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Christmas Baked Salmon

A festive baked salmon recipe featuring a honey glaze, creamy dill sauce, and a colorful holiday tapenade, perfect for any holiday dinner.

  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1.2 to 1.5 kg / 2.4 to 3 lb salmon side, skin on, bones removed
  • 2 1/4 tsp salt, cooking or kosher
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 150g / 5 oz unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 1/2 cups full-fat sour cream
  • 1/2 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
  • 1/2 eschallot (French onion), finely grated
  • 1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
  • 1/3 cup parsley, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pomegranate, only the seeds
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 lemons, cut into 6 pieces each, for serving

Instructions

  1. Prepare Creamy Dill Sauce: In a bowl, mix sour cream, dill, eschallot, lemon zest, and salt until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.
  2. Prepare Holiday Tapenade: In a saucepan, heat orange juice until hot. Add cranberries, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes. After soaking, drain cranberries and mix them with almonds, parsley, salt, and olive oil in a bowl. This can be served at room temperature.
  3. Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 180 degrees C / 350 degrees F. Prepare a large sheet of foil on a tray. Add parchment paper on top of the foil. Place the salmon on the parchment paper and fold up the sides of the foil.
  4. Make Honey Butter Glaze: Melt the butter with honey and minced garlic in a saucepan over low heat. Pour this glaze over the salmon. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap the salmon completely in the foil and parchment paper.
  5. Bake the Salmon: Place the wrapped salmon in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover the salmon and broil for 7 to 10 minutes until it is browned and cooked through.
  6. Transfer and Cool: Once cooked, transfer the salmon to a serving platter. Let it cool for 15 minutes to allow juices to settle.
  7. Assemble and Serve: Spread the Creamy Dill Sauce over the salmon. Top with the Holiday Tapenade, pomegranate seeds, and freshly chopped parsley. Squeeze lemon juice over the top. Serve with extra lemon wedges on the side.

Notes

This dish pairs beautifully with roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, or a fresh green salad.

  • Author: miguel-santiago
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Paleo

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 450
  • Sugar: 8g
  • Sodium: 600mg
  • Fat: 25g
  • Saturated Fat: 10g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 10g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 22g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 40g
  • Cholesterol: 100mg

Keywords: Christmas, Baked Salmon, Holiday Recipe, Festive Dinner, Easy Salmon