5 from 11 votes

Maple Glazed Salmon

Name: Maple Glazed Salmon
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb salmon (skinned and cut into filets ); Salt and pepper; ½ cup pure maple syrup; 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard; 2 Tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno (seeds removed); 2 teaspoons minced garlic; ¼ teaspoon paprika; 1 cup pineapple chunks ((fresh preferred))

By Sam MerrittUpdated Oct 15, 2024

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Servings: 2 servings (recipe scales easily)

30 mins

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This one-pan maple glazed salmon for two is simply BURSTING with flavor! It comes together so easily in just 30 minutes. Serve it with a side of rice and broccoli for a healthy and filling meal. Recipe includes a how-to video!

Fork cutting into maple glazed salmon served on a bed of rice with a side of broccoli.

Maple Glazed Salmon for Two

Fun fact: after briefly working with me at Arby’s (where I fell in love with jalapeno poppers), Zach worked as a seafood associate at a grocery store through high school and college. This maple glazed salmon was the first meal he ever cooked for me (and my first time eating salmon). He served it with pineapple and jalapeno over a bed of rice, and the flavors were simply amazing.

After we got married, this dish quickly moved into our weekly dinner rotation (alongside cajun shrimp pasta), though we never had an official recipe for it. We’ve been making it for years now, tweaking it a little bit over time, but always without a recipe. I finally wrote it down, and I’m so excited to be sharing it here with you!

Filet of maple glazed salmon served on a bed of rice with a side of broccoli.

Why you’ll love it:

Bursting with flavor. Sticky maple syrup glaze is flavorful but not too sweet since it’s tempered with dijon mustard! It also has a tropical flare thanks to the pineapple + jalapeno!
One-pan dish! We like to minimize the dishes around here whenever possible.
Quick and easy. Did I mention it’s ready in under 30 minutes?
Versatile. Pairs well with so many sides (suggestions below)
Lighter, healthy dinner option.
Minimal ingredients. Only 9, but despite that you still get intense, deep flavor that’ll have you wanting seconds.
Doubles easily. In case you want to feed a crowd.

What You Need

We’re keeping the ingredients to a minimum here in this easy salmon recipe, but the few we use come together to create LOTS of flavor! Here’s what you need:

Overhead view of ingredients including salmon, maple syrup, pineapple, jalapeno, and more.

Salmon. Wild-caught salmon is my preference here for the best flavor. Thaw your fish beforehand if you choose to use frozen salmon; here’s a guide on how to thaw salmon safely. Note that this recipe makes one pound of salmon. You could probably do 1.5 lbs with the amount of sauce it makes, but you will need to increase the sauce if you’re doing any more than that.
Maple syrup. Please never make this recipe with pancake syrup! While you can use the two interchangeably in my worst chocolate chip cookies, you cannot here. In my newlywed days, I once substituted pancake syrup out of desperation, and the final dish was almost inedible.
Dijon mustard. This tempers the sweetness of the sauce and adds a lovely depth of flavor. Don’t use regular yellow mustard; it has to be dijon.
Pineapple. This is technically optional, but I highly recommend trying the recipe with it at least once. I prefer fresh pineapple chunks and recommend them, but canned can work in a pinch.
Jalapeno. Also optional, but again, try the recipe with it at least once! I love the slight heat the jalapeno adds, and it goes SO well with the tropical pineapple.

What I don’t use: Soy sauce! Many salmon recipes incorporate soy sauce and I’m just not personally a fan, so I’m happy to share such a flavorful salmon dish that doesn’t use soy sauce!

SAM’S TIP: Garnishing your salmon with some fresh herbs, like cilantro or parsley, is always a good idea!

Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

How to Make Maple Glazed Salmon

Collage of four photos showing salmon being cooked in a sauce over the stove.

Prep the salmon by patting it dry and seasoning with salt and pepper on both sides.
Make the sauce by stirring together the maple syrup, paprika, mustard, garlic, and jalapeno. Pour this into a 10″ skillet over medium heat and cook until warmed through — it only takes a few minutes.
Add the salmon to the skillet, making sure it is skin side down. Ladle the sauce over the salmon as it cooks.
Add the pineapple to the pan when the salmon is almost cooked through.

Broil

Place the skillet under the broiler. After 1-2 minutes, remove the skillet from the oven, ladle more sauce over the top of the salmon, then return to the oven until cooked through. Basting the salmon like this helps create a thick layer of that sticky glaze and gives the dish such a good flavor.
Serve immediately with sides of your choice (suggestions below!).

SAM’S TIP — SALMON TEMPERATURE: If your salmon seems dry, it was most likely overcooked. Exactly what temperature you should cook your salmon to is up for debate, with some sources cooking it only to medium-well stage of 125-135F. Personally I cook my salmon to be approximately 145F, but I primarily judge when it’s finished based off texture– it should flake easily with a fork! This instant read thermometer is my favorite for temping fish and meat, in case you need to add one to your kitchen tools.

Overhead view of a skillet of glazed salmon topped with pineapple pieces.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I make sure my salmon stays juicy?

While basting the salmon with the sauce helps, the key here is to not overcook your fish. Cook the salmon until it flakes easily with a fork (or reaches the proper internal temperature listed above), then immediately remove it from the oven.

What should I serve with it?

My favorite way to serve this dish is with a side of broccoli and rice. It would also be tasty with pineapple salsa, asparagus, roasted brussels sprouts (or even maple bacon brussels sprouts) risotto, brussels sprouts salad, or even mashed potatoes.

Sauce being poured over a piece of salmon topped with pineapple on a bed of white rice.

Love the tropical flare in this dish? Try my coconut shrimp, key lime pie, and island cookies next!

Enjoy!

Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

5 from 11 votes

Maple Glazed Salmon

This one-pan maple glazed salmon for two is simply BURSTING with flavor! It comes together so easily in just 30 minutes. Serve it with a side of rice and broccoli for a healthy and filling meal.

Recipe includes a how-to video!

Prep: 15

Cook: 15

Total: 30

Servings: servings (recipe scales easily)

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Equipment

10” oven-safe skillet

Ingredients

▢ 1 lb (454 g) salmon, skinned and cut into filets
▢ Salt and pepper
▢ ½ cup (118 ml) pure maple syrup
▢ 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
▢ 2 Tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno, seeds removed
▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic
▢ ¼ teaspoon paprika
▢ 1 cup (250 g) pineapple chunks, (fresh preferred)

Instructions

Pat salmon with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper. Set aside.
1 lb (454 g) salmon, Salt and pepper
Whisk together maple syrup, mustard, jalapeno, garlic, and paprika until well-combined.
½ cup (118 ml) pure maple syrup, 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard, 2 Tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon paprika
Set a 10” skillet over medium heat. Add syrup mixture and heat until warm, about 1-2 minutes.
Add salmon, skinned side down, to pan. Use a spoon to ladle the maple sauce over the surface of the salmon periodically as it cooks.
Once salmon is mostly cooked through (about 6 minutes), add pineapple to the pan in an even layer and transfer skillet to broiler.
1 cup (250 g) pineapple chunks
Broil until salmon is cooked through (salmon should flake easily with a fork). To create a better glaze coating, remove the skillet from the broiler after 1 or 2 minutes and ladle sauce over again before returning to oven.
Serve immediately, we serve ours with rice and broccoli.