Baked Salmon with Honey Mustard and Pecan-Panko Crust

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This baked salmon with a crunchy topping takes just 20 minutes to make, yet it’s elegant enough for company.

Baked salmon with honey mustard and pecan-panko crust on a plate with a fork.

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).

What You’ll Need To Make Baked Salmon with Honey Mustard & Pecan-Panko Crust

Salmon ingredients including sea salt, honey, and lemon.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Begin by combining the mustard, butter, honey, salt, and pepper to make the glaze.

Spatula in a bowl of honey mustard.

Next, make the topping by mixing together the panko, pecans, and parsley.

Glass bowl of pecan-parsley-panko mixture.

Spoon the glaze over the salmon fillets.

Salmon topped with honey mustard.

Then press the pecan-panko mixture over top.

Uncooked, crusted salmon filets.

Bake for 7-10 minutes per inch of thickness, or until the salmon flakes when tested with a fork.

Cooked, crusted salmon filets.

Enjoy!

Video Tutorial

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Baked salmon with Honey Mustard and Pecan-Panko Crust on a plate.

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.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 20 Minutes

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

  1. 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.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, melted butter, honey, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Set aside.
  3. In another small bowl, mix together the panko, pecans, parsley (if using), and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.)
  6. 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 Edamam

  • 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.

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Comments

  • I cut back on the salt for the glaze otherwise Delicioious !!!!!

  • The only problem with this recipe is that is you might never want salmon any other way. Sooo good, and so simple!

  • A staple in my weekly rotation of recipes. So quick, easy, delicious!

    • — Ellyssa Chinnaswamy
    • Reply
  • The recipe does not indicate oven temperature at which salmon fillets are to be baked

    • Hi Jane, the first line of the instructions indicates that the oven should be preheated to 450°F. Hope you enjoy!

  • I made this last week and it is absolutely marvelous.

  • Amazing. This was a nice change and it made an elegant presentation. I served this with sautéed zucchini, red onion, and basil. I also had left over tuxedo orzo, basil, feta, tomato salad which paired very nicely because the dressing also had honey in it. There wasn’t much chatter at dinnertime. hahaha….

  • This recipe is fantastic! Something different and it has the perfect combination of tangy and sweet and crunch on each bite. Absolutely delicious and impresses guests. I served this for a nice sit-down dinner I hosted for Mother’s Day and people raved about the fish especially because it was so different from anything they had ever tried.

  • This salmon is delicious and so simple to prepare! It is an impressive dish and I am always asked for the recipe. Great salmon!

    • — Carolyn Fruzzetti
    • Reply
  • The two salmon fillets I used weighed just under a pound; after some deliberation, I halved the recipe for the topping and it was plenty. My husband, who generally finds mustard aversive, declared this recipe a winner after just one bite. And it’s so easy to make! We’ll be making this again, frequently.

    • — Gail Nottenburg
    • Reply
  • I don’t usually like to bake salmon, but this recipe is easy and quick to prepare AND it’s delicious. It’s both savory and a little sweet, and the chopped pecans give a nice little crust on top. So good! My family loves this salmon recipe.

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