Kid-friendly, easy-to-make healthy dinner choice for the family? Yes please! This easy oven baked soy maple glazed salmon is super quick to prepare and requires only a few ingredients to whip up. Jammy green onions slathered in caramelized sweet maple syrup and savory soy sauce – absolutely delicious! A family favorite amongst kids, you’ll want to add this dish to your usual weekly dinner line-up!
There are different ways you can cook your salmon, but whether it’s baked, grilled, or pan-fried, salmon is always a crowd favorite. Healthy and rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, salmon is a great source of lean protein and vitamins A,B and D. You’ll especially like this recipe because:
- Little to no clean up – prepped, baked and eaten in the same pan.
- Stupid easy – just mix the sauce and pour over!
- It’s fast and can be made ahead of time.
- Best for busy people or those who don’t really cook. The oven does all the work so you don’t need to rely on heavy skills, attention or technique. Just set a timer!
Soy Maple Glazed Salmon Ingredients
I know, I know another maple glazed salmon recipe? There are many versions out there, but this recipe is inspired by my Chinese background and pulls on Cantonese flavor profiles.
Pulling on my love for steamed fish, this soy maple glazed salmon includes green onions and Shaoxing wine for added texture and flavor. Add in roasted garlic and sweet maple syrup and it’s addictively delicious served with steamed rice.
Salmon Filet
This recipe uses a whole filet and the filet is baked whole. I find using a whole piece produces a more succulent and moist texture. Feel free to use portions which are more economical but be sure to reduce your cooking time. You can also use salmon with or without skin. I typically choose a filet with skin for extra fat (flavor) and assume it’s probably fresher. I also choose a middle piece with the belly for the most omega 3 and fat which produces a moister bake.
Maple Syrup
High quality maple syrup is a must for this recipe. Avoid using pancake syrup because it will make your sauce marinade flat and overly sweet. You definitely want the caramel, burnt nutty notes of maple to pair with the savoriness of the soy sauce.
Soy Sauce
Soy sauce (it’s the Asian in me) and also because it adds the umami yumminess to balance out the sweetness of the maple syrup and fattiness of the salmon.
Green Onions
Personally, roasted green onions with the glaze is what brings this soy maple salmon recipe to the next level and makes it different from any other recipe. The green onions roast into an almost jam-like texture you can pair with steamed rice (or any carb of your choice)!
Worcestershire sauce
Worcestershire sauce adds a hint of acid and malt vinegar to the sauce marinade. Feel free to leave out if you don’t have it handy.
Shaoxing wine
Shaoxing wine for added tenderness to the salmon. Feel free to substitute with dry sherry or even mirin if you don’t have this on hand.
The Secret to Moist and Flaky Baked Salmon
Chalky with white gooey stuff oozing out? These are definitely signs of dry and overcooked salmon. Be sure to follow my key secrets below for moist and flaky baked salmon every time.
- Always use fresh salmon – never frozen. Previously frozen salmon will always be stiffer and drier in texture and no cooking method will ever make it taste as good as fresh. Although maple syrup and soy are probably the best ways to make frozen fish more edible since they act as insulators and don’t dry out your fish.
- Don’t overcook it. This is where minimal skill is needed. Set a timer and use a meat thermometer. Perfectly done salmon should be medium rare and slightly dark pink in the center. I also undercook it slightly and let it rest since it will continue to cook. Using a meat thermometer, I usually take it out once it hits 115⁰F – 125⁰F and let it sit for 5 minutes. My rule of thumb is 8 minutes per pound plus 5 -7 minutes broiling time.
- Baste and broil. This is where nicely cooked salmon becomes guest impressive salmon! After it’s been in the oven for 15 minutes, take it out and spoon the maple glaze over your salmon a few times. This keeps it moist and allows more of the glaze to caramelize on top. Turn the broiler on high and let it broil for 5-7 minutes. This will create a nicely brown crust and added flavour.
- Use an insulator. Using some sort of flavoured coating will bake your salmon more gently and evenly while keeping it moist at the same time. This recipe uses maple glaze but any sort of thick paste will do. Other variations are miso paste or my mother in laws favourite – mayonnaise. I personally like maple soy because the excess marinade reduces while the salmon bakes, adding a beautiful sauce you can pour over rice or carb of your choice.
Success Tips for the Best Baked Soy Maple Glazed salmon
In addition to my general tips for moist, flaky perfectly baked salmon, there are also some key tips for baked maple soy salmon.
- Use a shallow glass baking dish. Using a glass dish avoids excessive burning. If you use a foil pan, the sugar content in the maple syrup burns quite quickly especially in a toaster oven. The salmon will still turn out amazing but you won’t be left with much of a sauce.
- Use high quality maple syrup. Quality maple syrup has a smoky nutty caramel flavour that pancake syrup doesn’t. I usually purchase the Kirkland brand from Costco.
- Use a full filet of salmon. I usually try to buy a full intact piece of salmon fillet (think Costco portion) and serve it family style v.s. separate salmon portions. The larger piece means a longer cooking time and more wiggle room before drying out. Salmon portions even at the same weight will cook faster than a whole fillet.
- Choose a salmon fillet with a belly portion. The salmon belly usually contains more fat and omega 3 which is helpful in brain development. I always choose a middle piece of the salmon fillet that has beautiful thick white lines going through the flesh. Because of the extra omega and fat, this means your salmon will be more moist and tender. Even though the belly portion is thinner, the extra fat insulates it from being overcooked.
What to serve with Soy Maple Glazed Salmon
There are different ways you can enjoy your maple salmon. Because of the sauce, I think this dish is best served with some sort of carb.
- Steamed rice and a stir fried vegetable of your choice.
- Quinoa and kale for a healthier option.
- Salad for a light, low carb option.
How to Make Soy Maple Glazed Salmon: Step by Step Instructions
Marinate
- Combine Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, white pepper, garlic powder, grated ginger (if using), maple syrup, minced garlic, green onion in a small bowl. Mix the marinade thoroughly.
- Place your salmon fillet in a shallow glass or corningware baking dish.
- Pour the marinade over the salmon until evenly coated. If your salmon has skin, flip it flesh side down. Let the salmon marinade for 30 minutes or even overnight in the fridge.
Bake, Baste and Broil
- Preheat the toaster oven to 375ºF. Remove the salmon from the fridge and flip it skin side down (if applicable).
- Place the salmon in the oven and bake for 20 minutes (for a 24 oz. fillet) basting it about halfway through.
- About the 13 minute mark, remove the salmon and spoon the sauce over your fillet covering it evenly. Place the salmon back in the oven and broil on high for 7 minutes.
Rest and Serve
- Remove promptly and check the internal temperature is 115ºF – 125ºF. Cooked salmon should still be slightly pink in the center and not thoroughly opaque.
- Rest for five minutes and serve.
Make Ahead Instructions
Mix and marinate your salmon overnight or ideally 20 minutes before. This soy maple salmon recipe is a great weeknight recipe because you can marinate ahead of time directly in your baking dish. I usually pull it straight from the fridge into my toaster oven. Add rice in the rice cooker, boil some corn on the cob and dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes.
If you’re in a real rush, I’ve also skipped the marination time and just poured the sauce over my salmon and put it immediately in the oven. Still turns out amazing!
Storing Tips
Store any unused portions in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave on high for 2 minutes.
Since salmon is a fish, reheating in the microwave will unfortunately cook it further. So leftover salmon won’t be as good the day after.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Yes absolutely. Soy sauce is salty so it’s perfect to act as a brine to weaken the proteins in salmon. This helps the salmon retain more moisture while it cooks. As a marinade, I usually stick to no more than 2-3 tablespoons per pound of salmon. If you have other salty ingredients in your marinade, adjust the amount of soy sauce accordingly.
Salmon is best baked in high heat for a relatively short amount of time so that the center remains pink, tender and moist. My rule of thumb is 8-10 minutes per pound plus 5-7 minutes broiling time. Salmon starts to overcook pretty quickly going from tender moist to chalky with white oozy stuff (a.k.a albumin) leaking on its surface. Start with less time and add 2 minutes at a time. You can always further cook your salmon but you can’t un-cook it!
For a toaster oven, salmon is best baked between 375ºF-400ºF depending on the size of your toaster oven. A smaller oven means the heating elements are closer to your fish which means more chance of burning. For a full oven, I stick to 400ºF.
Salmon is done cooking when the internal temperature reaches between 115⁰F – 125⁰F. I usually take out my salmon at a lower internal temperature and let it rest for a few minutes in the baking pan since it continues to cook. This way, the salmon is perfectly done at the time of serving.
Toaster Oven Baked Soy Maple Glazed Salmon (Moist & Flaky!)
Ingredients
- 24 oz. salmon fillet with/without skin on (Note 1)
- 1 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine
- 3 Tbsp. light soy sauce
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce (optional) (Note 2)
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ginger grated (optional)
- ¼ cup maple syrup (Note 3)
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 sprigs of green onion chopped
Instructions
- Combine Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, white pepper, garlic powder, grated ginger (if using), maple syrup, minced garlic, green onion in a small bowl. Mix the marinade thoroughly.1 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine, 3 Tbsp. light soy sauce, 2 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, ¼ tsp white pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp ginger, ¼ cup maple syrup, 2 sprigs of green onion, 4 cloves of garlic
- Place your salmon fillet in a shallow glass or corningware baking dish.24 oz. salmon fillet
- Pour the marinade over the salmon until evenly coated. If your salmon has skin, flip it flesh side down. Let the salmon marinade for 30 minutes or even overnight in the fridge.
- Preheat the toaster oven to 375ºF. Remove the salmon from the fridge and flip it skin side down (if applicable).
- Place the salmon in the oven and bake for 20 minutes basting once. About the 13 minute mark, remove the salmon and spoon the sauce over your fillet covering it evenly.
- Place the salmon back in the oven and broil on high for 7 minutes.
- Remove promptly and check the internal temperature is 125ºF – 135ºF. Cooked salmon should still be slightly pink in the center and slightly translucent. (Note 4)
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Substitutions/Variations
Salmon fillet vs. portions Fillets take a few extra minutes to cook over separate portions of salmon. It’s always better to start with less time and add in 2 minute increments so you avoid seriously overcooking your salmon.- A full 24 oz fillet (20 mins – 13 mins bake with 7 minute broil)
- Four 6 oz portions (16 mins – 9 mins bake with 7 minute broil)
- 400ºF for full oven
- 375ºF for toaster oven
Notes
- I usually prefer salmon with skin on because usually it means it’s more likely fresh. This recipe works well for both skin and skinless salmon fillets.
- Dark soy sauce is mainly for color. Feel free to leave out if you don’t have any on hand.
- A good quality maple syrup is really important in this recipe for the smoky caramel notes in the sauce. If you use pancake syrup or a low quality, the salmon will end up overly sweet.
- If it’s close to 125ºF I would still remove it and let it rest since the salmon will continue to cook.
Diane
Another great recipe! I invited my parents over for dinner tonight And made it the salmon… it was a hit! Mix of sweet and salty, flavourful and moist… my parents even asked for the recipe! Getting compliments from my parents, especially for any cooking is hard to come by.. major thumbs up!