There’s something truly magical about seafood that’s both simple and show-stopping, and this Festive Honey Glazed Salmon Recipe strikes that perfect balance. The way the honey butter glaze caramelizes over the salmon is pure Christmas joy in every bite—trust me, it’s worth every minute spent in the kitchen.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
When I first tried this Festive Honey Glazed Salmon Recipe, I couldn’t believe how perfectly it blended sweet, savory, and tangy flavors, all while looking stunning on the holiday table. It’s become my go-to for festive dinners ever since because it’s impressive yet incredibly easy to make.
- Effortless Elegance: This recipe uses minimal fuss but delivers maximum wow factor—it looks like you spent hours but really, it’s a breeze.
- Beautiful Flavor Layers: The honey butter glaze perfectly caramelizes, while the creamy dill sauce and holiday tapenade add freshness and texture.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Several elements like the sauce and tapenade come together in advance so your holiday prep isn’t overwhelming.
- Versatile Service: Whether you’re feeding a crowd or making an intimate dinner, this salmon shines at room temperature or slightly warm.
Ingredients & Why They Work
Every ingredient in this Festive Honey Glazed Salmon Recipe plays a part in creating harmony on your plate—from the creamy tang of dill sauce to the nutty crunch in the tapenade. Before you shop, look for the freshest salmon side you can find, and don’t skip the fresh herbs for that bright festive touch.

- Salmon side: Skin-on but deboned keeps the fish intact while baking and makes serving easier.
- Salt (cooking/kosher): Coarser grains mean better control over seasoning without oversalting.
- Black pepper: Freshly cracked adds that subtle heat that balances the honey’s sweetness.
- Unsalted butter: Creates a rich, creamy base for the honey glaze without extra saltiness.
- Honey: Natural sweetness that caramelizes beautifully—a holiday classic.
- Garlic cloves: Finely minced garlic gives warmth and depth to the glaze.
- Sour cream (full fat): Thick and creamy, this makes the dill sauce luscious and holds up well without separating.
- Fresh dill: That iconic herbal note pairs perfectly with salmon, giving fresh brightness.
- Eschallot (French onion): Adds a delicate, sweet onion flavor—not overpowering but perfectly rounded.
- Lemon zest and juice: Adds zing to cut through richness and brighten the whole dish.
- Dried cranberries: Plumped in warm orange juice, they bring a tart-sweet contrast that's holiday perfect.
- Orange juice: For plumping cranberries and adding a citrus sweetness.
- Slivered toasted almonds: Adds crunch and nutty warmth; toasting enhances aroma and flavor.
- Parsley: Freshens up the whole dish visually and flavor-wise.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Binds the tapenade ingredients and adds a silky richness.
- Pomegranate seeds: The festive pop of jewel tones and juicy bursts of flavor make every bite celebratory.
- Lemon wedges: Essential for squeezing over at the table to add fresh brightness.
Make It Your Way
This Festive Honey Glazed Salmon Recipe is a fantastic canvas for you to add your own flair. I love experimenting with herbs or nuts depending on the season, but the core flavors always need to shine through—especially that sweet honey glaze!
- Variation: One year, I swapped the almonds in the tapenade for toasted pecans—such a great twist that added warmth and a slightly buttery flavor that I couldn’t get enough of.
- Dairy Free: I’ve also tried using ghee instead of butter for the glaze and hummus in place of sour cream for the dill sauce—still festive but perfect for friends with dietary restrictions.
- Smaller Portions: If you don’t want a whole salmon side, individual fillets work wonderfully with adjusted cooking times—just watch the glaze so it doesn’t burn.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Festive Honey Glazed Salmon Recipe

Step 1: Whip Up the Creamy Dill Sauce
Start by mixing the sour cream, fresh dill, finely grated eschallot, lemon zest, and salt until you have a smooth, creamy sauce. I like to make this first so it can chill and the flavors meld beautifully. Trust me, the lemon zest really lifts it perfectly here.
Step 2: Plump the Cranberries and Toss the Tapenade
Heat the orange juice until hot, turn off the heat, then add the dried cranberries, cover, and let them soak for about 15 minutes. While they plump up, toast the almonds in a dry skillet—just two minutes stirring constantly until they smell nutty. Mix the cranberries, almonds, parsley, salt, pepper, and olive oil to create a festive, textured tapenade that’s bursting with holiday flavor.
Step 3: Prepare and Glaze the Salmon
Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F and get a sturdy double layer of foil ready on your tray, topped with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Place the salmon skin side down, then sprinkle generously with salt (mostly on the thicker parts) and pepper. To make the glaze, melt butter with honey and garlic until it foams—then pour it straight over the salmon for that divine sticky coat.
Step 4: Wrap and Bake the Salmon
Cover the glazed salmon with more parchment paper and foil, sealing the edges but leaving room for steam to circulate. Bake for 15 minutes—timing is key here to keep moisture trapped for a tender result.
Step 5: Broil for That Beautiful Caramelized Finish
After baking, carefully unwrap the salmon so the surface is exposed but the foil edges are folded down. Switch your oven to broil/grill on high and place the salmon on the middle oven rack. Broil for 7–10 minutes until you see gorgeous caramelized edges and a little browning on top. Watch closely to avoid burning or catching the parchment on fire—keep the salmon lower in the oven if you’re nervous.
Step 6: Transfer, Cool, and Assemble
Using the foil overhang, slide the salmon onto your serving platter so those honey butter juices pool underneath—this is pure gold that you’ll want to mop up. Loosely cover and let your salmon cool for 15 to 60 minutes. Then slather generously with the creamy dill sauce, pile on the holiday tapenade, scatter bright pomegranate seeds and parsley, and finish with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Top Tip
I’ve made this Festive Honey Glazed Salmon Recipe a dozen times and these pointers consistently save me stress and boost flavor. Getting the glaze just right and timing the broil step takes practice, but once you nail it, you’ll be hooked.
- Glaze Consistency: Let the butter and honey foam and bubble but don’t boil too hard to avoid burning the garlic. Two minutes at medium heat is just right.
- Salmon Temperature Check: I like to pry a bit in the thickest part to peek if I’m unsure—the flesh should flake easily but still be moist.
- Parchment Positioning: Folding the foil up around salmon stops glaze from dripping onto pans, which means easier cleanup.
- Broiler Distance: Keeping the salmon away from the upper heating element avoids burnt spots and gives an even caramelization.
How to Serve Festive Honey Glazed Salmon Recipe

Garnishes
I love using fresh pomegranate seeds for that jewel-like burst of color and juicy tang—they really elevate the dish visually and in flavor. Plus, sprinkling chopped fresh parsley adds a lovely herbaceous note that cuts through the richness.
Side Dishes
This dish pairs wonderfully with simple sides like roasted baby potatoes tossed in olive oil and rosemary, or a crisp green salad with lemon vinaigrette. For something heartier, buttery mashed potatoes or creamy risotto are fantastic companions to the salmon’s sweet-savory profile.
Creative Ways to Present
Once, for a festive party, I placed the salmon on a large wooden board layered with fresh greens and lemon slices all around. Adding small bowls of leftover creamy dill sauce and tapenade encouraged guests to build their own perfect bites. It’s simple but makes the meal feel special and interactive.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
I store any leftover salmon loosely covered in the fridge, ideally in a shallow dish to catch those lovely juices. It keeps well for up to 3-4 days when brought back to room temperature gently—just avoid reheating in the microwave to preserve the sauce textures.
Freezing
Freezing this salmon isn't my favorite because the texture changes slightly after thawing, but if needed, wrap it tightly in plastic and then foil. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently in the oven to preserve moisture.
Reheating
My trick to reheating leftover salmon is to place it in a low oven (around 120°C/250°F) covered loosely with foil until warm—this avoids drying it out and keeps the honey glaze gently melted. Don’t microwave because the creamy dill sauce will separate or slide off.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! I recommend baking fillets for 10 minutes, then broiling for an additional 10 minutes to get that caramelized glaze. Just keep an eye on them since fillets cook faster.
If you have a nut allergy, pepitas or sunflower seeds make excellent substitutes in the tapenade—they add a similar crunchy texture without the risks.
The salmon should flake easily but still be moist inside. An internal temperature of around 49°C (120°F) is medium-rare. You can also gently pry into the thickest part to check if it’s opaque and flakes with little resistance.
Yes! Both the creamy dill sauce and the holiday tapenade can be made up to 24 hours in advance—just keep the tapenade ingredients separate for almonds and mix them in before serving to maintain their crunch.
Final Thoughts
This Festive Honey Glazed Salmon Recipe is a real crowd-pleaser, full of vibrant holiday flavors wrapped in a glaze so good I find myself sneaking bites right from the pan—as I’m sure you will too! It’s a recipe that balances simplicity with elegance, perfect for special occasions when you want to impress without stress. Give it a go and trust me, your festive table will thank you.
Print
Festive Honey Glazed Salmon Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Western
Description
This Christmas Baked Salmon recipe features a succulent salmon side glazed with a honey butter sauce, baked to perfection, and finished with a creamy dill sauce and a vibrant holiday tapenade of dried cranberries, toasted almonds, and fresh herbs. Garnished with pomegranate seeds and lemon juice, it's a festive main course perfect for holiday celebrations, served warm or at room temperature for maximum flavor.
Ingredients
Salmon
- 1.5 kg salmon side (skin on, bones removed)
- 2 ¼ teaspoon cooking/kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Honey Butter Glaze
- 150 g unsalted butter
- ½ cup honey
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
Creamy Dill Sauce
- 1 ½ cups full fat sour cream
- ½ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
- ½ eschallot, finely grated
- 1 ½ tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon cooking/kosher salt
Holiday Tapenade
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
- ⅓ cup parsley, roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Finishing
- 1 pomegranate, seeds only
- ¼ cup parsley, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 lemons, cut into 6 wedges each (for serving)
Instructions
- Make Creamy Dill Sauce: In a bowl, combine the full fat sour cream, finely chopped fresh dill, grated eschallot, lemon zest, and salt. Mix until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prepare Holiday Tapenade: Heat orange juice in a saucepan over high heat until hot but not boiling. Remove from heat, add dried cranberries, cover, and let stand for 15 minutes to plump. Drain cranberries well and set aside to cool. Then mix drained cranberries with toasted slivered almonds, roughly chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a bowl. Let come to room temperature before serving.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Salmon: Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F. Place a large double sheet of foil on a baking tray, then cover with baking or parchment paper. Place the salmon side (skin down) on the parchment paper, folding up the foil sides to create a slight cup to prevent glaze from spilling onto tray.
- Make Honey Butter Glaze: In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter with honey and minced garlic. Once it begins foaming, reduce heat to medium and allow it to foam for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and immediately pour the glaze evenly over the salmon.
- Season Salmon: Sprinkle the salmon evenly with cooking/kosher salt and black pepper, concentrating most of the salt on the thicker parts of the fish.
- Wrap and Bake Salmon: Cover the salmon with a smaller piece of parchment paper, then seal with foil, folding the edges to enclose the salmon in a loose parcel. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Uncover and Prepare for Broiling: Remove the salmon from the oven and carefully remove the foil and top parchment. Fold the sides of the paper and foil down to expose the salmon surface while preventing the paper from catching fire during broiling.
- Broil to Brown: Switch the oven to the broil/grill setting on high and place the salmon on the middle rack. Broil for 7 to 10 minutes until caramelization occurs mostly on edges and lightly on top. Check doneness by prying open the fish in the center or using a meat thermometer (ideal range is 49°C/120°F medium-rare to 54°C/130°F medium). Adjust time or rack position accordingly.
- Transfer and Cool Salmon: Use the foil overhang to carefully transfer the salmon to a serving platter, sliding the foil and paper out from underneath to let the honey butter juices pool on the plate. Loosely cover with foil and allow the salmon to cool for at least 15 minutes up to 1 hour to serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
- Assemble and Serve: Spread a thick layer (~0.8 cm) of the creamy dill sauce evenly over the salmon. Spoon the holiday tapenade generously on top, scatter with pomegranate seeds and remaining parsley, then squeeze fresh lemon juice over the entire dish. Serve with extra lemon wedges. Cut into portions with a cake cutter and encourage guests to enjoy the mixture of honey butter glaze with the creamy dill sauce.
Notes
- For the salmon, choose a whole side with skin on for easy handling and bones removed for comfortable eating.
- Cooking/kosher salt is recommended due to its coarser grain; if using table salt, reduce the quantity by 25% to avoid oversalting.
- Toast slivered almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly until lightly browned and fragrant, then cool.
- Check doneness of salmon by prying open the flesh or using a probe thermometer; salmon is medium at 54°C/130°F.
- If you do not have a broiler, increase oven temperature to its highest and roast uncovered to achieve caramelization.
- Substitutes: Trout for salmon, ghee or margarine for butter, maple syrup for honey, spreadable cream cheese for sour cream, chives or green onions for dill, nuts and dried fruit alternatives as per allergy or availability.
- Do not spread sour cream on piping hot salmon as it will melt and slide off.
- Skin is not crisp and can be removed easily during serving if preferred.
- This dish is best served warm or at room temperature, not hot.
- You can prepare tapenade, creamy dill sauce, and honey glaze up to 24 hours in advance for convenience.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for 3–4 days, best served at room temperature without reheating to avoid sour cream melting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 125 g
- Calories: 370 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 540 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg







Leave a Reply