Baked Salmon with Honey Mustard and Pecan-Panko Crust
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
This baked salmon with a crunchy topping takes just 20 minutes to make, yet it’s elegant enough for company.
This easy salmon dish takes a total of 20 minutes—10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook—yet tastes like something you’d order at a fancy restaurant. It’s perfect for when you have company coming at the end of a long day (and you’re asking yourself, “What was I thinking?!”) or on a busy weeknight when you have to hit the kitchen running. Feel free to substitute another type of fish like cod, trout or striped bass.
To parents of picky eaters: if your kids are lukewarm on fish, I find that a crunchy coating is the best way to entice them, and you can omit the nuts if need be (or try my panko-topped baked salmon recipe with no nuts). Pair the salmon with a green vegetable and a starch (baked potatoes, twice-baked potatoes, couscous, or drop biscuits are all good options).
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Baked Salmon with Honey Mustard & Pecan-Panko Crust
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the mustard, butter, honey, salt, and pepper to make the glaze.
Next, make the topping by mixing together the panko, pecans, and parsley.
Spoon the glaze over the salmon fillets.
Then press the pecan-panko mixture over top.
Bake for 7-10 minutes per inch of thickness, or until the salmon flakes when tested with a fork.
Enjoy!
Video Tutorial
You May Also Like
Baked Salmon with Honey Mustard and Pecan Panko Crust
This baked salmon with a crunchy topping takes just 20 minutes to make, yet it’s elegant enough for company.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup panko
- ¼ cup finely chopped pecans
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley (optional, for color)
- 4 (6-oz) salmon fillets
- 1 lemon, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup, and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, melted butter, honey, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- In another small bowl, mix together the panko, pecans, parsley (if using), and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Spoon the honey-mustard mixture evenly over the salmon fillets. (Don't worry if it drips down the sides a little.) Sprinkle the panko-pecan mixture over the glaze, pressing it lightly so it adheres.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes per inch of thickness, depending on how well done you like your salmon. (If you find that the topping is browning more than you’d like before the fish is cooked through, loosely cover the salmon with foil.) Serve hot or at room temperature. (Note that if your salmon has skin, it may stick to the foil; to remove the fish from the pan, slide a thin spatula between the skin and the flesh, leaving the skin behind.)
- Make Ahead: The salmon can be glazed, coated with the panko-pecan mixture, and refrigerated up to 3 hours ahead of time.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 482
- Fat: 33 g
- Saturated fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Sugar: 5 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 36 g
- Sodium: 467 mg
- Cholesterol: 109 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I tried this with local cod and it was good, but the topping was a little too sweet for such a mild flavored fish. The next time I made it, again with cod, I omitted the honey and substituted crushed sea salt pita chips (any cracker would do) and reserved a little of the butter to toss with the crumb topping so it would brown a little better. It came out great and still easy to prepare. Salmon doesn’t need this extra flavor boost, but cod can tend to be bland without these adjustments. The nuts are a great addition to the topping.
Absolutely a keeper. Made it exactly as written except that I had honey mustard so used that instead of, you guessed it, the honey and the mustard. It was scrumptious. This will show up on our table frequently now.
absolutely the very best..thanks for sharing
This dish was amazing. It tasted like an expensive meal out. Thank you!
This was a wonderful dish, as is usual from this website. I made it again with a slight variation that seemed to work well: instead of mixing all of the butter with honey and the mustard, I mixed in about 1/2 tablespoon and then mixed the remaining butter with the topping ingredients. It made the topping crunchy and pretty. I also turned down the temperature to 425 degrees and preheated the pan I used to put the fish on. Thanks for a great recipe!
That is a great idea!
This recipe is a do over at our house. Easy to make and tastes amazing. Thanks
As a fishing charter operator and chef on the north coast of British Columbia I am always looking for new fish recipes to feed my guests.
This recipe is a wiinner!!! Thank you.
I used Atlantic cod for this and it was very good. My husband said not to mess with it, but for cod, which can be bland, the topping needs a little more oomph. Next time I make it my plan is to reduce the honey, increase the mustard, and saute the panko with a little of the butter before mixing it with the nuts to get a buttery crust. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Hi Jennifer….
I would like to make a batch of “Best Ever Biscuits” – could I make them savory and how and what quantities of spices would I use????
Also do you think that I could add bacon bits for a different twist on this biscuits.
I’m wanting to make these with a soup and send it to the United Church’s Spring Fling as one of the contributions to the bake table.
Sharon
Streetsville, Ontario
Hi Sharon, The biscuits are already savory – so no need to add any spices – but I definitely think you could add some bacon bits. Please lmk how they turn out :).
Do you have a recipe for Baklava?
Unfortunately not, Sheryl– sorry! I’ll have to add it to my list of recipes to potentially develop.