Hot Honey Salmon

Hot honey salmon is my most repeatable weeknight dinner. When it feels like there’s no time left in the day, I know I can stir together hot honey, lemon, salt and pepper, brush the mixture over salmon fillets, and bake them in the oven in less than 20 minutes. Out comes sticky-sweet and slightly spicy salmon fillets, juicy and flaking apart at the touch of my fork. I drape them over a bed of rice and fill out the bowl with whatever vegetables are in the fridge (or, let’s be honest, the freezer). Every bowl is nutritious, filling and quick—everything I want from weeknight dinners.

Ingredients for Hot Honey Salmon

• Salmon fillets: Buy four fillets of your favorite type of salmon. Each portion should weigh around 4 to 6 ounces. Remove the skin if you prefer, and allow your salmon to sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking it.
• Salt and pepper: We season the salmon sparingly so the salmon’s natural flavor and the hot honey can shine. Season the four fillets with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.
• Lemon: We’ll use lemon zest and juice to brighten up the salmon. Zest the lemon (avoid the bitter white pith) before juicing it.
• Hot honey: You won’t use the whole bottle for this hot honey salmon recipe, so save it for other hot honey recipes like hot honey sweet potatoes or hot honey chicken tenders. It’s also a great condiment for pizza, tacos, sushi and anything else that could use a kick of swicy (sweet and spicy) flavors.

Directions

Step 1: Prep the salmon

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the salmon fillets on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and season them with the salt and pepper.

Step 2: Make the dressing

In a small bowl, combine the hot honey, lemon zest and lemon juice. Brush half the mixture over the salmon.

Step 3: Bake the salmon

Bake the salmon fillets for seven minutes. Brush them again with the remaining hot honey mixture, then bake the salmon until it flakes easily with a fork, 7 to 10 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: You should also probe the thickest part of each salmon fillet with a cooking thermometer to ensure the internal temperature has reached at least 145°, salmon’s safe cooking temperature.

Recipe Variations

• Add umami: Deepen the flavor with a few tablespoons of soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos. Just omit the salt measurement.
• Make it zippier: A little Dijon mustard or grated ginger or garlic adds a zingy, bright, pungent and slightly spicy component. Add a little at a time, then taste the mixture and adjust it before putting it on the raw salmon—they’re pretty strong ingredients!
• Spice it up: Love heat? Add extra fire to the dish with chili crisp, red pepper flakes or a touch of hot sauce.
• Swap the protein: If you’re not a fan of salmon, use chicken thighs or extra firm tofu instead, and cook them until they reach 165° when probed with a thermometer.

How to Store Hot Honey Salmon

Allow any leftover hot honey salmon to cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container. The salmon will keep in the fridge for up to four days. To reheat it, place the fillets on a parchment-lined baking sheet, flick them with a little water, and bake them in a 350° oven until they’re warmed through, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Can you make hot honey salmon ahead of time?

You can follow certain steps of this hot honey salmon recipe ahead of time. I wouldn’t bake the salmon ahead of time as the fillets are best served as soon as they’re baked, but you can prep the fillets by removing the skin. You can also stir the lemon juice, zest and hot honey together the day before to make the glaze, and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.

Hot Honey Salmon Tips

What kind of hot honey should I use?

Your go-to hot honey brand will work just fine here. If you don’t have one, try one of the best hot honey brands as preferred by our Test Kitchen. You can also make your own hot honey to control the heat level.

Can you cook hot honey salmon in the air fryer?

Yes, you can cook hot honey salmon in the air fryer. To cook this salmon in the air fryer, preheat it to 400° and place the salmon in the basket in a single layer. Air-fry the salmon until it’s lightly browned and just beginning to flake easily with a fork, seven to nine minutes or until the salmon reads 145° when probed with a thermometer in the thickest part of the fillet.

What should I serve with hot honey salmon?

Serve hot honey salmon over a bed of perfectly fluffy rice or quinoa, with lots of veggies on the side, like shredded carrots, sliced cucumbers, steamed broccoli or sauteed bell peppers. I love to drizzle yum yum sauce on it, too. Salmon salad is nice as well, with hot honey salmon served over spring mix with feta, tomatoes, and cucumbers.