Jump to Recipe

This easy five ingredient baked salmon is going to be your weeknight go-to salmon recipe. The glaze is the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. Try it tonight!

Image of baked salmon on a sheet pan, flaked with a fork. Image photographed from above. Blue towel in background.

Ben loves my lemon salmon with dill, but I’d argue this recipe is the best oven baked salmon recipe. It’s so, so, so tasty! This is actually my mom’s signature way to prep salmon, and it always tastes so amazing, so I knew I had to share with you guys. Neither of us typically prepare this with a recipe (a little of this, a little of that!). It’s a very forgiving recipe, so if you’re decent at eyeballing things, you probably don’t even need to get any measuring spoons dirty.

This easy five ingredient baked salmon is going to be your weeknight go-to salmon recipe. The glaze is the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. Try it tonight!

But if you’re not so great at eyeballing things (you know yourself!), maybe measure just so you don’t think my recipe stinks because you put in 1/2 cup of mustard and 1 teaspoon of maple syrup instead of my suggested amounts. Deal?

This easy five ingredient baked salmon is going to be your weeknight go-to salmon recipe. The glaze is the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. Try it tonight!

With that being said, if you want to adjust a little, you of course may do that. Add a little more syrup if you like things sweeter. Add a little more mustard if you want it a little more mustardy. If you like it a little spicy, try adding a touch of cayenne to the mix.

Side note: If you haven’t noticed, I love the maple mustard combination. Proof: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple Mustard Sauce, Autumn Quinoa Salad with Maple Mustard Vinaigrette, and Slow Cooker Maple Dijon Ham (also only five ingredients!).

Salmon is so healthy and is really easy to prepare. I used to be intimidated by it, but it really couldn’t be easier. 

Fun Fact: This recipe is gluten-free, paleo, and grain-free. If you care about any of those things. It’s also just plain delicious. 

This easy five ingredient baked salmon is going to be your weeknight go-to salmon recipe. The glaze is the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. Try it tonight!

How to Make Baked Salmon

It’s seriously so easy, you guys! I used to be intimidated by cooking salmon, but no longer! I always give my salmon a quick rinse under cold water. It freshens it up a little and makes sure all the loose scales are rinsed off. 

Next, you want to pat it dry and place it skin side down on a baking sheet. Top it with this glaze, or anything else you’d like to season it with. All that’s left to do after that is to throw it in the oven and bake it! 

It typically takes about 20-25 minutes at 400ºF or 15-20 minutes at 425ºF, depending on the size of your filet. 

This easy five ingredient baked salmon is going to be your weeknight go-to salmon recipe. The glaze is the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. Try it tonight!

More fantastic salmon recipes:

This easy five ingredient baked salmon is going to be your weeknight go-to salmon recipe. The glaze is the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. Try it tonight!

Baked Salmon with Maple Mustard Glaze (5 ingredient recipe)

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

This easy five ingredient baked salmon is going to be your weeknight go-to salmon recipe. The glaze is the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. Try it tonight!

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds salmon, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
  • 2 tablespoons coarse (country style) Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. If desired, line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
  2. Place salmon on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine mustard, maple syrup, olive oil, salt, paprika, and pepper. Spoon about half of this mixture over the salmon in an even layer.
  3. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and spoon on the rest of the maple mustard mixture.
  4. Return to oven and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 145ºF and fish flakes easily with a fork. (An internal temperature of 145ºF is my personal preference for salmon, but feel free to cook it to whatever temperature you like!). Enjoy immediately!

Notes

  • This maple mustard glaze will be enough for up to 3 pounds of meat. If you are only making a pound of salmon, I’d recommend halving all the glaze ingredients.
  • I baked my salmon on parchment paper and then transferred to the pan for the photographs.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 507Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 143mgSodium: 770mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 0gSugar: 6gProtein: 50g

RachelCooks.com sometimes provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietician. Please consult a medical professional for any specific nutrition, diet, or allergy advice.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

© Rachel Gurk
Cuisine: American / Category: Seafood
Verdict: I love this salmon recipe so much. It’s so easy to make, and it’s delicious and healthy. Wins all around. 
Husband’s take: Ben had no complaints about this salmon! The last time I made it, he raved about it so much, it may have replaced lemon dill salmon as his favorite! 
Changes I would make: None are necessary, but feel free to adjust the mustard or the maple however you like to make it sweeter or spicier. You could also add a touch of cayenne for a little heat. 
Difficulty: So easy!