Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Sheet Pan Honey Lemon Salmon
Honey lemon butter coats a tender salmon fillet, with golden edges adding a little sweetness to the rich fish. Lemon slices tucked underneath lend their bright flavor to the buttery juices, which are worth spooning over each flaked piece.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 8 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Fish
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted · Sheet pan · One pot & sheet pan
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Build a little foil tray
Raise the foil edges before you pour anything over the salmon. The butter mixture is meant to stay around the fish, so a small rim helps keep it on the pan instead of running everywhere.
2. Seal it snugly, not perfectly
The packet should be closed well enough to trap steam while the salmon bakes. If one sheet won't reach, add another on top and crimp the edges together. A tiny gap isn't a disaster.
3. Watch the broiler closely
Once the foil is opened, the salmon goes under a hot broiler to brown. Stay nearby and check it often, since the timing depends on your oven and the thickness of the fish.
Get to know the ingredients
Skin-on salmon is right here
Place the fillet skin-side down on the foil. The recipe is written for a skin-on piece, and that position keeps the flesh facing up for the butter, seasoning and broiling.
Use the lemon two ways
Thin lemon rounds sit under the salmon while it bakes, and lemon juice goes into the buttery honey mixture. Slice first, then juice what you need separately so each part ends up in the right place.
Melt the butter before mixing
The honey and lemon juice get stirred into melted butter, which makes the glaze easy to spoon over the fish. A glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl keeps that step tidy.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 13 steps completeMake room for Sheet Pan Honey Lemon Salmon
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
The last little job
Open the packet but keep the foil edges raised, then spoon on the reserved butter mixture only if there’s room. Broil until the top is as golden as you like, garnish with parsley if you want, and serve right away.
A little more help as you go
A short rest adds flavor
If you’ve got a few extra minutes, let the sealed packet sit before baking. The recipe gives a brief marinating window for better flavor, but the salmon can still go straight into the oven.
Save the extra butter mixture
Don't automatically pour in every last spoonful before broiling. If the packet already looks juicy, hold some back so it doesn't leak, then use the extra over the finished salmon.
A few questions you might have
Do the lemon slices go on top of the salmon or underneath?
Underneath. Nestle the thin rounds below the fillet and space them around evenly before you add the butter mixture and seasonings.
Should I use all of the honey-lemon butter before baking?
No. Spoon or pour about two-thirds over the salmon before sealing the foil, then reserve the rest for after baking or for serving.
Do I have to marinate the salmon before it bakes?
Only if you have time. Leave it in the sealed packet for about ten to fifteen minutes for enhanced flavor; this pause is optional.
How do I keep the sauce from leaking during broiling?
After baking, remove the top foil or open the packet, but leave the edges standing up. Add the reserved butter mixture only if the packet doesn’t already have lots of juice.
What should I look for under the broiler?
You’re looking for the top to get as golden as you like. Keep checking, because broilers vary and the salmon can go from browned to burned quickly.
Any more cooking tips?
Storage: Salmon is best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or eat from the fridge after it’s come to room temp. Recipe adapted from my Sheet Pan Orange Chili Salmon
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: averiecooks.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
