Honey Dijon and Pecan Baked Salmon is an easy-to-make salmon recipe that is super delicious too!
There’s nothing better than a perfectly cooked piece of salmon. Baked salmon works well. As long as you don’t overcook it, it will be flaky and tender and so yummy. The topping is simple. My son has loved salmon as he was growing up and still makes it for dinner himself in college. If your kids will eat salmon, perhaps leave out the pecans in this Honey Dijon and Pecan Baked Salmon recipe if that’s something they’ll shy away from.
The Healthy Swaps Cookbook
This recipe comes from The Healthy Swaps Cookbook by Danielle Davis. The recipes in this book are all made a little bit healthier by making simple, healthier ingredient swaps. Refined sugars are replaced with healthier sweeteners, white flour is replaced with alternative flour choices (like almond flour or coconut flour), and more healthful fats and lean proteins are used in the recipes too.
Here are a few family-friendly recipes in the book that have caught my eye:
- Mini Turkey Meatloaves
- Almond Flour Chicken Tender
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake
- Vanilla Bean and Cinnamon French Toast Bake
- Healthy Smoked Gouda and Cheddar Mac and Cheese
- Strawberry Banana Nice Cream
- Barbecue Chicken Bowls
- Grandma’s Texas Sheet Cake
Main ingredients for Honey Dijon and Pecan Baked Salmon:
- The sauce that will go on the salmon is made of mustard, honey and olive oil.
- The crumb topping is made of breadcrumbs, finely chopped pecans, garlic salt and olive oil.
Start with salmon filets. You can use any salmon you’d like. Wild salmon, Atlantic salmon, farmed salmon, Coho, King… anything will do! I like to buy a big salmon filet at Costco and cut it into portion sizes. It’s most affordable that way. But if I’m in a place where really good fresh salmon is available, I will definitely get that.
Brush the salmon with the honey dijon sauce.
Top the salmon with the breadcrumb mixture.
Bake for just about 10 to 12 minutes. Don’t over bake salmon or it will be tough and not as good. Perfectly baked salmon is the best! Serve this Honey Dijon and Pecan Baked Salmon with Corn on the Cob with Bacon Butter or our favorite salad: Avocado Pine Nut Salad.
Honey Dijon and Pecan Baked Salmon
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- Four 4-ounce salmon fillets
- ⅓ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉. Lightly spray a baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a small bowl, mix together the mustard, honey and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Place the salmon fillets in the prepared baking dish, then brush the mustard mixture over the salmon.
- In a medium bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, pecans, garlic salt and the remaining 1½ tablespoons of oil. Sprinkle this mixture evenly on top of the salmon filets in the baking dish.
- Bake the salmon for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown. Allow the salmon to rest for 5 minutes. Garnish it with the parsley and serve.
Marsha
Sunday 16th of April 2023
Looks great! I'm going to try these recipes!
Kim
Monday 8th of November 2021
I haven’t tried this yet, but just saw another version of this recipe in my local paper. Like the idea of a 1 sheet complete meal! HONEY-DIJON AND PECAN BAKED SALMON WITH ASPARAGUS
In this recipe from “The Healthy Swaps Cookbook” by Danielle Davis, salmon is covered in a honey-Dijon glaze, coated in a pecan crumble and baked. To make this a complete meal, we added asparagus to cook beside the fish. Or, you could serve the salmon with or on a green salad.
Storage Notes: Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
4 servings
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling pan and drizzling on fish, divided
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
4 (4-ounce) 1-inch thick or thinner skinless salmon fillets (see NOTE)
1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea or table salt, divided
1 1/2 pounds asparagus, woody ends trimmed (see NOTE)
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, plus more as needed
Lemon wedges, for serving
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a large, rimmed baking sheet.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, honey and 1 tablespoon of the oil and until combined. Place the fillets on one side of the prepared baking sheet and brush with the mustard mixture over the top. In a medium bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, pecans, garlic powder, 1 /4 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon plus 1 1 /2 teaspoons of oil. Sprinkle this mixture evenly on top of the salmon fillets. Drizzle with additional oil, if desired.
On the other side of the baking sheet, add the asparagus in as much of a single layer as possible. Drizzle the remaining 1 1 /2 teaspoons of oil over the asparagus and sprinkle with pepper and the remaining 1 /4 teaspoon of salt.
Bake the salmon and vegetables for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the topping turns golden brown, checking after 10 minutes. To see if the salmon is done, slice into the thickest piece with a sharp knife. The meat should begin to flake and be opaque with a slight translucency in the middle. The asparagus should be dull-green and tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
Transfer the baking sheet to a heatproof surface, cover and let rest for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
NOTE: You can ask your fishmonger to remove the skin from the salmon. Some salmon skin will slip off easily. If it doesn’t, place the fillet skin-side down, and using a sharp knife, start at the thin end of the fillet and slice between the salmon and the skin. Using a towel, if necessary, grasp the skin with one hand while using the other to slice, slanting the blade toward the skin. Or, if you prefer the skin on, leave it.
Nutrition information per serving (1 salmon fillet, a dozen asparagus) | Calories: 556; Total Fat: 33 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Cholesterol: 94 mg; Sodium: 623 mg; Carbohydrates: 27 g; Dietary Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 13 g; Protein: 40 g
Adapted from “The Healthy Swaps Cookbook” (Page Street Publishing, 2021) by Danielle Davis
RecipeGirl
Wednesday 17th of November 2021
Interesting- looks like for the paper they turned it into another dish. Thanks for sharing.