Maple Dijon baked salmon is an easy holiday main when you want something lighter than turkey or ham. Maple syrup caramelizes at the edges while Dijon, garlic, and lemon keep the glaze savory and bright.
A whole salmon side makes a dramatic presentation but cooks quickly. The key is pulling it from the oven as soon as the center flakes and reaches a safe temperature.
What You’ll Need Before You Start
- Rimmed sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- Small bowl
- Pastry brush or spoon
- Instant-read thermometer
ShiMuv Holiday Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 salmon side, about 2 pounds
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- Lemon wedges, for serving
How to Make It
- Heat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment. Pat the salmon dry and place it skin-side down.
- Whisk maple syrup, Dijon, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and thyme until the glaze is smooth.
- Brush about two-thirds of the glaze over the salmon, coating the thick center and thinner tail evenly. Reserve the rest for the final minutes.
- Bake 10 minutes without opening the oven. The surface should begin to turn glossy and the edges will start to caramelize.
- Brush on the reserved glaze and return the salmon to the oven for another 4–8 minutes depending on thickness.
- Check the thickest part. The fish should flake with gentle pressure and reach 145°F for food safety; avoid cooking long past that point.
- Rest the salmon 5 minutes on the pan. The glaze will settle and thicken slightly while the juices redistribute.
- Transfer to a platter, spoon any glaze from the pan over the top, and serve with lemon wedges and fresh thyme.
Recipe tip: Apply part of the maple glaze near the end so it stays glossy and does not burn during the full bake.
Food safety: Cook salmon to 145°F in the thickest part. Keep raw fish refrigerated and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
From Recipe to Content
Turn the Recipe Into a Simple Food Story
- Open on the finished holiday dish.
- Show the measured ingredients before cooking.
- Capture maple Dijon garlic glaze being brushed evenly over a raw salmon side on parchment.
- Film baked salmon with glossy caramelized maple Dijon glaze flaking at the thickest section.
- End with a serving close-up.
TRY THIS IN SHIMUV
Create this recipe as a short food video
Open the editable prompt and finished example image in ShiMuv, then review or customize everything before generation.
Create a short holiday food video showing how to make maple Dijon baked salmon. Open on the glossy finished salmon. Show the glaze whisked with maple Dijon garlic and lemon, salmon dried on parchment, glaze brushed over the fish, caramelized edges forming in the oven, a second coat of glaze added, and the tender salmon flaking beside lemon wedges.Opens with this prompt and finished example image ready to review. Nothing generates or spends credits until you confirm.
