To make maple glazed salmon, brush the fillets with a glaze of maple syrup, soy sauce, Dijon mustard and garlic, then bake at 400°F for 12 to 15 minutes. It's done when it flakes easily with a fork and the thickest part reads 145°F, the USDA's safe minimum internal temperature for fish.
The glaze goes on in two coats, one before baking and one partway through. You get a glossy top without giving the maple time to burn.
What you need
- 4 salmon fillets, about 6 ounces each, skin on or off
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated or minced
- Black pepper
- Neutral oil or cooking spray, for the pan
How to make it
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly oil it.
- Whisk the maple syrup, soy sauce, mustard and garlic in a small bowl. Pour about half into a second bowl and set it aside, away from the raw fish.
- Pat the salmon dry with paper towels. Set the fillets on the pan, skin side down if they have skin, and season with a few grinds of pepper. Brush the tops and sides with glaze from the first bowl, then throw out whatever is left in it.
- Bake for 8 minutes. Spoon the glaze from the second bowl over the fillets.
- Bake 4 to 7 minutes more, until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part reads 145°F.
- Spoon any loose, syrupy glaze from around the fillets over the top and serve. Skip any that has burned onto the foil, since it tastes bitter.
Which syrup to use
Use Dark. It's deep and robust and built for cooking, so the maple still comes through next to salty soy sauce. If you'd rather have a softer, caramel-sweet glaze, Amber works too. Either way, use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup.
Tips
- Go by thickness, not weight. A fillet about 1 inch thick takes 12 to 15 minutes. A thick center cut can need 3 to 5 minutes more. Thin tail pieces cook faster, so check them when the second coat goes on.
- No thermometer? Look for flesh that's no longer translucent and separates easily with a fork.
- Want a darker top? Before you heat the oven, set a rack about 6 inches below the broiler. For the last minute or two, move the pan up to it and switch the oven to broil. Stay by the oven, because maple can go from browned to burnt quickly, and still check for 145°F.
- Skin on is easy. Cooked skin tends to stick to the foil. Slide a spatula between the skin and the fish and lift the fillet away.
- Leftovers. Get them into the fridge within 2 hours, or 1 hour if it's above 90°F.
Make it your own
- Add some heat. Stir a pinch of red pepper flakes or a little grated fresh ginger into the glaze.
- Finish it. Scatter toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions over the top before serving.
- Cooking for two. Use two fillets and halve the glaze. The oven and the timing stay the same.
- What to serve with it. Rice and a green vegetable, or a pan of maple roasted Brussels sprouts.
- The next day. Flake cold leftover salmon over greens and dress them with maple vinaigrette.
