Honey Chipotle Salmon
Honey chipotle salmon is my go-to salmon recipe for people who think they don’t love salmon. It’s smoky, sweet and so easy to make. Ready in 15 minutes, this recipe is easy enough for weeknight meals but could easily be served to company as well.
Even if you are intimidated to cook salmon at home, I highly encourage you to try this recipe, it will change your mind. It has very few steps, and it turns out delicious every time thanks to the honey chipotle sauce.
Once you have success with this recipe, you should try making Pesto Salmon or Pecan Crusted Salmon. They cook using the same method and are equally as delicious and simple to make.
More benefits of this salmon recipe
- No marinade required
- Simple ingredients
- Easy to make
- Ready in 15 minutes
- So much better for you than take out!
- Easy clean up – just be sure to cook your salmon on parchment paper!
Ingredients
- Salmon – use fresh or defrosted salmon. I recommend buying wild caught salmon (if your budget allows it) as it’s got more Omega-3 fatty acids.
- Spices: Salt, garlic powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika – these spices help to season the salmon to ensure it’s packed with flavor.
Honey chipotle sauce
- Honey – honey gives the sauce sweetness. You could also use maple syrup or your favorite low carb sweetener.
- Chipotle in adobo – these canned chipotle peppers are spicy and smoky and give the sauce so much flavor. If you don’t love spice, only add 1 or 2. If you love spice, feel free to add more.
- Olive oil – olive oil helps thicken the sauce and balance out the heat from the chipotle peppers. You could also use avocado oil.
- Apple cider vinegar – vinegar balances out the sauce and also helps to reduce the spice from the peppers. You could also use lime juice.
- Spices: Salt, garlic powder, cumin – these simple spices add balance, umami and smokiness.
How to make honey chipotle salmon
Preheat the oven to 425F.
Make the honey chipotle sauce: Put all the ingredients in a blender (or food processor) and blend until smooth (about 1-2 minutes).
Prep the salmon: Place salmon on parchment paper (skin side down), sprinkle spices over the salmon then pour about 3-4 tablespoons of the sauce over the salmon (be sure not to contaminate the leftover sauce, you will be using it later).
Bake the salmon: Bake in a 425F oven for 12-15 minutes depending on how thick the salmon is and how “done” you prefer your salmon.
Sauce and serve: Add more honey chipotle sauce over top of the cooked salmon and serve.
Top tips
- Remove about 3 tablespoons of the honey chipotle sauce and put it in a separate container to brush the fish with. You don’t want to contaminate the rest of the sauce.
- If you are short on time, you can make the honey chipotle sauce up to a week in advance. I like to use my countertop air fryer oven to bake salmon in since it doesn’t take as long to preheat.
- Fully defrost salmon before using it in this recipe.
What to serve with chipotle salmon
- Yellow rice and black beans
- Mexican vegetables and jasmine rice
- Broccoli with breadcrumbs and mashed potatoes
- Make chipotle salmon bowls – serve with rice or quinoa, sauteed broccoli or asparagus, avocado and tahini ranch or lime tahini sauce.
Common questions
What to look for when buying salmon
I recommend buying frozen salmon and defrosting it yourself at home for the best quality. Unless you live somewhere where salmon is harvested locally, the salmon at your store was shipped frozen.
Note: If you are buying frozen salmon and it’s in a vacuum sealed container, it’s recommended that you poke a hole in the vacuum seal to allow some oxygen in while the salmon is defrosting. There is a bacteria that causes botulism that can thrive in an oxygen poor environment like vacuum sealed fish.
If you choose to buy fresh salmon at the store, there are three areas to look for when buying fresh salmon:
- Smell: The salmon should not have a foul or fishy smell.
- Look: The salmon should look bright and plump and the same color throughout, not look dried out or mealy.
- Cut: Go for the center cut pieces if possible. The tail piece tends to be thinner and will cook quicker,
Can you cook salmon with the skin on?
Yes! Once cooked, the skin is easy to remove (much easier than trying to remove it before cooking). Since this salmon is roasting in the oven (not going into a hot skillet) the skin won’t get crispy, so it’s best to slide the salmon off the skin before serving.
What if you want crispy salmon skin?
If you want crispy salmon skin, preheat a cast iron skillet in the oven at 400F for 15 minutes. Add the honey chipotle salmon, skin side down to the cast iron skillet. Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes.
How to know when salmon is done cooking?
Salmon should flake in the thickest part when done cooking through.
Every person has a different level of “doneness” they like their salmon. Personally, I tend to like mine closer to well done. I find that salmon often has carry over cooking time, so take it out of the oven before you think it’s done.
Cooking time will depend on how thick the salmon fillets are and what kind of salmon you are cooking. According to a study from America’s Test Kitchen, wild caught salmon is best cooked to an internal temperature of 120F and farmed salmon to an internal temperature of 125F. Note the USDA recommends that the salmon be 145F internal temperature, but the salmon will be very well done at this internal temperature, so most people do not agree with this temperature.
Storing leftovers
Fridge: This honey chipotle glazed salmon is best right out of the oven but you can store leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Reheating – you can reheat in the oven, air fryer or microwave
- Oven: Reheat in a 350F oven for 6-8 minutes.
- Air fryer: Reheat in a 350F air fryer for 3-4 minutes.
- Microwave: Reheat on high power for 1 – 1:30 minutes.
More salmon recipes to try:
Chipotle Honey Salmon
Ingredients
- 1.25 pounds salmon
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
Honey Chipotle Salmon
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2-3 chipotle in adobo
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Make the honey chipotle sauce. Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend on high for 1-2 minutes until smooth.
- Place parchment paper over a baking sheet. Add salmon (skin side down) onto baking sheet. Add salt, garlic powder cumin and smoked paprika to the salmon. Then add the chipotle honey sauce (about 3-4 tablespoons). Be sure not to contaminate the rest of the sauce.
- Once the salmon is coated in honey chipotle sauce, bake at 425F for 12-15 minutes until cooked through to your liking.
- Once the salmon is done, add additional chipotle sauce over the salmon and serve.
Equipment
- High speed blender or food processor
Notes
- Remove about 3 tablespoons of the honey chipotle sauce and put it in a separate container to brush the fish with. You don’t want to contaminate the rest of the sauce.
- If you are short on time, you can make the honey chipotle sauce up to a week in advance. I like to use my countertop air fryer oven to bake salmon in since it doesn’t take as long to preheat.
- Fully defrost frozen salmon before using it in this recipe.
