30-Minute Dinner/ Dinner/ fish and seafood

Orange maple salmon

30 April 2021 | Last Updated: 29 May 2022 By Aleksandra

Orange maple salmon comes together in no time and tastes amazing. Orange maple sauce goes perfectly with salmon and is so quick to whip up. Serve this flavorful fish with parmesan cauliflower rice or coconut rice for a quick and easy meal.

Orange maple salmon in a baking dish.

Ingredients and substitutions

Here’s what you need to make this flavorful dish:

  • Salmon – this marinade/sauce goes exceptionally well with salmon but can be also used with white-fleshed fish like halibut or cod. Make sure to adjust the baking time to the thickness of the fish (halibut or cod fillets are usually thinner than salmon fillets so they need to be baked for a shorter period of time). You can use skin-on or skinless salmon. If you have skin-on salmon fillets you can remove the skin or leave it – the skin is easier to remove after baking.
  • Orange juice and zest – you could also use mandarin juice.
  • If you don’t have maple syrup, use honey. If using maple syrup, make sure to use real maple syrup for the best flavor.
  • Garlic – use fresh, not dried garlic.
  • Dijon mustard – you can also use other mustard types. Honey mustard would also be great.
  • Olive oil.
Labeled ingredients for orange maple salmon.

Maple orange salmon step by step

STEP 1: Start with preheating the oven to 400°F / 200°C / Gas Mark 6, no fan (if you have a convection/fan oven, reduce the temperature by about 20° or follow the manufacturer’s instructions).

Orange maple salmon in a white bowl with a whisk.

STEP 2: In a medium bowl, whisk all the ingredients for the marinade (orange juice, zest, maple syrup, oil, mustard, garlic). Season lightly with salt and pepper.

STEP 3: Season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides. Place it in the smallest baking dish that it can fit into.

Orange maple sauce is being poured over salmon fillets in a white baking dish.

STEP 4: Pour the marinade over salmon. You can leave the fish to marinate for 30 minutes or bake it straight away.
Bake for about 14-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets (the fillets shown on the photos needed 20 minutes).

STEP 5: Leave the fish to rest for 5 minutes – pour it with the sauce while it’s resting.

Serve and enjoy!

Salmon fillets with orange maple sauce in a white baking dish ready to be baked.

Top tips

  • How long to bake the fish: salmon fillets need about 14-20 minutes to be cooked through. The baking time depends on the thickness of the fish and can vary depending on the oven.
  • To check if the fish is cooked through, measure its internal temperature in the thickest part of the fillet, it should be 145°F (63°C). You can take the fish out of the oven when the thermometer registers 140°F (60°C) – the fish should come to the safe temperature while resting.
  • Don’t overbake the fish – it will be tough and rubbery.
  • Use a small baking dish – you’ll have more delicious sauce to spoon over your fish + the fish submerged in the sauce while being baked will come out even more moist and delicious. If you’ll use a bigger dish – the sauce will be more thickened. If the sauce is too thin for your liking you can cook it for a couple of minutes on the stovetop or until thickened.
  • This recipe is great to make for a crown, it can be easily doubled or tripled.

Other cooking methods

  • On the grill: you can cook the salmon on the grill, and make the sauce on the stovetop.
  • On the stovetop: pan-fry fish fillets over high heat on both sides in a pan until browned, add the sauce and simmer until the fish is cooked through. Transfer fish fillets to a plate and reduce the sauce to your desired thickness. I don’t recommend marinating fish in the marinade before frying it – the oil will splatter all over your stove (this is also why baking is the preferred method for this recipe).
Baked orange maple salmon in a white baking dish.

Storage / make-ahead instructions

  • How long to marinate fish: I don’t recommend leaving the fish in the marinade for longer than 30-60 minutes or it will be mushy.
  • If you want to make this dish ahead I would recommend preparing the sauce and store it separately with fish before baking it (for up to 3 days in the fridge).
  • How to store cooked fish: store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • How to reheat: in a microwave or in the oven – put the fish into a cold oven and set it to 320°F/160°C, bake until the fish is warm (about 10 minutes).

What to serve it with

Orange maple salmon is being cut with a form on a white plate with a side of cauliflower rice.

Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!

Orange maple salmon

Orange maple salmon comes together in no time and tastes amazing. Orange maple sauce goes perfectly with salmon and is so quick to whip up.
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Orange maple salmon in a white baking dish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 314kcal
Author Aleksandra

Ingredients

  • 4 salmon fillets (21 oz/600g)
  • 1/3 cup orange juice 80ml
  • 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
  • 1.5 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 cloves garlic pressed through a garlic press
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C / Gas Mark 6, no fan (if you have a convection/fan oven, reduce the temperature by about 20° or follow the manufacturer's instructions).
  • Season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides.
  • Place it in the smallest baking dish that it can fit into.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk all the ingredients for the marinade (orange juice, zest, maple syrup, oil, mustard, garlic). Season lightly with salt and pepper.
  • Pour the marinade over salmon. You can leave the fish to marinate for 30 minutes or bake it straight away.
  • Bake for about 14-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets and can vary depending on the oven (the fillets shown on the photos needed 20 minutes). To check if the fish is cooked through, measure its internal temperature in the thickest part of the fillet, it should be 145°F (63°C). You can take the fish out of the oven when the thermometer registers 140°F (60°C) – the fish should come to the safe temperature while resting.
  • Leave the fish to rest for 5 minutes – pour it with the sauce while it’s resting.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • You can serve this flavorful fish with cauliflower rice or coconut rice for a quick and easy meal.
  • Use a small baking dish – you’ll have more delicious sauce to spoon over your fish + the fish submerged in the sauce while being baked will come out even more moist and delicious. If you’ll use a bigger dish – the sauce will be more thickened. If the sauce is too thin for your liking you can cook it for a couple of minutes on the stovetop or until thickened.
  • This recipe is great to make for a crown, it can be easily doubled or tripled.
  • How long to marinate fish: I don’t recommend leaving the fish in the marinade for longer than 30-60 minutes or it will be mushy.
  • If you want to make this dish ahead I would recommend preparing the sauce and store it separately with fish before baking it (for up to 3 days in the fridge).
  • How to store cooked fish: store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • How to reheat: in a microwave or in the oven – put the fish into a cold oven and set it to 320°F/160°C, bake until the fish is warm (about 10 minutes).
  • Calories = 1 serving (1/4 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
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