Salmon in Honey-Lemon Cream Sauce

Oven-baked salmon topped with a rich, creamy honey-lemon sauce served with seasoned rice and roasted asparagus. A favorite weeknight dinner that's delicious and easy to make, too!

Seasoned fillets of salmon cooked in a honey-lemon cream sauce make for a rich and flavorful dinner with minimal effort.

This baked salmon recipe is made with a delicious pan sauce incorporating a touch of heavy cream, fresh lemon juice for pop, white wine for tang, garlic and shallot for aroma and flavored with honey adding a hint of sweetness to perfectly balance every bite.

The sauce is so good, you may find yourself eating a spoonful by itself!

★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★

Flaky pieces of salmon are baked until juicy before being simmered in a sweetened, lemon garlic cream sauce. It’s the perfect recipe to pack in a punch of protein and healthy fats to your day while enjoying a light and fresh but comforting flavor.

This is a salmon dinner that can be dressed up for any occasion from weeknight dinner to serving dinner guests. This salmon in honey-lemon cream sauce is a warm and inviting dinner that makes a delicious yet easy dinner when served with rice and vegetables. We'll add some season to the rice to jazz it up a little, too!

Fresh flavor: The honey-lemon cream sauce is both savory and sweet and brings a refreshing, bright flavor to the salmon that you won’t be able to resist.

Versatile: The baked salmon can be served as a full-course meal with rice and vegetables or just a light side salad too. It can even be enjoyed on top of your favorite linguini for an easy pasta dinner.

Easy: Though the ingredient list may look long, the salmon comes together very easily and quickly with only a handful of steps.

★ Ingredients You'll Need ★

The ingredients you need for the honey-lemon cream salmon are broken down into two parts.

For the salmon:

Salmon fillets: Fresh salmon will be best but if you need to use frozen, let it thaw before cooking.

Seasonings: You’ll want to grab salt, pepper, and garlic powder from your pantry.

Lemon: You want to use fresh lemons for this recipe. None of them will go to waste. We'll use the juice, the zest and we're slicing lemons to add on top of the salmon as it bakes, to infuse more of that citrus flavor.

Olive oil: This helps the salmon cook up nicely without sticking to the pan.

For the honey-lemon cream sauce:

Honey: Any honey you have on hand will work, try not to substitute this out for other sweeteners as they just don’t taste the same.

Olive oil: Butter could be used here if you prefer that flavor more.

White cooking wine: This helps to give a savory feel to the sauce. If you don’t have any on hand, chicken or vegetable broth can be used in its place.

Heavy cream: This salmon recipe tastes so rich mostly due to the cream. Though low-fat versions can be used, they will affect the taste.

Seasonings: You’ll need some fresh ingredients like shallot, thyme sprigs and parsley along with salt, pepper, and garlic paste.

Lemon: For the cream sauce you’ll use both the juice and the zest.

For sides:

Seasoned rice: You’ll start with cooking plain white rice and once cooked, you'll add lemon zest, salt and pepper.

Roasted asparagus: Oven-roast with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.

Garnish: A sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley adds a nice touch to this dish. It's not required though.

★ How to Make this Recipe ★

Both the salmon and sauce can be made in the same pan, just be sure to use an oven-safe skillet. I like to use a large cast iron skillet.

Here's a look at how this dish comes together:

1. Cook rice and asparagus.
2. Season salmon.
3. Lay salmon in baking skillet and top with lemon.
4. Bake salmon then set aside.
5. Make the sauce in the same skillet.
6. Simmer sauce until thickened.
7. Season rice.
8. Spoon sauce over salmon and serve with rice and asparagus.

Super simple! So tasty.

★ Tips & FAQs ★

Storing Leftovers

Store any leftovers, once cooled, in the fridge in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the microwave.

Can I make this salmon on the stove?

Yes! If you don’t want to turn on the oven, you can cook the salmon on the stove with lemon until it reaches an internal temperature of 145F.

Can I make this recipe in advance?

Though you can prepare the seasoned rice and reheat, the lemon sauce and baked salmon should be made fresh before serving for the tastiest flavor and texture. The asparagus is also best freshly roasted.

How do I know when salmon is cooked?

For perfectly, cooked salmon, it's all about the temperature. You want the salmon to change from a dark, bright pink to a very light pink when it is done. This is how you know your salmon is cooking. If you’re unsure, use a meat thermometer and make sure it reaches 145F. If your fillet is thicker, it may take longer to cook.

Should I remove the skin on the salmon?

This is up to you. You can enjoy salmon with or without the skin on it. The skin is edible and even if you remove it, keeping it on while cooking can add flavor.

It's easy to peel off after you bake the salmon if you decide you don’t want it.

If you prefer not to deal with the skin at all, you can just look for skinless salmon fillets.

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