Christmas Baked Salmon
User Reviews
5
258 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Cranberry Plumping Time & Salmon Cooling!
30 mins
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Servings
12
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Calories
492 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Christmas Baked Salmon
Report
Christmas Baked Salmon features a large side of skin-on salmon glazed with a warm honey butter mixed with garlic, then baked to tender perfection. It’s topped with a creamy dill sauce and a vibrant holiday tapenade made from dried cranberries, toasted almonds, and fresh herbs. The finishing touch of pomegranate seeds and parsley adds a colorful burst and freshness. This recipe combines soft, flaky salmon with sweet, nutty, and tangy accents, making it a festive centerpiece suitable for holiday meals or special gatherings.
Description
Christmas Baked Salmon showcases a whole side of salmon, carefully prepared by removing bones and retaining the skin to hold the fish together during cooking. The honey butter glaze, enriched with minced garlic, is poured over the salmon before baking, creating a sweet, savory glaze that complements the natural richness of the fish. Baking is done at a moderate oven temperature, allowing the salmon to cook gently until tender and flaky.
The accompanying creamy dill sauce blends sour cream, fresh dill, shallot, lemon zest, and salt, lending a cool and tangy contrast to the warm glaze. The holiday tapenade adds complexity with plumped dried cranberries, toasted almonds, parsley, and a touch of olive oil, contributing texture and brightness. Pomegranate seeds and fresh parsley sprinkled on top bring color and a juicy pop.
Served warm or at room temperature, this salmon is ideal with extra lemon wedges and can be part of a holiday feast or an elegant main course. The recipe offers suggested substitutions for certain ingredients and provides guidance on salmon doneness. Storage instructions recommend refrigerating leftovers for up to four days without reheating to preserve the sauce texture.
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Ingredients
Salmon:
- 1.2 - 1.5 kg / 2.4 - 3lb salmon skin on, bones removed, Note 1, side
- 2 1/4 tsp salt , cooking/kosher (Note 2)
- 1 tsp black pepper
Honey Butter Glaze:
- 150g / 5oz butter , unsalted
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3 garlic finely minced (garlic press or knife, cloves
Creamy Dill Sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream , full fat (low fat is too watery)
- 1/2 cup dill finely chopped (lightly packed cup, fresh
- 1/2 shallot finely grated, aka French onion
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp salt , cooking/kosher (Note 2)
Holiday "Tapenade":
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup almonds toasted (Note 3, slivered
- 1/3 cup parsley , roughly chopped
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Finishing:
- 1 pomegranate , only the seeds
- 1/4 cup parsley , roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 lemon cut in 6 pieces each (for serving, don't skip this, extra
Instructions
Creamy Dill Sauce
- Mix ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Keep refrigerated until required.
Holiday Tapenade
- Plump cranberries: Heat orange juice in a saucepan over high heat until hot. Turn stove off, add cranberries, cover. Stand 15 minutes, then drain in a colander (discard liquid). Cool.
- Mix: Mix cranberries, toasted almonds (see Note 3), parsley, salt and olive oil in bowl. Use at room temp.
Cooking salmon
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).
- Prepare salmon: Place a large sheet of foil on a tray (double layer for safety is recommended), then top with baking/parchment paper. Place salmon on paper, then fold up the foil sides a bit to cup them so glaze won't run onto tray.
- Glaze: Place ingredients in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once it started foaming, turn down to medium, let it foam for 2 minutes then remove and pour straight over the salmon.
- Season: Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper, putting most of the salt on the thicker part of the salmon.
- Wrap: Cover salmon with a smaller piece of paper, then foil. Fold and seal up sides to enclose salmon in a parcel - it doesn't need to be 100% tightly sealed.
- Bake 15 minutes. Remove salmon from oven.
- Uncover / fold excess paper - Remove paper and foil and paper cover. Fold/scrunch paper and foil sides down to expose salmon surface. Tucking paper down also ensures it won't catch fire when broiling.
- Grill/broil to brown: Switch oven to grill/broiler on high. Place salmon on middle shelf in the oven and broil 7 to 10 minutes until you get caramelisation mostly on the edges, a bit on top. Don't put it too close to the heat element otherwise paper might catch on fire! Check to ensure salmon is cooked - either pry open in middle to check or use a probe to check internal temperatures (Note 4).
- Transfer to plate: Use foil overhang to transfer salmon onto serving platter straight away (otherwise it keeps cooking). Slide the foil then paper out from under the salmon (see video at 1 min 24s or step photos in post), allowing juices to pool on platter (it's gold stuff!).
- Cool: Loosely cover with foil, then leave to cool for at least 15 minutes, up to 1 hour or longer (for room temp serving - Note 6 for serving notes).
Assembly and serving
- Dollop then thickly spread with Creamy Dill Sauce (~0.8cm / 1/3" thick layer).
- Pile over Holiday Tapenade, scatter generously with pomegranate seeds, and then remaining parsley. Squeeze over lemon juice.
- Serving: Serve with extra lemon wedges so people can add more to taste. Cut into pieces - I use a cake cutter for serving. Encourage people to slop up some of the honey-butter sauce that will be mixed with semi melted Creamy Dill Sauce - it's so good! This dish is best served slightly warm, not piping hot, also excellent at room temp.
Notes
- Use a whole salmon side with skin on and bones removed to keep it intact during cooking.
- Cooking/kosher salt is preferred; if using table salt, reduce amounts by 25% to avoid oversalting.
- Toast almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently until lightly browned and fragrant.
- The creamy dill sauce should be kept refrigerated until serving and is best served cold to avoid melting.
- Prepare the holiday tapenade 24 hours ahead, but add toasted almonds just before serving for best texture.
- Leftovers store well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days; reheat gently or serve at room temperature to preserve the sauce consistency.
- Extra lemon wedges are essential to brighten the flavors when serving.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
492cal
(25%)
Carbohydrates
30g
(10%)
Protein
28g
(56%)
Fat
30g
(46%)
Saturated Fat
12g
(60%)
Cholesterol
111mg
(37%)
Sodium
899mg
(37%)
Potassium
865mg
(18%)
Fiber
3g
(12%)
Sugar
24g
(48%)
Vitamin A
980IU
(20%)
Vitamin C
21mg
(23%)
Calcium
90mg
(9%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 12Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 492 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 492cal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 30g | 10% |
| Protein | 28g | 56% |
| Fat | 30g | 46% |
| Saturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Cholesterol | 111mg | 37% |
| Sodium | 899mg | 37% |
| Potassium | 865mg | 18% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 24g | 48% |
| Vitamin A | 980IU | 20% |
| Vitamin C | 21mg | 23% |
| Calcium | 90mg | 9% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
258 reviews
Excellent
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