Honey-Garlic Salmon With Grapefruit 

Published March 27, 2025

Honey-Garlic Salmon With Grapefruit 
Ghazalle Badiozamani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
35 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Rating
5(251)
Comments
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A flurry of chopped fresh parsley, lemon zest and garlic, gremolata is an Italian condiment that can brighten luxuriously meaty dishes like osso buco, or just about anything else that skews rich, including buttery roasted salmon fillets. This creative take on the classic garnish swaps the lemon with grapefruit, using both zest and fruit. Add the optional mint to the equation for additional brightness. Not one bit of the citrus is wasted: The juice is reduced and combined with honey and garlic to make a sweet glaze for the fish that offsets the bitter notes of the parsley and fruit.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings 
  • 1large grapefruit 
  • 2teaspoons honey
  • 2large garlic cloves, grated or minced
  • 4(6-ounce) salmon fillets (skin-on or skinless)
  • 1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper
  • ¼cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1tablespoon chopped fresh mint (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

426 calories; 26 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 36 grams protein; 603 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

    Heat oven to 400 degrees. Finely grate about half of the zest of the grapefruit into a medium bowl. Cut the grapefruit in half crosswise. Working with one half at a time, run a paring knife around the perimeter between the white pith and the flesh then loosen each section. Scoop the segments, leaving the juice behind, and add them to the bowl. Squeeze the juice from the emptied grapefruit halves into a small saucepan and use a spoon to remove any seeds or pith that fall into the pan.

  2. Step 2

    Bring the grapefruit juice to a boil over high heat and boil until syrupy and reduced to about a tablespoon, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the honey and a little more than half of the garlic.

  3. Step 3

    Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. Pat the salmon dry, rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the pan skin-side down and spoon the honey-garlic glaze over the top.

  4. Step 4

    Roast until the salmon is just cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. (It’s done when the flesh is just able to flake easily. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of the thickest part should register 120 degrees.)

  5. Step 5

    While the salmon roasts, add the parsley, mint (if using), remaining garlic and a generous pinch of salt to the bowl of grapefruit. Toss to combine.

  6. Step 6

    Serve the salmon topped with grapefruit mixture.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
251 user ratings
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Comments

Can’t do grapefruit any longer due to an interaction with medication. I’ve found subbing 1 orange and 1 lime for each grapefruit works in most recipes and it was perfect here. A nice tartness without being too bitter.

Delicious! I had to use orange juice and no zest because that's alli had. Even so, the glaze was tangy-sweet, perfect complement to the salmon. One question: The instructions say an instant read thermometer should be 120 degrees at end of cooking. Isn't that about lukewarm? Or am I missing something?

The salmon with the citrus glaze is so delicate and delicious. I’ll be making this again.

The medicibe/grapefruit issue is being over blown, I think. Eating one portion of this dish, every month or two---- really folks? Now if you were drinking greyhounds every night or eating big plates of grapefruit salad several times a week, then maybe there might be an issue. And you could always time your grapefruit sensitive medication to 8, 10, 12 hours from your ingestion of the essance of a 1/4 section of a medium sized grapefruit.

What did everyone serve this with for sides to complement flavors?

@Julie small potatoes!

This was delicious, and cooked up perfectly, as written. I accidentally got both skin-on and skinless salmon in 2 packages, and as the recipe notes, this works equally well with both. We had one fillet left over, so i am now eating a delicious salmon salad sandwich, after mixing the fillet with the remaining gremolata and 2 tbsp mayo, 1 tbsp dijon. A couple leaves of butter lettuce, on toasted bread. “RQ!” As we say in my house (“Restaurant Quality”)

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