Brown Sugar Lime Baked Salmon
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This oven Baked Salmon with a sweet and tangy brown sugar lime glaze is one of the best ways to make salmon! It’s super easy yet the flavors say otherwise, it’s unbelievably delicious! Everyone will be requesting this recipe on repeat.
Baked Salmon with Brown Sugar and Lime Glaze
Salmon is one of my favorite things to make. It’s healthy, hearty and always satisfying. You can never have too many salmon recipes, especially when they are this good!
This baked salmon recipe requires minimal ingredients and has such a quick prep. Plus, you’ll love this flavor pairing of sweet brown sugar combined with bright and tart fresh lime to compliment the rich and buttery flavor of the salmon.
Another thing you’ll love about this recipe is that clean up is a breeze thanks to the use of Reynolds Kitchens Unbleached Parchment Paper! I love that it’s a parchment paper that is environmentally conscious, responsibly-sourced, chlorine free, and made with 75% unbleached fiber.
It is also naturally non-stick which makes it perfect for lining pans before baking poultry, seafood, vegetables, desserts and more – and without adding oil or grease!
It also works great for other things like separating pancakes before freezing to keep them from sticking, or to layer between shaped burger patties to keep them in their individual uniform shape until ready to grill.
I love to use Reynolds Kitchens Unbleached Parchment Paper with this Salmon recipe because it keeps a sticky brown sugar glaze from burning all over the baking dish. Plus the salmon fillets slide right off of this paper without any stubborn sticking.
I’m happy to add another trusted Reynolds product to my kitchen collection to make baking more seamless! It’s perfect for this recipe and so many more!
Ingredients Needed for Brown Sugar Lime Baked Salmon
- Brown sugar – I used light brown but dark brown will work great too.
- Limes – don’t forget to zest them before you cut them open to juice.
- Garlic – if preferred you can add an extra clove.
- Butter – unsalted or salted will work fine.
- Cayenne pepper – this gives the salmon a nice kick which pairs well with these flavors. If you don’t like heat you can omit this or reduce to taste.
- Salmon fillets – skinless or skin-on will work great for this recipe.
- Salt and pepper – don’t forget to season them before baking.
- Cilantro – added for a colorful garnish, if you don’t have any on hand you can skip it.
How to Make Brown Sugar Lime Baked Salmon
- In a small mixing bowl stir together brown sugar, lime juice, lime zest, butter and cayenne pepper.
- Place salmon fillets in a dish. Spoon and spread lime mixture over tops and sides of salmon if using skin-on, if using skinless salmon fillets spread mixture over top and bottom of salmon (use up all of the mixture).
- Let marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Line a 13 by 9 or 12 by 8-inch baking dish with Reynolds Kitchens Unbleached Parchment Paper. Place salmon on parchment, leaving space between fillets.
- Season with salt and pepper.
How Long to Bake Salmon
- Bake salmon in preheated oven until it flakes easily with a fork, about 12 – 15 minutes (cook time will vary based on thickness of fillets).
- Sprinkle with cilantro and serve warm.
What to Serve with Salmon?
For this salmon dish I like to serve it with:
- Coconut Rice
- Black Beans
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Chips and Avocado Salsa or Mango Salsa
Can I Marinate Salmon Longer than 30 Minutes?
No, 30 minutes is the recommend maximum amount of time to marinate salmon if an acidic ingredient is added like lemon, lime or vinegar. If you let it marinate much longer the acidity can start to break down the delicate salmon and make it mushy.
Can I Bake a Whole Side of Salmon Instead?
Yes. This glaze would also work great with a side of salmon instead. You’ll just need to bake on a lined baking sheet and increase baking time by about 5 minutes.
How Can You Tell When Salmon is Done Cooking or Baking?
You can tell by the color of the salmon and also it’s texture. It should change from that more vivid deeper orange or reddish color to more of an opaque lighter peach or lighter orange color near the center. It should also go from that smooth texture to a flakey texture.
You can also test the temperature, the USDA recommends an internal temperature of 145 degrees, measured on an instant read thermometer.
More Salmon Recipes You’ll Love:
- Salmon with Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce
- Salmon with Creamy Garlic Dijon Sauce
- Grilled Salmon (only 5 ingredients)
- Teriyaki Salmon
- Panko Crusted Honey Mustard Salmon
- Orange Rosemary Glazed Salmon
Follow Cooking Classy
Brown Sugar Lime Baked Salmon
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 tsp lime zest
- 1 1/2 Tbsp butter, melted
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, adjust to taste*
- 4 (6 oz) salmon fillets, skin-on or skinless
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl stir together brown sugar, lime juice, lime zest, butter, garlic and cayenne pepper.
- Place salmon fillets in a dish. Spoon and spread lime mixture over tops and sides of salmon if using skin-on salmon, if using skinless spread mixture over top and bottom of salmon (use up all of the mixture). Let marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Line a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with Reynolds Kitchens Unbleached Parchment Paper. Place salmon on parchment, leaving space between fillets. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake in preheated oven until salmon flakes easily with a fork, about 12 - 15 minutes (cook time will vary based on thickness of fillets).
- Sprinkle with cilantro and serve warm with lime wedges for spritzing over salmon. Serve over Coconut Rice if desired.