Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Baked Honey Cilantro Lime Salmon in Foil
Honey and lime give this salmon a sweet-tart coating, with butter adding richness to each piece. Cilantro freshens the top and makes the fish especially inviting on the plate.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- 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
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Foil is doing useful work here
Line and grease the baking sheet, then fold the foil up around the salmon after the sauce goes on. It catches the honey-lime butter and keeps the fish sitting in all that flavor as it bakes.
2. Don’t worry about a perfect packet
The foil sides only need to come up over the salmon. It’s fine if they don’t cover the fish completely, since the recipe still finishes under the broiler.
3. Season both sides first
Salt and pepper go on both sides of the salmon before the lime slices and sauce. That small step matters because the glaze is sweet and tangy, so the fish itself still needs seasoning.
Get to know the ingredients
Salmon size is flexible
You can use one large fillet, a couple of medium fillets or several small individual pieces. Keep the same setup and watch the bake and broil stages as directed.
Use melted butter for the sauce
The butter needs to be melted so it can stir smoothly with the lime juice, honey, and garlic. That gives you a pourable mixture that can coat the salmon before the foil is folded up.
Lime is used two ways
Juice from the limes goes into the butter sauce, while the extra thin slices are slipped underneath the salmon. Don’t skip that placement step, since the slices sit right against the fish as it bakes.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 3 steps completeMake room for Baked Honey Cilantro Lime Salmon in Foil
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
After the bake, switch to broil for the final few minutes, then add the chopped cilantro right before serving. The broiler finishes the top, and the cilantro stays fresh instead of wilting into the sauce.
A little more help as you go
A lighter butter option
You can cut the butter back to 4 tablespoons for a lighter version. The full amount is intended for a very large fillet, spread across 4 to 6 servings.
Keep the lime slices underneath
It may feel more natural to put the lime slices on top, but here they go under the salmon before the sauce is poured over. That leaves the top open for the honey-butter mixture and broiler finish.
A few questions you might have
Does the foil need to seal tightly around the salmon?
No. Fold the sides up over the salmon to hold in the sauce, but they don't need to cover the fish completely. It's fine if the foil stays partly open.
Should the cilantro go on before baking?
Add it at the end. The salmon bakes and broils first, then the roughly chopped cilantro is sprinkled over the top right before serving.
Can I use smaller salmon fillets instead of one large piece?
Yes. One very large fillet, a couple of medium fillets or several small individual fillets will work.
Why are the lime slices placed under the salmon?
They sit beneath the fish while it bakes, while the lime juice goes into the sauce poured over the top. It’s an easy way to use lime in both places without crowding the surface.
When do I switch from baking to broiling?
Bake the salmon first, then switch the oven to broil for the final 5 minutes. The cilantro goes on after that.
Any more cooking tips?
Don’t stress about the size of your salmon fillet. This recipe is very forgiving and works for one very large salmon, a couple of medium-sized fillets, or even several small individual fillets. For an even lighter version, you can cut back the butter to 4 tablespoons instead of a half cup (8 tablespoons). Keep in mind though that for a very large salmon fillet like the one I used, 8 tablespoons is not a terribly huge amount when divided between 4-6 servings.
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: lecremedelacrumb.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
