This hot honey salmon is a flavour-packed dinner that is quick and easy to make. The salmon is coated in simple spices, baked until flaky and tender, and finished with a sweet and spicy hot honey sauce. Serve it over rice with cucumber, carrot and edamame for a delicious bowl that comes together in under 30 minutes.
I must admit, it took me a while to jump on the hot honey bandwagon but now I am on, I am not sure I can get off! It all started with these hot honey sweet potato beef bowls, and then I found my way to these hot honey chicken bowls which are absolutely delicious and a weeknight favourite.
I just knew I needed a version with salmon, and this may just be my favourite hot honey recipe yet!
I’ve been playing around with versions of homemade hot honey, and I think this is it. It’s sweet, spicy, and a little savoury. It’s so delicious but even more so when drizzled over seasoned fillets of salmon that have been baked until perfectly tender.
This is the kind of easy weeknight meal that keeps midweek interesting. I am all about turning this into hot honey salmon bowls because you know I love a rice bowl, but honestly, just pair the salmon with a salad, maybe some air fryer broccolini, and you have a delicious meal that took less than 30 minutes total!
Key Ingredients
This hot honey salmon uses pantry staple ingredients to make a delicious and flavourful sweet and spicy, sticky salmon that’s the perfect protein for lunch or dinner.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Salmon fillets – I love salmon, but it can be expensive so I often use frozen salmon fillets for a more affordable option. Just defrost them in a bowl of water for about 15 minutes. You can use skin on or skin off fillets depending on your preference.
- Spices – just like with my hot honey chicken wings, the salmon gets seasoned before cooking with a combination of smoked paprika, garlic powder and onion powder.
- Honey – we need a good quality honey for the base of our sweet and spicy sauce.
- Hot sauce – You can use any hot sauce you like for this recipe but I am using Franks Red Hot as I personally love the taste.
- Chilli flakes – I had some gochugaru in my pantry which is just Korean chilli powder and I loved it in this homemade hot honey as it adds a delicious flavour without the texture of regular chilli flakes. But you can use any chilli you like, just adjust the quantity to your liking.
You’ll Also Love: Bang Bang Salmon
Step-By-Step Instructions
Like most baked salmon recipes, this hot honey salmon is super simple to prepare.
We start by first seasoning the salmon. In a small bowl, mix together the spices. Pat the salmon fillets dry with a paper towel and then rub over the olive oil. Sprinkle the salmon with the spice mix.
Place the salmon on a baking tray and bake in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of your fillets. The salmon should flake apart easily when cooked through.
While the salmon is baking, grab a small saucepan and add the honey, hot sauce, chilli flakes and onion and garlic powders. Depending on the level of spice you like, give it a taste and add more hot sauce and/or chilli flakes.
🌶️ The heat level of the hot honey is completely customisable so make sure to taste and adjust as needed.
Once the salmon is cooked, drizzle over the hot honey. I like to reserve a little of the hot honey for serving as well.
From here, you’re ready to serve! I usually like to do it as a hot honey salmon bowl because well, I love rice bowls. But you can serve it with a salad or your favourite veggie sides.
Storage & Meal Prep Instructions
Store cooked salmon in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Hot honey can be kept in a jar at room temperature for 1 week, or in the fridge if you prefer.
Gently reheat salmon in the microwave or a low oven. Add extra hot honey after reheating, giving in a quick zap in the microwave first if needed.
To meal prep, portion the rice, veggies, and salmon into containers for easy grab-and-go lunches.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, that’s usually what I do as frozen salmon is more budget-friendly and can easily be kept in the freezer for easy weeknight dinners. Just thaw the salmon completely in a bowl of water and pat dry before seasoning and baking.
It’s as spicy as you make it! That’s the best part about making homemade hot honey. Reduce the hot sauce or skip the chilli flakes if you prefer a milder version.
You definitely can! Cook the seasoned fillets at 200°C (400°F) for 8-10 minutes in the air fryer, depending on thickness.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More salmon recipes:
Teriyaki Salmon and Avocado Rice Bowls
Air Fryer Salmon Bowls
Grilled Salmon Tacos with Avocado Crema
Creamy Salmon Tagliatelle (Dairy Free)
Hot Honey Salmon
Equipment
Ingredients
For the salmon:
- 4 salmon fillets approx 120-150 grams each
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the hot honey:
- ¼ cup honey
- 1-2 tablespoons hot sauce
- ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes I use gochugaru
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- In a small bowl, mix together the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel, then rub each fillet with olive oil and sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the top and sides.
- Place the fillets on the prepared tray, skin-side down if using skin-on fillets.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked to your liking and flakes easily with a fork.
- While the salmon is baking, add the honey, hot sauce, chilli flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of salt to a small saucepan.
- Warm over low heat, stirring, just until the mixture is combined and runny – do not boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Once the salmon is cooked, drizzle generously with the hot honey.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Lucas schmidt says
Perfect taste of sauce, normally I do not like salmon but this recipe changed my mind.
Sally says
So glad you enjoyed this Lucas!