You'll only need four ingredients that you probably have on hand to make the glaze for this sweet and tangy Honey Chili Lime Glazed Salmon. Use this easy honey chili salmon recipe to grill or bake salmon in foil, or sear it then bake it in the oven. Ready in 15 minutes!
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❤️ Why this recipe works
What's not to love about this Honey Chili Lime Glazed Salmon? Nothing!
- The sweet and spicy glaze needs only four ingredients that you probably have on hand. This recipe for salmon is absolutely delicious and insanely easy! If you're wondering how to season salmon, try this recipe. You won't be disappointed.
- Salmon baked in foil locks in the moisture and makes clean-up a breeze. If you prefer, I've included instructions for searing it in a skillet, then finishing it in the oven. Both methods make delicious salmon!
- Honey, garlic, lime, and dried chili flakes: that's all you need to make this simple salmon recipe! You can easily vary the amount of chili to suit your family's tastes and "heat tolerance."
- You'll feel good serving this super healthy wild salmon dish, full of Omega-3's!
Here's what you'll need!
🛒 Ingredients
- salmon fillets: choose wild salmon as your first choice! Both coho and sockeye salmon have a beautiful rich red colour and lots of flavour. I'd suggest avoiding pink salmon in this recipe. While it's equally as nutritious, it's simply not as appealing!
- lime juice: freshly squeezed lime juice is best. Bottled lime juice can sometimes have a funky flavour.
- garlic: one or two cloves, minced
- dried red chili pepper flakes: for a little heat
- honey: sweet and sticky, it holds the glaze on the salmon and balances the flavour of the lime.
That's it! How easy is that?
🔪 Instructions
You can cook this salmon in one of three ways. Your choice!
- Cook the salmon in foil on an outdoor grill.
- Wrap the salmon in foil and bake it in the oven.
- Sear it in a skillet, then bake in the oven. See instructions in the recipe card below for this easy option.
Salmon cooked in foil:
Step 1 - Pat the salmon dry and sprinkle with salt.
Step 2 - Whisk the glaze ingredients together. Brush a large sheet of foil with oil.(use heavy-duty foil if you'll be cooking it on the grill.) Place the salmon on the greased foil, then brush the filet with the glaze. You can also line the foil with parchment paper instead of brushing it with oil if you prefer.
Step 3 - Seal the foil packet. Fold the long edges together, then fold over the short ends, making two or three narrow folds to seal the packet tightly.
Step 4 - Grill over medium-high heat on an outdoor grill, or bake in the oven at 400°F. Check after 8 minutes, opening the foil carefully to prevent steam burns. Remove from the heat when the internal temperature registers 138°F. to 140°F. and let it rest. You may want to pop it under the broiler for a minute or two to seal the glaze and crisp the top a little.
Step 5 - Once the temperature reaches 145°F. and the fish flakes easily with a fork and is no longer translucent, it's done and ready to eat! Serve right away.
👍🏼 Helpful Tips: How to cook salmon
The most important thing to remember when cooking salmon is not to overcook it.
- Salmon cooks very quickly. If you're using sockeye or coho, the two species of wild salmon you'll find most frequently in grocery stores, they may only be half an inch thick. Check after 6 to 8 minutes with an instant-read meat thermometer.
- If you're using Atlantic salmon, the filets may be thicker and will take a little longer, but not much longer, to bake.
- Cooking salmon in foil locks in the moisture and it makes clean-up a breeze! However, it sometimes lacks an appealing finish. Just remove it before it's fully cooked and pop it under the broiler to seal the glaze and give it a slightly crisp surface.
- My credo when cooking with chili peppers is, "Start with a little. You can always add more, but it's difficult to take it away!" You know your family's tolerance for spiciness, so adjust the amount of chili flakes accordingly.
❓FAQ's
It's easy to overcook salmon. Check it at 8 to 10 minutes. If it is beginning to flake when poked with a fork but is still slightly translucent in the center of the fillet, it is probably done.
You can check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the heat when the internal temperature registers 138°F. to 140°F. and let it rest. You may want to pop it under the broiler for a minute or two to seal the glaze.
Once the temperature reaches 145°F. and the fish flakes easily with a fork and is no longer translucent, it's done and ready to eat.
Once your salmon is cooked, you may find there is some white u0022gunku0022 on it. No worries! It's albumin, a protein that solidifies as the fish bakes. It's perfectly harmless and you can eat it. If it bothers you, just scrape it away with a dull knife before serving.
Albumin appears if you've overcooked the salmon, or if you've cooked it at a high heat too quickly. If you're searing salmon in a skillet, always start it skin-side down for most of the cooking time, then flip it over just to sear the other side and finish it off.
You can read more about the albumin in salmon in this article.
How to store leftover salmon
Did you cook too much? Store leftover salmon in an airtight container in the fridge. You can gently reheat it for a few minutes in a skillet on the stovetop, but you'll run the risk of having it dry out.
Leftover salmon is often best served cold! Flake it and add it to a salad like this Grilled Salmon Salad with Blueberries and Figs.
🍽 What to serve with honey chili salmon
Here are a few suggestions!
🗒Looking for other easy salmon recipes?
This recipe has been updated and revised to add more helpful information and to include instructions on how to cook salmon in foil.
When you make this salmon with honey chili and lime, please leave a comment and a rating below. I love hearing from you! Thanks in advance. Subscribe to my newsletter and have new recipes delivered straight to your inbox once a week.
📖 Recipe
Honey Chili Lime Glazed Salmon
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 - 1 ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, depending on taste
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 lb wild salmon fillet
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon oil
Instructions
To cook salmon in foil
- Preheat oven to 400°F. or heat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat.
- Whisk lime juice, garlic, dried chili flakes, and honey together and set aside.
- Pat the salmon dry and sprinkle with salt.
- Whisk the glaze ingredients together. Brush a large sheet of foil with oil (use heavy-duty foil if you'll be cooking it on the grill.) Place the salmon on the greased foil, then brush the filet with the glaze.
- Seal the foil packet. Fold the long edges together, then fold over the short ends, making two or three folds to seal tightly.
- Grill over medium-high heat on an outdoor grill, or bake in the oven at 400°F. Check after 8 minutes, opening the foil carefully to prevent steam burns. Remove from the heat when the internal temperature registers 138°F. - 140°F. and let it rest. You may want to pop it under the broiler for a minute or two to seal the glaze or simply open the foil and let the heat of the grill dry the glaze.
- Once the internal temperature at the thickest part of the fish reaches 145°F. and it flakes easily with a fork and is no longer translucent, it's done and ready to eat! Serve right away.
To cook salmon in a skillet and finish in the oven.
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Pat the salmon dry and sprinkle wtih salt.
- Heat an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and heat. When it ripples, carefully add the salmon fillets, skin-side up.
- Sear for 3 minutes, turn and sear on the other side for 1 minute.
- Pour glaze over all and transfer skillet to oven. Bake for 8 - 12 minutes or until fish is beginning to flake with a fork and temperature has reached about 140°F. Time will depend on thickness of fillets. Remove from oven, spoon pan juices over top, then let the fish rest until its internal temperature has reached 145°F. Serve.
Laura
So good and so easy!!
Flavour & Savour
Glad you liked it! It's a favourite!
Charlotte
I love your chili pepper credo! I'm guilty of always going all in with seasoning and then regretting it down the line 🙂
Flavour & Savour
Yes--we learn from experience, don't we!!
James
This salmon looks fantastic. I absolutely love minced garlic on my salmon, for both the taste and the aesthetic.
Denise from UrbnSpice
Thank you for this inspiration, Elaine! It looks so yummy and I do indeed have all of the ingredients to make this for dinner this evening 🙂
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Denise! Isn't it great to find a recipe that doesn't require a trip to the store?
Cathy
I love recipes that are simple and delicious like this! This combination of flavours looks wonderful! I'm Pinning this recipe, as I'm sure I'll make it more than once.
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Cathy! Simple is always best, in my view! Thanks for pinning!
Jessica
This recipe sounds so delightful and light! Love the flavour combination!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Jessica! Honey Chili Lime is a favourite flavour combo of mine and I've used it on chicken and shrimp. too!