Maple-Baked Salmon

By Genevieve Ko

Updated Jan. 29, 2024

Maple-Baked Salmon
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(7,455)
Comments
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Salmon baked at a low temperature until medium-rare delivers a silky texture that tastes special enough to make it a festive centerpiece. This easy dish works any night of the week, since it comes together in less than half an hour. Maple syrup sweetens the glaze, which gets a savory pop from whole mustard seeds in Dijon. Even though salmon is naturally fatty, a dollop of mayonnaise adds extra richness while thickening the glaze to help it seal onto the fish. The herbaceous aroma of cilantro stems baked into the sauce brightens the dish, as do tender leaves scattered on top. Fill out your feast with any combination of steamed rice, roasted potatoes, green beans or salad.

Featured in: An Impressive Centerpiece in Just Five Ingredients

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1(1½-pound) skin-on or skinless salmon fillet
  • 12fresh cilantro sprigs
  • 2tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 2tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
  • 1tablespoon mayonnaise
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Lemon wedges, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

413 calories; 26 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 35 grams protein; 466 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Remove salmon from the refrigerator. Heat oven to 325 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    Bundle the cilantro sprigs by their stems and hold them tightly, then slice the stems crosswise until you get to the leaves. Reserve leaves for garnish. Transfer sliced stems to a small bowl and stir in the maple syrup, mustard and mayonnaise until well mixed.

  3. Step 3

    Season the salmon all over with salt and pepper and place in a baking dish, skin-side down if there is skin. Slather the maple sauce all over the top.

  4. Step 4

    Bake until a paring knife slides into the center with only a little resistance, 15 to 20 minutes. When you remove the knife and touch the blade to your upper lip, it should feel very warm but not hot. The salmon will continue to heat through out of the oven while in the baking dish. Top with the reserved cilantro leaves, and squeeze lemon wedges all over just before serving.

Tip
  • For 8 servings, buy a whole side of salmon, which usually weighs 2½ to 3½ pounds, and double the glaze ingredients. Bake on a parchment-lined sheet pan until medium-rare, 18 to 22 minutes.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
7,455 user ratings
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Comments

amazing!!

....A four-ingredient, five-minute glaze coats a single slab of salmon, and the whole thing comes together in under 30 minutes.... Should you choose farmed Atlantic salmon there will be a few more ingredients, like antibiotics, artificial coloring, and given that vaccines are all the rage, you'll get that too! Take it from someone who's in the fish biz, choose wild sockeye or king salmon.

Irina

I have cleaned a LOT of salmon (wild, not farmed) in my life and as a result won't eat any salmon that is not cooked all the way through. To at least 'medium well'. Maybe it sacrifices a bit of flavor, but adds peace of mind. Lots of wild salmon are wormy, including the famous Copper River reds which we dip out of the Copper River. I can't even imagine what farmed ones look like inside.

Mary Prorok

I made this recipe exactly as written and it was fantastic. I don't think the cilantro is necessarily key here (and I'm a cilantro freak), so leaving it out won't exact irreparable harm on the dish. It's the mustard, maple, mayo triumvirate that makes this dish so delectable.

Dave

This tasted terrible. Will never make again. I love all of the elements, but I hated the result. I have prepared a lot of salmon in my time. I bought my salmon from a favorite source that is a restaurant supplier where I have purchased salmon multiple times. I'm heading back to garlic salt and all of the other spice variations I love. Lemon pepper, Cajun spice, Italian spice blends or pretty much any other combination beat this hands down. Blech.

Janet H

It was a little bland. I cooked it exactly as written. It was very easy to prepare and make.

KRK

30 minutes. Perfect

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