Maple Glazed Salmon for Two
Fun fact: after briefly working with me at Arby’s (where I fell in love with jalapeno poppers), Zach worked as a seafood associate at a grocery store through high school and college. This maple glazed salmon was the first meal he ever cooked for me (and my first time eating salmon). He served it with pineapple and jalapeno over a bed of rice, and the flavors were simply amazing. After we got married, this dish quickly moved into our weekly dinner rotation (alongside cajun shrimp pasta), though we never had an official recipe for it. We’ve been making it for years now, tweaking it a little bit over time, but always without a recipe. I finally wrote it down, and I’m so excited to be sharing it here with you!
Why you’ll love it:
Bursting with flavor. Sticky maple syrup glaze is flavorful but not too sweet since it’s tempered with dijon mustard! It also has a tropical flare thanks to the pineapple + jalapeno! One-pan dish! We like to minimize the dishes around here whenever possible. Quick and easy. Did I mention it’s ready in under 30 minutes? Versatile. Pairs well with so many sides (suggestions below) Lighter, healthy dinner option. Minimal ingredients. Only 9, but despite that you still get intense, deep flavor that’ll have you wanting seconds. Doubles easily. In case you want to feed a crowd.
What You Need
We’re keeping the ingredients to a minimum here in this easy salmon recipe, but the few we use come together to create LOTS of flavor! Here’s what you need:
Salmon. Wild-caught salmon is my preference here for the best flavor. Thaw your fish beforehand if you choose to use frozen salmon; here’s a guide on how to thaw salmon safely. Note that this recipe makes one pound of salmon. You could probably do 1.5 lbs with the amount of sauce it makes, but you will need to increase the sauce if you’re doing any more than that. Maple syrup. Please never make this recipe with pancake syrup! While you can use the two interchangeably in my worst chocolate chip cookies, you cannot here. In my newlywed days, I once substituted pancake syrup out of desperation, and the final dish was almost inedible. Dijon mustard. This tempers the sweetness of the sauce and adds a lovely depth of flavor. Don’t use regular yellow mustard; it has to be dijon. Pineapple. This is technically optional, but I highly recommend trying the recipe with it at least once. I prefer fresh pineapple chunks and recommend them, but canned can work in a pinch. Jalapeno. Also optional, but again, try the recipe with it at least once! I love the slight heat the jalapeno adds, and it goes SO well with the tropical pineapple.
What I don’t use: Soy sauce! Many salmon recipes incorporate soy sauce and I’m just not personally a fan, so I’m happy to share such a flavorful salmon dish that doesn’t use soy sauce! SAM’S TIP: Garnishing your salmon with some fresh herbs, like cilantro or parsley, is always a good idea! Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Maple Glazed Salmon
Broil
SAM’S TIP — SALMON TEMPERATURE: If your salmon seems dry, it was most likely overcooked. Exactly what temperature you should cook your salmon to is up for debate, with some sources cooking it only to medium-well stage of 125-135F. Personally I cook my salmon to be approximately 145F, but I primarily judge when it’s finished based off texture– it should flake easily with a fork! This instant read thermometer is my favorite for temping fish and meat, in case you need to add one to your kitchen tools.
Love the tropical flare in this dish? Try my coconut shrimp, key lime pie, and island cookies next!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
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