit more texture in the maple mustard sauce
- Add a pinch of paprika, garlic powder or fresh garlic to the sauce
- Add chopped fresh herbs like parsley or dill on top
- Use the sauce on chicken thighs or pork tenderloin (cook times will be different for different proteins)
FAQs
It should flake easily with a fork and be just opaque in the center. Aim for the temperature of the salmon to be 125°F to 130°F when measured with a meat thermometer at the thickest part. It will continue to rise a couple degrees as it rests.
Yes. Thaw completely, pat dry, and proceed as written.
Any type. Wild-caught is leaner and cooks faster. Farmed salmon is thicker and more buttery, so it takes slightly longer.
Store leftover salmon in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you have lots left over, you can make these easy salmon spring rolls! My best way to reheat is to pop the salmon in the air fryer at 375°F for 3-4 minutes.
What should I serve with maple mustard salmon?
I gotchu:
Lemony green beans
Dinner time just got a whole lot easier, three cheers to easy salmon recipes!
If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, @itsaflavorfullife, I love connecting with you all there!
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House Favorite Maple Dijon Salmon
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Fish
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: American
Description
Sweet, tangy, creamy maple dijon salmon comes together in minutes and is a weeknight staple at my house!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons mayo
- 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/4 lb salmon fillet (or 4 5oz portions)
- salt and pepper (let’s say 1-ish teaspoon each)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons mayo, 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon lemon juice until smooth and creamy.
- Place the salmon fillet(s) on the prepared baking sheet and use a paper towel to pat away as much moisture as you can. Season the fish all over with salt and pepper. Spoon ⅔ of the maple mustard marinade on the salmon, using a spoon or pastry brush to make sure the fish is evenly coated.
- Roast for 10-15 minutes. Salmon needs about 10 minutes of cook time per inch of thickness, so the cook time will vary slightly based on the thickness of the fillet * (see note below). Salmon should flake easily with a fork and be just cooked through and slightly opaque in the center, don’t overcook it!
- Serve with lemon wedges and extra sauce drizzled on top or on the side for dipping. I love to pair this with roasted veggies and green beans.
Notes
In the photos above, I am using wild-caught Alaskan salmon, which is generally leaner and thinner than farm-raised Atlantic salmon. My salmon only took 10 minutes to cook (the fillet is about an inch thick) but if you have thicker pieces, it will take closer to 15 minutes.
See above blog post for tips, FAQs and ingredient information and swaps.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe, about 4oz portion of cooked salmon
- Calories: 267
- Sugar: 4.6 g
- Sodium: 559.9 mg
- Fat: 13.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 5.3 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 31.6 g
- Cholesterol: 74.9 mg
More easy weeknight dinners I think you’ll love:
Salmon taco bowl with mango salsa
It seems so simple and delicious. I have salmon in the freezer right now. I now know what’s for dinner tonight!
Woohoo Lilly, enjoy!!
This is my family’s new favorite salmon recipe!!! It took me 5 minutes to throw together, but the result was restaurant quality. I never thought to pair maple syrup and dijon with salmon, but WOW!! Soooo good. I can’t wait to have the leftovers for lunch today and am definitely making a double batch next time.
If I could give this recipe a 100/10 I would. This one was straight up one of my favorites. And the best part is the leftovers. It is husband approved too! And the sauce for the salmon cooks easily be a salad dressing too! This recipe is definitely on repeat in my house.
Omg YES love this as a salad dressing! If I make roasted veggies or potatoes to go with the salmon I drizzle this sauce on everything 🤤 Thank you Heather!
Husband’s direct quote “best salmon ever, save this recipe!”. Big hit. Easy weeknight dish, I can never get the exact timing of salmon right, but then again I never pull it out of the freezer to guarantee it’s fully thawed, and the different thickness of the fillet always gets me.
Yay I’m glad you liked it Sara! And the salmon thickness is definitely a bugger, especially if it’s not thawed 😂