Honey Chipotle Salmon

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This honey chipotle salmon recipe is one of our go-to weeknight meals. Made with only 6 simple ingredients, today’s recipe has the perfect balance of sweet-savory-spicy thanks to the smoky and sweet honey chipotle sauce brushed onto the salmon fillets. So delicious, so easy, and done in less than 30 minutes!

My mama would make honey chipotle salmon pretty often when I was a teen, and it ended up being one of my favorite meals. Easy to prepare, doesn't take long, and is absolutely excellent on salmon rice bowls for dinner the next day.

Now I make it for my family, who can't wait to dig in whenever it's on the meal plan. favorite ways to eat salmon, and a staple in our healthy dinners repertoire. It's such an easy recipe: stir together the honey-chipotle sauce, brush it onto the salmon, and roast for just over 15 minutes. It's a great weeknight dish that never disappoints!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• How to Buy the Best Salmon for Your Buck
• How to Make this Easy Honey Chipotle Salmon
• Side Dishes to Serve with It
• FAQ
• More seafood dinners
• 📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Chipotle, chili powder, or red pepper flakes if you don't have chili powder or chipotle. Chipotle peppers are smoked jalapeños so they have that spice mixed with the smoky flavor.

Salmon filets. Be sure to use good quality salmon; if you're using farmed salmon, be sure to know the source it's from. Thanks to modern technology and a little intel, you can find good-for-you, sustainable, farm-raised salmon. They are grown in many indoor circulation tanks with wastewater treatment systems rather than in marine net pens (those are the ones you want to avoid!).

Garlic powder.

Honey. I've been loving using honey in basically everything lately. It's a thing.

Freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt. I love the Pepper Cannon hubs got me as a gift, this thing cranks out ALL the pepper you need in just two cranks. It's insane.

How to Buy the Best Salmon for Your Buck

Shopping at the grocery store, it's good to know how to find a piece of fish that won't make you regret buying it.

First, smell your salmon. It shouldn't stink, it definitely should not smell fishy, it shouldn't be off-putting at all.

Next, look at how moist it is. If the flesh is dry, if there is 'gaping' (meaning the flesh is sort of flaking away from itself), or it's starting to brown and curl up around the edges, don't buy it. Salmon should be very moist looking with a vibrant color, not pale. And those colors can vary -- from bright reddish-pink to coral, depending on the breed of salmon.

If you're buying those portioned salmon filets at the seafood case, choose center cut filets. These are thicker, more consistent-sized cuts while the tail ends are flatter and will cook too quickly.

How to Make this Easy Honey Chipotle Salmon

Place the salmon on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Season the salmon on both sides with salt and pepper.

Mix the ingredients for the honey chipotle sauce together then brush it evenly over the salmon filet.

Roast in a 375 degree oven for 15-18 minutes. The internal temperature should be at 125 degrees F for perfect medium doneness.

Side Dishes to Serve with It

Serve your sweet and spicy salmon with classic hispanic black beans and rice. Bonus points for vibrant cilantro lime rice. Both are crazy easy to make!

Make it a healthy salmon rice bowl using cauliflower rice instead.

Add a simple salad, a little green, and a fresh mango salsa for a perfect Mexican-inspired meal!

FAQ

More seafood dinners

• Brown Butter Lemon Salmon Sheet Pan with Herby Potatoes and Asparagus
• The Best Pasta with Lobster Cream Sauce
• Salmon en Papillote with Gremolata
• Ahi Tuna Poké Bowls