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The best honey mustard salmon, ready in just 20 minutes. This easy salmon is topped with a sweet, savory, and spicy honey-mustard that bakes into a golden crust. Simple and fast, but don’t let that fool you — it’s still completely delicious. Serve with a side salad, steamed rice, or a simple baked potato for the perfect weeknight dinner.
Here we go — 2026!
While I’m not usually someone who changes everything on January 1st, I know so many of us are craving recipes that feel a little cleaner and more nourishing this time of year.
There’s something about these early January days that always feels fresh. They’ve inspired me to make warm winter salads, cook more seafood, and focus on getting lots of beautiful winter color on the table each night. I kind of love it.
To kick off our month of nourishing recipes, we’re starting with the simplest, most reliable salmon. My theme for this month — and honestly, for the entire year — is back to basics.
This salmon takes just minutes to prep and only minutes to cook. It’s easy, dependable, and so, so good.
You’re going to love it!
Here are the Details
Ingredients
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Smoked paprika
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Chipotle chili powder
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Garlic powder
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Onion powder
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Salt and black pepper
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Honey
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Whole grain Dijon mustard
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Salmon fillets
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Fresh thyme
Kitchen Tools
You’ll need:
That’s it.
The Steps
Step 1: Mix the Honey Mustard
In a small bowl, combine the raw honey, whole grain Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
I love the added spices here — they balance the sweetness perfectly and give the glaze a subtle warmth that reminds me a little of our favorite honey chicken.
Step 2: Season the Salmon
Place the salmon on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Season lightly with salt, then spoon the honey mustard mixture over the top, spreading it evenly across the fish.
Step 3: Bake the Salmon
Bake the salmon at a high temperature for a shorter amount of time. This method gives you slightly crisp edges with a tender, flaky center — perfect every single time.
Serving
I love finishing this salmon with a sprinkle of fresh thyme and an extra drizzle of honey. So simple, but so delicious.
We usually serve this with roasted broccoli, a big winter salad, and either rice or potatoes — but honestly, there are so many great options.
Looking for other easy weeknight dinners? Here are some favorites.
Garlic Butter Creamed Spinach Salmon
Sheet Pan Blackened Salmon Bowl with Potatoes and Avocado Goddess Sauce
Crockpot Korean Inspired Tacos with Yum Yum Yummm Sauce
Sheet Pan Roasted Lemon Garlic Butter Salmon with Feta and Olives
Lastly, if you make this Honey Mustard Salmon, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
20 Minute Honey Mustard Salmon
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 53 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 6 (6 ounce) salmon fillets
- fresh thyme, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, mustard, paprika, chipotle powder, onion powder, and garlic powder.3. Place the salmon fillets on the baking sheet and season with salt. Spoon the honey mustard evenly over each fillet.4. Bake 10–12 minutes, until cooked through. For extra caramelization, broil for 1–2 minutes, watching closely!5. Finish with fresh thyme and flaky sea salt. Serve warm and enjoy!
This post was originally published on January 2, 2026
This was delicious and so easy! Perfect weeknight meal 🙂 My kids gobbled it up. Definitely would make again. I served this with side of brown rice and asparagus and it was a hit
Hey Ashley,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your thoughts, so happy it worked for you!
Loved this. It was easy and flavorful
Hey Dave,
Fantastic! So glad to hear you enjoyed this dish, thanks for giving it a try!
Perfect weeknight recipe if you’re dealing with little ones at feet while cooking. It came together quickly & I really loved the flavor. The sea salt sprinkled on top is top notch. The only thing I’d do differently next time is cook the salmon a tad longer. I like mine more well done. I’m here for all the quick, flavorful recipes like this!
Thanks so much, Shelby! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it!
Have a great week!
450° seems pretty high for salmon & unfortunately this was a bit too sweet for me.
Hi Jane,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!
What is the benefit of whole grain over Dijon?
Hi Erika,
I feel like the whole grain mustard really pops in this recipe as opposed to regular mustard.
Please let me know if you give it a try!
I made this using whole grain but unfortunately the honey was overpowering the mustard. Additionally, as a personal opinion I felt like the whole grains made the salmon look unappetizing.
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Erika! So sorry to hear this was not enjoyed!
I used the Salmon recipe along with the Winter salad recipe found in the body of this post and both were amazing! Super easy steps and had most ingredients on hand. It truly is a quick meal. Will definitely be on repeat with my family!
Thanks so much, Cee Cee! I appreciate you making the recipes, so glad to hear they were enjoyed!
Have a great Sunday!
Loved it!
Hey Mary,
Happy Sunday! Big thanks for making this recipe and your comment, I love that it turned out well for you!
This was way too sweet, are your measurements correct? Was this tested more than once? It overpowers it and totally ruins the salmon in my opinion.
Hi Brenda,
Sorry to hear this was too sweet, yes the recipe was tested quite a bit:) Thanks for giving it a try!
I have never cooked with whole grain mustard like this, are the mustard seeds going to be crunchy?
Hi Selena,
They will have a slight texture, but they aren’t super crunchy.
Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it!
Can I use regular mustard?
Hi Jo,
Regular mustard will work for you, but I would recommend the whole grain mustard if you can get it:)
I hope you love this recipe! Have a great weekend!
This is very, very sweet. I think less honey would help. Maybe a tablespoon or two total. I also didn’t need even half of this much honey mustard. I like to be able to still taste the salmon. Max I’d spread on is a quick brushing to thinly cover the tops. Now that I’m thinking about it, I also don’t think the honey mustard tasted good with salmon. Mustard yes, honey no. I think I’d go back to the drawing board on this if it were my recipe.
Thanks for sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear you didn’t love this salmon.
Hi Tieghan! This looks yummy 😋 Could I substitute Dijon for the whole grain mustard?
Hi Talia,
Yes, that will work, but if you can get the whole grain mustard I would highly recommend that. I hope you love this recipe!
Have a great weekend!
Finally, a seafood recipe! I hope you have recipes with fish other than salmon coming soon.
I hope you love this recipe, Eric! Happy New Year!
Can I just use regular mustard instead of whole grain?
Hi Sue,
I really recommend using the whole grain dijon mustard here for best flavor:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try!
Have a great weekend!
Absolutely a delicious hit!! Only thing I had to switch was the mustard to Dijon. It was still yummy! Thanks for another scrumptious recipe!
Kathy
Hi Kathy,
Happy Monday! Big thanks for making this recipe and your comment, I love that it turned out well for you!
6 (6oz) ???
Hi Christine,
For this recipe, you will want to use 6 filets that are 6oz each. I hope this makes sense!
Have a great Friday!