Pecan Crusted Salmon with Honey Mustard
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This pecan crusted salmon recipe pairs tender, flaky salmon with a sweet-tangy honey mustard glaze and a crisp pecan-panko topping.
This pecan crusted salmon takes a total of 20 minutes—10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook—yet tastes like something you’d order at a nice restaurant. It’s perfect for when you have company coming at the end of a long day (and you’re asking yourself, “What was I thinking?!”) or on a busy weeknight when you have to hit the kitchen running.
To parents of picky eaters: if your kids are lukewarm on fish, I find that a crunchy coating can help win them over, and you can omit the nuts if need. Serve with sautéed asparagus and peas and buttered couscous.
“Just made it for a small dinner party. I made the toppings ahead of time, so it was a breeze to do the final prep and pop the salmon in the oven. It turned out great, and I was asked to share the recipe.”
What You’ll Need To Make Pecan Crusted Salmon with Honey Mustard
- Salmon: Look for fillets that are similar in size and thickness so they cook at roughly the same rate. Skin-on or skinless both work.
- Dijon Mustard, Honey & Butter: These form the sweet-tangy glaze. The butter adds richness and also helps the topping brown.
- Panko & Pecans: Panko keeps the crust light and crisp, while finely chopped pecans add richness and nutty crunch.
- Parsley: Optional, but adds a little freshness and color to the topping.
- Lemon: Also optional, but a squeeze at the table cuts through the richness of the salmon and pecan crust.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How to Make Pecan Crusted Salmon with Honey Mustard
Make the glaze and topping: Whisk the honey-mustard glaze until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine the panko and pecans with the parsley. Finely chopped pecans are important here—you want them small enough to mingle with the breadcrumbs and form an even crust rather than fall off in large pieces.
Top the salmon: Spread the glaze over the salmon, then add the pecan-panko mixture, pressing it on gently so it adheres. Don’t pack the topping down; keeping it loose helps it stay crisp as it bakes.
Bake the salmon: Bake until the topping is golden and the salmon is cooked to your liking. If the crust is browning faster than the fish is cooking, loosely tent it with foil. For skin-on fillets, slide a thin spatula between the flesh and skin when serving—the skin can stay behind on the pan.
Video Tutorial
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Pecan Crusted Salmon with Honey Mustard
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup panko
- ¼ cup finely chopped pecans
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley (optional, for color)
- 4 (6-oz) salmon fillets
- 1 lemon, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (235°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup, and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, melted butter, honey, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- In another small bowl, mix together the panko, pecans, parsley (if using), and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Spoon the honey-mustard mixture evenly over the salmon fillets. (Don’t worry if it drips down the sides a little.) Sprinkle the panko-pecan mixture over the glaze, pressing it lightly so it adheres.
- Bake for 7 to 10 minutes per inch of thickness, depending on how well done you like your salmon. (If you find that the topping is browning more than you’d like before the fish is cooked through, loosely cover the salmon with foil.) Serve hot or at room temperature. (Note that if your salmon has skin, it may stick to the foil; to remove the fish from the pan, slide a thin spatula between the skin and the flesh, leaving the skin behind.)
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Great recipe and easy to prepare. My wife and I love it.
We made this on Sunday and it was delicious! Will definitely make again 🙂
Excited to make this tonight!!! Do you think the cooking time is the same if we use cod instead?
It should be about the same, but make sure you check it for doneness before serving. (It should be opaque and flakey when you apply a little pressure to it with a fork.) Please LMK how it turns out!
Delicious!
Hi Jenn,
I’m making this for dinner tonight but I forgot to buy pecans! I have some almond slices…would that work if I crunch them up a little? Thanks! Can’t wait to try it!
Sure!
It was delicious with almonds! Thank you for another amazing recipe! Hands down my favorite new salmon recipe. I don’t really like seafood but I’m trying to eat more fish because it’s healthy. This actually made the meal enjoyable for me and my wife really loved it too. I’ll try pecans next week 🙂
🙂
Just had this for dinner and it was divine. My boys loved it and am a happy grateful mum thanks to you. Simple, quick and easy to follow.
Delicious! I made it for a group of 24 – adults and kids – and they couldn’t get enough. Everyone loved it! I loved that it could be prepared in advance so I could enjoy the party. So easy and so tasty.
Is this fish good to eat at room temperature? If not, how should I reheat it?
Hi Stephanie, I’ve never eaten this at room temperature, but I think you could get away with it. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you. Can it be reheated? And if so at what temperature?
I would actually zap it quickly in the microwave (just enough to warm it through) and then stick it under the broiler in your oven just long enough to crisp up the topping.
I made this tonight with salmon and pollock. It was delicious! I made the sauce the same as the recipe and kind of eyeballed the panko and parsley…might have used a bit too much as it was a bit mushy but oooh so tasty. I loved the pecans on it. It did taste better with the salmon than with the pollock, as expected. Everything’s gone, so it’s a winner. Will definitely make this again as it is so simple to make and looks and tastes very impressive when done.
Pollock is so good, isn’t it? I tried this with local cod (closely related to pollock) and it was ok, but the topping was a little too sweet for such a mild flavored fish. The next time I made it, again with cod, I omitted the honey and substituted crushed sea salt pita chips (any cracker would do) and reserved a little of the butter to toss with the crumb/nut topping so it would brown a little better. It came out great and was still easy to prepare. These adjustments would be good with any white fish like pollock, hake, haddock, cod/scrod, whiting, etc., which can tend to be a bit too bland otherwise (especially if really fresh!). I’m headed “down the point” (colloquialism for Pt. Judith, RI, a fishing port) now to see if I can score some fish to make this recipe again tonight 😉
I made this last week but instead of salmon I used monkfish and it was tasty. I would try it again with salmon but I think the flavors may work better with the taste of salmon. I would suggest being careful on how much panko you put on because I put too much and it was a little mushy.