This brown sugar baked salmon is such a delicious and easy dinner. Our easy brown sugar rub is perfect for salmon fillets. It caramelizes and turns into a sweet and smoky glaze in the oven.
My family loves this easy salmon recipe! It only takes a few minutes to prepare, and you’ll love the brown sugar glaze on top. This recipe is perfect for when you are busy or overwhelmed!
One of my favorite salmon recipes, this brown sugar baked salmon is easy to turn into a sheet pan dinner. Simply toss a handful of veggies onto the sheet pan and bake them alongside it! I love fast-cooking green beans, but you can substitute what you love. For more recipes like this, see our maple soy glazed salmon or this lemon dill baked salmon.
Key Ingredients
- Salmon: Any salmon fillet will work for this baked salmon recipe. I especially love salmon with a higher fat content, like sockeye, king, and coho. Salmon with a higher fat content stays soft and moist after it is baked.
- Brown sugar: It adds sweetness, and it lightly caramelizes in the oven. You don’t need a lot — one tablespoon for four large fillets is plenty.
- Lemon: A bit of lemon zest adds a pop of flavor. We use our microplane to zest the lemon. Then, we use the zested lemon for serving. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice just before serving is a must.
- Smoked paprika: It adds a smoky-sweet flavor and color to the salmon spice rub. For a spicier rub, try a little chipotle powder or cayenne (1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon should do it).
- Veggies: Since we bake our salmon fillets on a large baking sheet, we have some space left for veggies. Choose a quick-cooking veggie, such as green beans, zucchini, asparagus, snap peas, broccolini, or cherry tomatoes.
How to Make Brown Sugar Baked Salmon
This baked salmon is tender, moist, and soft in the middle. Add our brown sugar spice rub, and the outside becomes lightly caramelized, sweet, and a bit smoky. We love it!
I use the same salmon rub when making cedar plank salmon and love its simplicity. All you need to do is mix brown sugar with lemon zest, salt, and smoked paprika. Then rub it all over your salmon fillets (I’m pretty generous with it).
Add your salmon to a sheet pan and bake it in the oven until done. I use a 400°F oven for this baked salmon recipe, which means it usually takes between 15 and 20 minutes. Remember, you can turn this into a sheet pan dinner, and add your favorite veggies to the baking sheet. I’ve shared suggestions below.
When baking salmon, you can tell it’s ready to come out of the oven when the flesh is somewhat opaque and flakes easily when you insert a fork into it. If you have an internal thermometer, use it! I take my salmon out when it reads 125°F, which means it will be a slightly darker pink in the middle.
What to Serve with Brown Sugar Baked Salmon
Since we bake our salmon fillets on a large baking sheet, we have some space left for veggies. I love sheet pan dinners! This salmon recipe needs 15 to 20 minutes in the oven, perfect for green beans, asparagus, zucchini, snap peas, peppers, onions, broccolini, or cherry tomatoes.
If you prefer heartier vegetables, partially bake them first. Add the salmon for the last 15 to 20 minutes of cooking, adjusting the total baking time based on your chosen veggies. For example, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts take 20 to 25 minutes, while root vegetables and winter squash take 30 to 45 minutes.
More side dishes for baked salmon include corn salad, mashed sweet potatoes, cilantro lime rice, and my favorite quinoa salad.
Brown Sugar Baked Salmon
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
My family loves this easy brown sugar salmon recipe! As the salmon bakes in the oven, the brown sugar rub melts and caramelizes into a delicious, sweet, smoky glaze. To make this a sheet pan dinner, toss your favorite veggies onto the baking sheet with the salmon. The article above has suggestions for which veggies work well in this recipe.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
For the Salmon4 salmon fillets, preferably wild-caught, about 6 ounces each
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika or substitute chipotle powder for a spicier version
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Half of a lemon, quartered
For the Beans3/4 pound green beans or quick cooking veggie
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions
1Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Set aside a large rimmed baking sheet.
2Mix 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a small bowl.
3Pat the salmon fillets dry and rub them with olive oil.
4Scatter the brown sugar rub over the salmon, and gently massage it into the fish. Swipe the skin side of the salmon through any spice rub that’s fallen onto the cutting board. If you have the time, marinate the salmon for 10 to 15 minutes.
5Add the salmon fillets, skin-side down, to the baking sheet.
6Toss the beans with a tablespoon of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and then scatter them around the salmon on the baking sheet.
7Bake the salmon until it is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes, depending on its thickness. We cook salmon until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 125°F.
8Serve with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over the salmon.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- How to tell when salmon is cooked: Cook salmon to 125°F (51°C), which means it will be soft, tender, and slightly pink in the center. For a visual cue, look for the flesh to be somewhat opaque. Also, when inserting a fork into the salmon, it should flake easily.
- Baking time: Depending on the type and thickness of the salmon you are baking, cook time will vary. The cook times suggested above are for middle cut fillets, about 1-inch thick. For thinner fillets or end pieces, check the salmon a bit earlier. For thicker fillets, you may need an additional 5 to 10 minutes of bake time.
- Veggies: Try green beans, chopped zucchini, snap peas, bell peppers, broccoli, asparagus, or cherry tomatoes. Heartier veggies like broccoli will take longer, so partially bake them for 10 to 15 minutes before adding the salmon to the baking sheet.
- Storing: Baked salmon can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. To reheat, bake in a preheated oven at 325°F (165°C) for 10 to 15 minutes.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
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The flavors are great! I followed another commenter’s advice and put my salmon in while the oven preheated to 400f. It took about 20 mins to reached desired temp. Highly recommend that method!