This 4-Ingredient Honey-Mustard Salmon Is Ready in Just 15 Minutes

As I’ve written several times before, I almost always have wild salmon fillets in my freezer, ready to be thawed, seasoned, and broiled for a quick dinner. I previously shared one of my go-to recipes for broiled maple-mustard salmon, and the recipe I’m sharing now is a similar variation I make frequently. It’s an incredibly simple recipe: It just requires stirring together mayonnaise, grainy mustard, and honey, slathering the mixture on salmon fillets or a whole side of salmon, then broiling the fish until it’s caramelized on top and perfectly cooked inside. The whole process takes about 15 minutes from start to finish—just steam some vegetables and cook a simple grain like rice, quinoa, or couscous to go on the side and you’re good to go.

You can use whatever salmon you can get your hands on, but I prefer the flavor of wild salmon to farmed. Unless it’s wild salmon season, I opt for buying frozen salmon and thawing it myself. Why buy salmon that’s been previously frozen and thawed who-knows-when when you can pop frozen salmon in the fridge the night before you want to cook it and know exactly when it was thawed? You can buy salmon in one large piece or in individual portions for this recipe—either works equally well.

Once you’ve purchased or thawed your salmon, the next step is stirring together the honey-mustard-mayo mixture. I like the texture and flavor of grainy mustard (such as Maille Old-Style), but you can use whatever mustard you have on hand. While you technically could use honey-mustard and skip the step of adding honey, I think homemade honey-mustard has a better flavor than store-bought, which can be overly sweet and less nuanced than one made from scratch.

Along with the honey and mustard, the spread includes mayonnaise. This addition, which I also use in my maple-mustard salmon, was inspired by Serious Eats editorial director Daniel‘s harissa-lime salmon, in which mayo is used as an “insulator” to help keep the salmon moist and tender. This extra fat is particularly welcome with wild salmon, which tends to be leaner than farmed—unless you’ve gotten your hands on some delightfully fatty Chinook (aka king) salmon. Salt, pepper, and an optional pinch of cayenne finish off the short ingredient list for this fish. While the cayenne is completely optional, I find it pairs nicely with the bite of the mustard and the sweetness of the honey.

Also inspired by Daniel’s harissa-lime salmon, instead of baking the salmon, I broil it—broiling the fish allows you to sear the outside with an intense blast of heat. This promotes a nicely browned exterior, while leaving the interior tender and juicy. Note that broilers vary widely, so cooking the salmon can take as little as five minutes and as many as 15, so check it after five minutes and then frequently after that until it reaches your desired doneness. If the top browns before the fish is done, switch off the broiler and set the oven to 425ºF (220ºC), then continue baking the salmon until it’s done, which shouldn’t take more than one to two minutes longer.

While this recipe serves four to six, it’s really easy to scale up or down. I often scale it down to serve one and simply eyeball the ingredients. I’ll put some seasonal veggies—sweet potatoes, broccoli, or halved Brussels sprouts in the fall and winter, asparagus and new potatoes in the spring, and cherry tomatoes and corn cut from the cob in the summer—in the oven to start roasting just before I stir together the ingredients for coating the salmon. It’s an easy, satisfying dinner that really is ready in less than 30 minutes,,,unlike some of those 30-minute recipes out there.

Preheat broiler and set oven rack to about 6 inches below broiler element. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, honey, and cayenne (if using). Season with salt and pepper; feel free to adjust flavor and heat level by adding more cayenne, if desired.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly season salmon all over with salt and pepper. Set salmon on prepared baking sheet and rub a thin, even layer of the maple-mustard mixture all over the surface and sides.

Broil salmon until browned on top and the center registers 115 to 125°F (46 to 52°C) for medium-rare to medium, respectively, 5 to 15 minutes. (It can help to keep the oven door cracked while salmon is cooking to prevent the broiler from cycling on and off, though not all ovens function this way.) If salmon becomes well browned on top before it is cooked enough in the center, switch off the broiler and set the oven to 425°F (220°C), then continue cooking until done, 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Transfer salmon to plates or a platter and serve.

Special Equipment

Rimmed baking sheet, aluminum foil, instant-read thermometer

Notes

You can make this recipe with salmon that’s already been portioned into individual servings, or a larger fillet for a party or large gathering (just keep in mind that once cooked, a large piece of salmon won’t cut cleanly). This recipe works equally well with skin-on and skinned salmon.

Make Ahead and Storage

Honey-mustard mixture can be prepared up to 7 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Leftover cooked salmon can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.