What is it about salmon that makes it such and elegant dinner? Is it the gorgeous color, succulent rich flavor, or simply that I live in a landlocked state where seafood is always considered fancy!?! Whatever it is, can I just say that I love salmon in all it’s juicy deliciousness.
It’s also a major bonus that you can cook this gorgeous fillet in just 5 minutes, wait… what?, it’s really is just 5 minutes! But if for some reason you’re like several of my friends and family members, and you don’t like any kind of fish or seafood, (how is this possible) this glaze is super versatile and works with chicken or shrimp as well, (but that’s assuming you like shrimp).
Whichever meat you choose, you’re going to love this Cajun Honey Glaze. And I guess I shouldn’t just limit this to meat, because I’ve used this glaze on veggies as well which is so good. You can mix the glaze up in just a couple minutes, with 5 more minutes in the oven, you’ll have dinner. Since this comes together so fast, you definitely want to have your side dishes ready to go before you start cooking the salmon.
I served this flavorful salmon with a simple chopped salad full of the best summer veggies, straight out of the garden.
But I thought I’d also include a few options for every season:
- Spring – asparagus is fantastic with salmon.
- Summer – this salad, because all the fresh corn and tomatoes – obviously.
- Fall – roasted potatoes and acorn squash, or late season sautéed zucchini.
- Winter – roasted broccolini and sliced onions.
Once you have your season of side dish ready to go, mix up the glaze in a small bowl.
Rinse the salmon fillet, pat it dry, and place it on a parchment lined baking sheet – then slather it with the glaze.
Then it’s just a few minutes under the broiler, and it’s done.
Then pile on the veggies, grab a piece of sweet spicy salmon, and enjoy the easiest company worthy dinner you’ve ever made!
PrintCajun Honey Glazed Salmon
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
Cajun Honey Glazed Salmon:
- 1 salmon fillet, 1 1/4 pounds, 1″ deep at the thickest part
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted Cajun seasoning, see note
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 2 Tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1 clove garlic, minced
Optional Summer Salad:
- 2 ears fresh corn, shucked, leave the corn out for Paleo
- 1 red bell pepper, 6 ounces
- 1 small cucumber, 8 ounces
- 3–4 tomatoes, 1 pound
- 1 bunch of green onions
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to broil.
- If you’re making the salad to serve alongside, make sure it’s complete before cooking the salmon.
- Cut the kernels away from the cob, being careful not to cut too deep into the tough part. Place the corn into a medium sized bowl, and continue prepping.
- Cut around the core of the bell pepper to remove the stem and seeds. Slice the bell pepper into strips, then cut the strips crosswise into small bite sized pieces. Add them to the bowl with the corn kernels.
- Slice both ends off the cucumber and cut it into quarters lengthwise. Slice crosswise to the quarters to create thin triangular shaped pieces, and add them to the bowl.
- Cut the core from the tomatoes, and then cut them into bite sized pieces before adding them to the bowl.
- Thinly slice the green onions and add them to the salad bowl with the cilantro, lime juice, and olive oil. Mix all the ingredients together, and season to taste with sea salt.
- When your salad or side dish of choice is complete, make the glaze for the salmon by mixing together the Cajun seasoning, honey, coconut aminos, and minced garlic. If your honey isn’t mixing well, try mixing the glaze together over low heat.
- Rinse the salmon fillet under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels before placing it on a parchment lined baking sheet. Spread the glaze evenly over the salmon and place it in the oven to roast under the broiler for about 5-6 minutes, or until just barely done.
- Remove the salmon from the oven and serve it along with the summer salad, or side dish of your choice.
- Any leftovers you might have are great on a salad for lunch.
Notes
The amount of Cajun seasoning you use will depend on the amount of heat in your spice mix. The one I use is from the Natural Grocers bulk spices, and it’s on the mild side.
If you’re not making the salad, the prep time is less than 10 minutes for just the salmon.
The cooking time will vary depending on the size of your fillet and the thickness.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
Okay, the Cajun inspiration for seafood steals the show (and it is totally elegant – you’re right), but that chopped salad has got to go into rotation in this kitchen ASAP. Yum!
You’re going to love it, especially the chopped salad, I just can’t eat enough of it right now with all the corn and tomatoes in season!
Fresh salmon is a treat in any season and so are Cajun-inspired meals. We usually eat Sockeye, and it’s just so flavourful it doesn’t need anything to enhance it, but your recipe for Cajun glaze will be ideal for other varieties, like Pink or Coho. Love that chopped salad, too!
I completely agree with you, when you have the best salmon the only thing I put on it is sea salt and sometimes a little butter!
I love all the summer veggies in here! My husband is a big salmon fisherman (his dad used to charter boats on lake ontario for an extra job). And we are always looking for fresh ways to prepare so it doesn’t take, um, fishy. A big challenge! Thanks for the inspiration.
I’ll have to say, I’m a little jealous of your supply of fresh seafood! I hope you enjoy the recipe, I think the sweet spicy combo will help you out with the ‘fishy’ thing. 🙂
This sounds amazing! I am really into salmon lately and this recipe is next on my list.
Me too, for some reason I’ve really been craving it lately. 🙂