The Wicked Noodle

Broiled Salmon with Honey and Garlic

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This easy Broiled Salmon recipe has just five ingredients, is on the table in less than 15 minutes and has incredible flavor!

Broiled Salmon with Honey and Garlic - just 5 ingredients and SO flavorful!

Broiled Salmon is one of those quick and easy recipes that I forget about all too often. I haven’t been cooking as much fish these days although it used to be an at-least-once-a-week staple. I cook fairly healthy most of the time but lately it’s been all this Cheesy Baked Gnocchi and Carrot Cake! All good things that I will most certainly enjoy again…but for now, it’s a delicious and healthy fish dish.

HOW TO BROIL SALMON?

Broiling salmon is one of the simplest and quickest ways to prepare it. You’ll want to keep your fish about 5-6 inches below your broiler. Too close and it will char quickly and too far away will take too long to cook. The top should be slightly caramelized from the honey which will add to the flavor. The pan will get very sticky and some of the run-off will burn (that’s okay and is expected) so be sure to always line your pan with foil when broiling salmon.

WHAT TEMPERATURE TO BROIL SALMON?

Once your pan is lined with foil and it’s ready to go into the oven, turn your broiler to high and let it preheat. Broiling your salmon on high will give the best results for caramelization and it will be hot enough inside the oven to cook your fish all the way through. You will want to keep the door closed so that the salmon cooks through at the same time that the glaze cooks into the fish on top. Broiling on low will also work, it will just take longer to get to your finished dish.

 

This broiled salmon recipe came about when I was picking some Lemon Thyme from my herb garden. Have you ever smelled Lemon Thyme?? It has such a strong lemon scent, I just can’t help but stick my entire face into my plant and breathe it in. If they sold a Lemon Thyme perfume I would most definitely wear it! I haven’t cooked much with it over the summer though and felt I needed to use some before it freezes and I lose all of my fresh backyard herbs. Lemon goes so well with fish, garlic goes with everything and honey was the obvious choice to go with both.

Isn’t it a pretty plant??

fresh lemon thyme

I normally roast or grill my fish but I wanted some direct heat over the top to help the honey caramelize quickly. The mixture will melt and drip away from the salmon but that’s okay; a good amount will stick and what doesn’t you’ll just spoon back on once it’s done. It will thicken back up after just a couple of minutes out of the oven so I spoon it back over the fish twice; once immediately out of the oven and again 3 minutes or so later. If you keep your oven door closed while broiling it really helps to cook the fish quickly, too. I love that this easy broiled salmon comes together in just 10 minutes!

Honey and Thyme

I like to mix everything in one measuring cup. I measure out the honey, add the lemon thyme leaves, a couple of tablespoons of oil and lots of garlic, then mix it all together in the measuring cup. Ten minutes later (give or take), dinner is done! 

Broiled Salmon with Honey and Garlic

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
A simple broiled salmon recipe with loads of flavor!

Ingredients

  • 1 2-pound salmon filet
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon lemon thyme leaves, plus more sprigs for garnish
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat broiler to high, setting your top rack 5-6 inches under the heat source.
  2. Place salmon on a baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil then season liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper (go heavy on the pepper if you like).
  3. Place on rack under preheated broiler for five minutes (keep door closed).
  4. Meanwhile, mix together minced garlic, honey, thyme leaves and 2 tablespoons oil.
  5. Remove salmon from oven and drizzle honey mixture over salmon, using a heatproof brush to spread over entire salmon. Place back in oven for another 5-10 minutes or until salmon is cooked through (cooking time depends on the thickness of your salmon).
  6. Remove from oven and spoon over any melted honey mixture back onto salmon. As it cools, the honey mixture will thicken so continue spooning over at least once or twice during the first five minutes it's out of the oven. Slice into four servings and serve with a few lemon thyme sprigs on each piece.
Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 504 Saturated Fat: 10g Cholesterol: 124mg Sodium: 101mg Carbohydrates: 24g Sugar: 23g Protein: 45g
© Kristy
Cuisine: American / Category: Main Course

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Comments

  4. Word to the wise- when you add the glaze and put the salmon back in the oven place on the lower rack. The honey burns fast!

    The salmon was incredible though, love this recipe! The honey that burned was the run off glaze so it didn’t affect my filet :)

    Reply

  5. The honey CAN burn, it’s true – but you’re also correct that it’s just the runoff. There’s always plenty of flavor though so I’ve never worried about it. Thanks for mentioning it for other readers though, Sarah! Cheers :)

    Reply

  6. I love salmon and this one is another good recipe for it. Lemon thyme does really has a very strong scent that I love. I will really try this!

    Reply

  7. I wish honey wasn’t so expensive here in Nova Scotia. I wonder what the result would be if I used brown sugar instead? Or Agave (although just as expensive, I have a lot of it and don’t use it a lot). Hmm..

    Reply

    • Hi Amanda! I’m not sure the consistency would be the same but it’s certainly worth a try. I would probably reduce the amount and mix in a little oil to make it more of a paste. Let me know if you try it and how it works out!

      Reply

  8. Side note.. I’ve made this probably 10+ times since I found the recipe and it’s basically our go-to now for a healthy, quick meal. Our oven hasn’t been working properly and so we’ve been broiling, frying, slow-cooking and boiling everything, and this really helped us out! Thank you!!

    Reply

  9. Do you think if we can’t find lemon thyme locally we can just use regular thyme and also add some lemon juice in with the honey mixture?

    Reply

    • Hi Mark, I think that would be fine. I’d suggest adding a small amount of zest instead of juice, however – perhaps a teaspoon? Or you could omit it entirely. Hope that helps! Cheers :)

      Reply

  14. SOOO yummy, I will definitely keep this recipe close to me. I added a little hot sesame oil to the mixture which gave it a nice kick.

    Reply

  16. I think I could eat salmon at least 5 days a week. This looks like a great way to prepare it too. Love when things are simple and delicious.

    Reply

  18. Mmm that salmon looks perfect! And I have never cooked with lemon thyme. Will have to try it. And I totally know what you mean when it comes to great smelling herbs. I do the same thing with spices (:

    Reply

  21. I’m trying to remember to cook fish more often, too – the parents love it, and I just don’t think about it. But I did bake salmon the other day, and everyone liked it so much that I knew I’d better get more of those recipes… Your lemon thyme looks wonderful!

    Reply

  22. I’ve never broiled salmon before, so I will have to try out your technique soon! I typically pan-sear or bake my filets, so it will be nice to try something different. :)

    Reply

  24. I’m always looking for a new salmon recipe. I love how simple and mouthwatering this one looks! I don’t use my broiler that often, but this is a good excuse to do just that…

    Reply

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