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baked salmon with butter sauce
Gracious Cooking

Baked Brown Sugar Dijon Salmon With Spicy Maple Butter Sauce

Baked brown sugar dijon salmon is nutritious, easy, and comes together in a matter of minutes. Topped with a simple spicy maple butter drizzle, this recipe is a stunner. No one needs to know that it's one of the easiest meals you know how to make!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, French
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Baked Salmon
  • 4 6 ounce salmon fillets or steelhead trout
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt to taste
  • ⅛ teaspoon cracked black pepper to taste
Spicy Maple Butter Sauce
  • ¼ cup salted butter unsalted is good too, you may just need to add a pinch of salt.
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 Tablespoon maple syrup doesn't have to be fancy

Equipment

  • 1 small mixing bowl
  • 1 spoon
  • 1 Rimmed baking sheet
  • parchment paper
  • 1 small saucepan
  • 1 small whisk

Method
 

Baked Salmon
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, add the brown sugar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
  3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the salmon fillets on the parchment paper. Pat the filets dry with a paper towel if needed.
  4. Spoon about a Tablespoon of the brown sugar and Dijon mustard mixture over each fillet. Spread the mixture evenly over the fish using the back of the spoon.
  5. Bake the salmon for 12 minutes, or until it reaches 135 degrees internally. The salmon is done when it flakes apart, but still has a glossy appearance inside.
Spicy Maple Butter Sauce
  1. While the salmon bakes, melt ¼ cup of salted butter in a small saucepan over medium to medium low heat.
  2. Add the crushed red pepper flakes. Let them sizzle for a few seconds, then add the maple syrup. Whisk to combine. Remove the sauce from the heat.
Serving
  1. Plate the salmon and drizzle the spicy maple butter sauce on top. You are going to feel so fancy! Enjoy!

Notes

  • Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. Salmon is best the day it's cooked, but I have reheated this salmon in the microwave for tasty lunches. Reheat the sauce in the microwave, too. Do not freeze.
  • This recipe would also work very well with steelhead trout.