Roasted Pecan Salmon – Easy & Healthy Meal!

Share some deliciously easy Roasted Pecan Salmon for dinner tonight!

Roasted Pecan Salmon

Susan, a dear friend and former member of our Gourmet Group, shared this recipe with me years ago. I am so glad I finally decided to give it a try. It’s both super easy and quite healthy (only 265 calories and 9 grams of carbs with 29 grams of satisfying protein!) Simple spread salmon fillets with a mixture of Dijon mustard and honey. Sprinkle with a mixture of bread crumbs, chopped pecans and parsley, then bake. It’s that easy!

While I do love grilled salmon (especially when cooked on a cedar plank), the grilling season hasn’t kicked into high gear in Minnesota just yet. That’s why I like having a few “go-to” recipes for baking salmon. In fact, this Oven Roasted BBQ Salmon is another delicious option. Both of these recipes are easy enough for a weekday meal, but impressive enough for dinner guests. I love to serve salmon for Easter, along with a traditional ham. We jokingly call this the pink meat festival at my house.S

Savvy Salmon Tips

I decided to line my baking sheet with parchment paper to keep the Dijon/honey glaze from dripping onto the pan. This made clean-up easier and also helped keep the salmon moist. It’s not a must, just something I tried that I think worked well.

Keep in mind that your bake time will vary based on the thickness of your fillets. For this recipe I baked a single 1 1/4 pound fillet vs. individual fillets. Then I cut it into serving portions. This method also helps keep the fish very moist, but the presentation isn’t as elegant. Since this was just a weekday meal for Mike and I, that was not a problem. My larger fillet took about 20 minutes to cook.

If you have ever wondered about whether to cook your salmon with or without the skin, I prefer (and most restaurants serve salmon) with the skin on. This is yet another way to keep the salmon from drying out. The skin is also much easier to remove after it’s been cooked. If you are firmly planted in the “cutting the skin off before cooking” camp, I would highly recommend using parchment paper to prevent the fillet from sticking to the pan.

Weekday healthy meal, dinner party or Easter feast, you can’t go wrong with Roasted Pecan Salmon. Thanks again Susan!

Roasted Pecan Salmon

Salmon fillets slathered with honey Dijon mustard, topped with a pecan-bread crumb topping, and baked to perfection!

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets 4 to 6 oz. each
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tbsp. honey
• 2 tbsp. seasoned bread crumbs I used plain Panko bread crumbs and added a good shake of dried oregano, basil, thyme and garlic powder.
• 2 tbsp. chopped pecans
• 2 tsp. chopped parsley
• wedges of fresh lemon optional
• parchment paper optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper and place skin side down on parchment-lined (if using) baking sheet.
• Combine mustard and honey and brush on the top of the salmon fillets
• Mix seasoned bread crumbs, pecans and parsley and sprinkle over salmon, patting gently to help it stick.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until flaky (time will vary based on thickness of your fillets.) Serve with wedges of lemon. Enjoy!

Notes

Adapted from recipe provided by Susan Hetzel. Source of initial recipe unknown.