Baked Salmon with Honey and Thyme is the easiest weeknight dinner. Perfectly balanced with the honey and vinegar!
Another salmon recipe? Yes! If you have been following my blog, you know that Bryan and I love salmon (my salmon recipes)! Rich and fatty salmon are flavorful and irresistible. Our favorite is king salmon, which is high in fat content and has a buttery texture. Sockeye has the best flavors, but its texture is not soft as king salmon.
Right now, we are in the middle of wild Alaskan salmon season. During this time of the year, salmon in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska swim upstream to the upper reach of rivers to spawn. Tons and tons of salmon are swimming all together. They are flying and jumping through small water falls. When we went to Alaska in June a few years back, the salmon season was just starting. Therefore we didn’t get to see any salmon. But when we got to Seattle, we saw a good amount of salmon swimming upstream in a fish ladder (human built steps to help fish easily swim upstream through dams). It was an incredible sight! Next time when we go to Alaska, I hope to see wild bears catching wild salmon. If you ever have a chance, you should see that too! For now, I should just stick to the live Alaska bear cameras. Did I ever mention I love live animal cams? It is so nice to get close-up looks on wild animals. You get to observe them in a safe and comfortable environment (your home). One of my favorites has to be the Alaska bear ones. You can see the salmon flying through waterfall, momma bear and baby bears hanging around the area, bears catching fish, and bears interacting with each others. It is really fun! I can sit in front of the computer all day and watch them! I bet you will want some salmon after watching these cams.
This salmon recipe will sure impress your bear friends or human friends. Honey and salmon? Heavenly combination! The salmon was baked in the oven with foil. Very moist. The sweetness from the honey and the tanginess from the white wine vinegar created one of the best sauces. The salmon absorbed all the amazing flavors during the cooking. The salmon skin was absolutely the best part. It soaked up the sweet honey. Bryan described them as “candy”. Trust me, this is one salmon recipe you don’t want to miss!
Baked Salmon with Honey and Thyme
Ingredients
- 2½ tablespoons honey
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ¾ tablespoon white wine vinegar
- ½ tablespoon olive oil, plus more
- ½ tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (roughly chopped)
- 1 pound salmon with skin (scales removed)
- salt
- ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C).
- In a small bowl, whisk together honey, garlic, olive oil, white wine vinegar, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust.
- Prepare a piece aluminum foil that is large enough to be folded over and seal. Brush a thin layer of olive oil on the foil. Place the salmon skin-side down on the foil. Season with salt and pepper. Fold up all 4 sides of the foil around the salmon to create a well. Pour the honey mixture all over the salmon. Fold the foil carefully and seal the packets completely. Transfer the salmon packet to a baking sheet. Bake in the oven until cook through, about 15 – 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- I used a ¾-inch-thick salmon, it took about 17 minutes to cook.
- The salmon skin may stick a bit to the foil. Try your best to get the skin out. It tasted delicious!
Love how you flavored this, especially the honey!!
Thank you Matt! 🙂 The honey definitely was the highlight. It is a sweet and savory dish everyone would love!
I bake salmon once every week or two here too because my son loves it! I like the sound of this combination. I recently did a miso glaze and I usually just go teriyaki or lemon/mustard. Thanks for the inspiration! Have a great weekend!
Thank you Monica! Salmon is so easy to get and make. Honey was incredible with salmon! Hope you and your family will like this recipe.
My husband loves salmon, but I’ve actually never cooked it myself at home. He keeps requesting it, but I’m afraid I’ll overcook it or mess it up! It looks like it’s time to finally try it, and your recipe looks fantastic! (By the way, your blog name is the cutest thing I’ve seen in a while). =)
Aww…. Thank you Amy! Salmon is actually very easy to cook. They are fatty and doesn’t dry out as fast as some other fishes. This is a great beginner recipe. Just make sure to check the salmon is cooked through before serving. Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!
I don’t cook nearly enough fish… you’ve inspired me with this dish… I’m gonna totally try this out! Pinned 🙂
Thank you for the sweet comment, Chris! This recipe is easy and no hassle! I promise you will love it! Let me know how it turned out if you try it.
Salmon is my favorite fish and I am always looking for new ways to cook it. Love the sound of the honey and thyme in here – sounds great and can’t wait to try it 🙂
We love salmon too! Just like you, I also like to explore new ways to cook salmon. This is easy and healthy. I know you will like this! Thanks Kelly!
isnt salmon just the best fish ever.. love that you baked it in honey & thyme. i can imagine how good it would have tasted. love it!
Thanks Thalia! Yes, totally! Rich, buttery and easy to cook. Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week!
Can we skip adding white wine vinegar
Hi Megha, white wine vinegar helps to balance the sweetness of the honey. If you don’t have vinegar, try lemon juice/white wine/water. The flavors will be different, but It should work. Let me know how it goes.
Healthy, simple, and delicious! The honey and vinegar are great additions…looks like a perfect dinner Lokness! 🙂
Thank you Bonnie! They are definitely great additions! And those salmon skins….Nomm… Delish!
My whole family love salmon too, and had it the other day. It’s probably the first choice of fish to cook, and even to eat raw (sashimi). 🙂 Thanks for sharing this dish – it looks easy and mess free. Keep this in my weeknight meal ideas!
Agree! Easy and rich! I love salmon sashimi too, and it is my favorite. I know you and your family will like this. Enjoy. Thank you for pinning! 🙂
I’m so envious of you! I can find salmon in Beijing but they’re just so expensive. I will only cook them occasionally although I love eating salmon!
Your recipe looks wonderful and so easy to cook. I just bookmarked it and will definitely try it out!
Btw, the bear catching salmon scene is hilarious to imagine! Wish I could see that in real if I ever have a chance to go to Alaska! 🙂
Woo… I didn’t know salmon is pricey in Beijing. That sucks! If you get your hands on some salmons, I know you will like this recipe. Yea, the bear and salmon run is very cool! I am hoping to see that in person one day too!
Hahaha I love it. My secret weapon is always honey in the kitchen. The wayyyys it goes with cooking um, pretty much everything will never cease to amaze me. This dish looks fantastic!
Wish I could’ve adventured to Alaska to see salmon going upstream!! I’ve been before, but I’ve never seen the salmon. Alaska is definitely a place you have to visit again & do right, you know? There’s just so much to see & so many gorgeous landscapes.
So true! I love using honey too! I think I need to get a big bottle from Costco soon! This honey sauce is perfect with the salmon. Hope you will like it.
Yes! Alaska is amazing! We want to do some salmon fishing and bear watching next time! Thanks for stopping by, Tiff!
I love king salmon! This sounds like a delicious way to serve it.
King salmon is the best! Fatty and moist! Thanks, Lisa.
Can I use seasoned rice wine vinegar, instead? Or regular white vinegar…maybe apple cider vinegar? Excited to try this recipe!!!
I think apple cider vinegar would fit well. You can also try white wine or lemon juice. I haven’t tried any of these substitution, but it should work. Let me know how it turns out! Enjoy!
Can I bake the salmon without the skin on? I’m not a big fish guy, but I love salmon and would like to fiind a good baked recipe or two. This one sounds so easy and so good. I know how to scoop the salmon up leaving the skin behind, but frequently grill it without the skin. Thank you.
Of course you can remove the skin. I do that once a while too. This recipe is one of my favorites for salmon. It takes no time to put it together. Perfect for busy weeknights. Hope you will like this!
Thanks for such a quick and easy recipe! Looks delicious.