4 Ingredient Orange Salmon
Super simple and super delicious baked salmon recipe. Delightful combination of sweet and salty flavors in this easy Orange Salmon that is made with only 4 ingredients.
ORANGE SALMON
I got this absolutely gorgeous piece of salmon last week and I could not wait to make it. I decided to go as simply route as possible because, like I mentioned, I did not know the time I had to make it. (Turns out, I was allotted 40 minutes, which was enough to cook but barely enough to take pictures.)
This recipe is as simple as mixing the sauce ingredients in a bowl and then baking salmon with it. Easy-peasy and oh-so-tasty!
I did try something new with this recipe. The seafood lady at the store recommended that I tried baking salmon skin up for about 5-7 minutes first and then flipping it and baking it skin down the rest of the way. That’s exactly what I did.
What it does is help the oils and juices run into the salmon meat rather than off onto the baking sheet. It infuses salmon meat with more flavor. To make this experiment a little more conclusive, I will try making it again without the sauce but just some salt and pepper. That way, I will taste only the salmon and not the sauce.
There is no denial though, salmon was tender, and juicy, and very flavorful.
HOW TO MAKE THIS EASY BAKED SALMON
Before Baking:
Preheat the oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, folding up the edges to keep keep sauce in. Combine juice from 2 oranges, zest from 1 orange, soy sauce, and honey in a bowl. Whisk well.
To Bake Salmon:
Pour a few spoonfuls of sauce on the prepared baking pan. Place salmon skin up and pour remaining sauce over it.
Bake for about 7 minutes and carefully flip salmon skin down. Spoon some sauce over the top of the salmon.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until salmon is done. Bake time will depend on the size and thickness of salmon filet. (USDA recommend salmon temperature to be 145° but that might be a little dry. I prefer to cook my salmon to 135° internal temperature.)
MORE EASY RECIPE TO ENJOY:
Sun-Dried Tomato Lemon Salmon and Asparagus
Crockpot Orange Chicken
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4 Ingredient Orange Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 lb salmon skin on
- 1 orange ZEST and JUICE
- 1 orange JUICE
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, folding up the edges to keep keep sauce in.
- Combine juice from 2 oranges, zest from 1 orange, soy sauce, and honey in a bowl. Whisk well.
- Pour a few spoonfuls of sauce on the prepared baking pan. Place salmon skin up and pour remaining sauce over it.
- Bake for about 7 minutes and carefully flip salmon skin down. Spoon some sauce over the top of the salmon.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until salmon is done. Bake time will depend on the size and thickness of salmon filet.
- Enjoy salmon over rice or quinoa.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Categories:
30 Minute Meals, Dinner Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Salmon Dinner Recipes, Seafood Dinner Recipes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
I made this a few months ago for my sister and her husband and it was delicious! Making it again tonight for my daughters family. I know they’ll love it! So simple!
That means so much, thank you! I love that you’ve shared it with your family, and I’m so happy it’s being made again. Hope your daughter and her family love it just as much! 😊
Delicious! Although I used skinless salmon, it was amazing. This is the way I’ll cook salmon from now on!
I’m so glad you loved it! Skinless salmon works perfectly too, that’s awesome to hear this will be your go-to way to cook it from now on!
This is above all my favorite recipe for salmon. So simple and delicious 😋
That means so much, thank you! 🧡 I’m so glad you love the recipe. Simple and delicious is always the goal, and it makes my day to hear it’s your favorite! 😀
This was fabulous! I made the marinade with stevia brown sugar instead of honey and it still worked so well! I marinated the salmon for at least 2 hours, it was a huge hit! This will definitely be on rotation in the house!!
Love hearing that! Using stevia brown sugar is a great swap—awesome to know it still came out delicious. So glad it’s earned a spot in your regular rotation!
Can I marinate the fish in this first
I loved this recipe! I added pressed garlic and red pepper flakes. I put the sauce in the fridge for 30 minutes before using. I thought it was fabulous and will definitely make it again!
I am so glad you liked it, Lynnette!
Made this tonight for Christmas Eve dinner with baked potatoes and steamed broccoli, it came out amazing. I will definitely be making this again soon. Thank for the recipe and Merry Christmas 🎄☃️❄️👍🏻🙏
Thank you so much for sharing, Shelley! It sounds like you created the perfect Christmas Eve dinner! I’m so happy to hear the recipe was a hit, and I love that you’ll be making it again soon. Hope you and your family had a good Christmas and a joyful holiday season! 🎄
A great recipe. Cooks the salmon perfectly. I served it on fried rice.
I am so glad you liked it, Chris!
Is it possible to use orange juice instead of an orange?
I just made this salmon. I really liked it, it was very moist, although even with the zest I didn’t taste much of the orange. I used navel. Should I have used another type of orange?
This salmon recipe is delicious. My husband does not like salmon as much as I do. He really liked the salmon prepared this way. I love the simplicity of it using ingredients that are typically on hand in my kitchen. Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I hope this review made you smile!.
Thank you so much for your lovely review! I’m thrilled to hear that you and your husband enjoyed the salmon recipe, especially since he’s not usually a big fan of salmon. It’s great to know that the simplicity and common ingredients made it a hit. Your kind words definitely made me smile! 😊 Happy cooking!
Receita facil de elaborar e que agrada aos paladares mais apurados. Vou experimentar.
I just finished eating this salmon and oh my goodness is it delicious!! The only tweak I will make next time is to put it under the broiler to get a nice brown color to the top. Otherwise – it was so tender and juicy. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!!
I am so happy you liked the recipe, Lynne!
Very good…always trying new recipes for salmon and this one is a keeper!!!
I am so glad you liked it, Karen!
Sounds tasty. Would like to know if this recipe is diabetes friendly.
THANKS!
I have made this three times and has been enjoyed by many every time. Delicious way to make salmon. I let it sit in the marinade for 15 minutes before putting it in the oven and it turns out great.
Thanks, Dawn! So glad you like it!
I usually cook for 1,so I cut the sauce in 1/2. and it was wonderful.
Jeanette
We loved the recipe, but I did add two ingredients… grated ginger and a small splash of sesame oil. Our salmon wasn’t very thick, so we cooked each side for seven minutes and it came out perfect.
I am glad you liked it!
Easy and delicious!
Thanks, Susan! Glad you liked it!
I love salmon and can’t wait to try this recipe. With lent coming up soon this will be perfect. My husband doesn’t like salmon so I am wondering if there are any other types of fish that would go well with this sauce
if there is so much difference in opinion on cooking and temp time, can you specify a random weight of fish and give us just the right time and temp for that peace you test? we can take it from there as a guide. However, a quick read meat thermometer is alwas the best friend in the kitchen, you could also instruct to cook it until it reaches the ultimate internal temp. Other than the time/temp contoroversy, the recceipe looks good enough for my non fish eating husband to enjoy. By the way have you ever subbed the orance and honey for a good orange marmelade? I wonder how they would be different. I hope to hear from you , this is a great recipe cant wait to try!
Skeptical at first and sold after making. Everybody raved and wanted me to put it into the rotation. I cooked down the sauce and thickened to use as a glaze.
I am so glad you liked it, Brian!
I am so happy to hear everyone liked it!
Could you tell me how much orange juice you use? Approximately in cup measure.
Hi Sherry,
I juiced one orange and that is about 1/4 to 1/3 cups depending on the size of the orange.
Super moist and flavorful! Orange,, soy sauce and honey are really nice complement to the salmon.
I did add sweet paprika to the salmon before putting in the oven .
All in all a very tasty dinner
I am glad you liked it!
My family loved this recipe! The salmon turned out to be flavourful and the sauce could be drizzled onto rice.
Leftover salmon the next day was used for a salmon mango salad and a tad of grated ginger was added to the sauce. Most yummy! Will definitely make it again. Thanks for a great and simple recipe!
I am glad you like it, Doreen!
I have made a recipe of yours b4, cant remem which, but DO remem that it was awesome and figure this will be as well. I need to make this on the stove top and will let you know how it turns out. I dont have a/c and its a 98 degree day here, so cant heat up the kitchen that much (which is the “why” behind so much frying in the south). Best to you.
Thank you for your kind words and trust in trying out my recipes! I’m glad to hear that you’ve had a positive experience with one of my previous recipes. I am in the south too so I understand when you want to avoid heating up the kitchen too much.
Will try this but have to sub for the soy sauce. 1608mg of sodium is WAAAY too much for us with high BP. I usually sub with French’s Low Sodium Worchester Sauce with 10% sodium compared to soy sauce.
Not exactly the same, but close enough for me.
[anyone got a better sub for soy sauce?]
Coconut Aminos – low sodium
Braggs Liquid Aminos, if you find a different brand than Braggs even better.
Excellent recipe! I served this to friends and was told it was the best tasting salmon they ever had! I have made it several times since! A definite keeper!
Thanks for sharing!
I am going to try this but I really think you should edit your cooking time like one other person said. Salmon usually takes about 12 to 15 minutes to cook and you have your oven set at 425 which is high. . I like mine medium rare, so I always use aI thermometer to keep track of the temperature. Maybe you could possibly mean 18 to 20 minutes total but the way you have your recipe you are showing to cook it for seven minutes , flip it over and then cook it for 18 to 20 minutes more! This would absolutely ruin any piece of salmon.
Loved this Salmon. Very moist and the flavors were perfect. The smell and taste of the orange was so refreshing. I forget how important zest is. I do believe the honey really helps to crisp/brown the top. I will definitely be making this again. As to a few comments regarding the cook time, it really does depend on the thickness of the cut.
I am so glad you liked it! 🙂
I really enjoyed the flavor but the instructions for how was way too long It took less than 7 minutes to cook at 425.
It does depend on the thickness of the salmon. I am glad you liked it though.
This was the most delicious salmon I have ever cooked, it will be a favorite it will be cooked often. And oh so easy to prepare.
I am so glad you liked it, Robin!
I made this with Red Plum jelly, Bourbon & garlic. It was Delicious.
That sounds so good! I am so happy it turned out delicious!
Your recipe look delicious. Is there any other ingredient you know of that can replace money. I am allergic to honey. Would love to try your recipe.
I am so sorry, I responded to your comment and I guess it didn’t post.
You can use agave in its place and it will be very similar. You could also use maple syrup but the flavor may be a little stronger so if possible I would use the agave.
I am confused….bake it for 18-20 minutes total? Or 7 minutes PLUS another 18-20 minutes? I usually bake salmon for about 12 minutes and I don’t like it rare. Maybe it’s just my oven…
The salmon was delicious.. served with Basmati rice & mixed veggies. I will definitely make this recipe again.
Thanks, Janet! I am glad you liked it!
This salmon recipe was delicious and easy. Will do it again!
Glad you liked it, Jan!
What are the measurements for the orange zest and juice and orange juice,
HI Juli,
All the measurments for the recipe are above in the recipe card along with the instructions on how to make this recipe. I hope that helps but if for some reason you can’t see the recipe card let me know.
Delicious
Thank you!
Very easy and delicious! I’ll make it again.
Thank you, Jean! I am so glad you liked the salmon!
Easy & so flavorful. Served it with teriyaki noodles & fresh fruit. My family loved it!
Yum! Now I want some teriyaki noodles! I am so glad your family loved it! 😀
Always looking for new salmon recipes.
Me too! 🙂
Love trying out new salmon recipes.
I hope you love the recipe, Ella!
DE-LICIOUS! I made this yesterday- followed your recipe to the “T” and my husband was speechless (as was I!). This is replacing the other recipe I had for orange salmon. It’s so flavorful, and the flavors are perfectly balanced. I also love the step of starting out skin-side up, then flipping the salmon! I loved reading your post! I, too, want to see the difference with only salt and pepper- excited for this. Thank you so much for your recipe and tips. I look forward making more of your beautiful dishes! (PS. This recipe is included in Yvonne @ StoneGables’ Weekly Menu that was posted yesterday morning, which is where I found it- I’m so glad because I am having fun exploring your site!) Thanks again!
Thanks, Stephanie! I am so glad you liked the recipe! 🙂
I need to sub soy sauce due to sodium. Will woscestershire sauce work?
No, it will overpower the other flavors. But you can use a low soduim soy sauce or tamari instead.
Let me start off by saying this recipe is so Easy & Delicious!
I’ve made it twice: once to your exact directions and second time I added 1 Tbsp ginger & garlic paste to sauce (I preferred it without the ginger/garlic paste) maybe a little overpowering for the delicate Salmon. I agree and thank you for suggesting only baking the Salmon to an internal temperature of 135F… less is best in this case as it continues to cook while resting. My family & friends love it and so do I. 👍🏼
I am so glad you liked it, Suzanne! Thanks for stopping by!
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try this out on our fresh caught fish.
I bet it will taste amazing with fresh-caught fish! Let me know what you think! 🙂
My family and I enjoy salmon twice a week.
I made the salmonrecipe by your directions with these changes:
• Our salmon was 2.38 lbs, not 1 lb.
• Baked for 30 minutes due to the change in size.
• Wrapped the salmon in parchment and aluminum foil to seal in the orange juice.
• All in all, the salmon was bland. It needed something, maybe an herb. The citrus zest is good in the recipe. Let me know which herb I could use. Thanks
This looks wonderful! I have a lemon tree so I’m wondering if I could use lemons instead of the oranges?
I am sorry that is a completely different flavor and it will not work.
My partner loved it and he’s not too fond of “Asian” flavors but I won him over on this one!!
Yay! I love hearing that! 🙂
I fixed your salmon recipe last night and it was excellent! I had a piece that was small and skin less so didn’t use your exact measurements but same ingredients, oh added some fresh ginger. It was easy, ingredients you already have. Thank you for doing all the work for us, plus your pictures make someone want to fix and eat it.
Thanks, Lorie! I am glad you liked the recipe!
Absolutely delicious! Instead of the honey, I substituted the “end of the jar” all fruit, orange jam. I also grated some fresh ginger into the sauce, and topped it with a twisted slice of orange.
Would definitely serve this dish again!
Yum, that sounds lovley! I am so glad you liked it, Nancy!
Made this exactly as written. We loved it. Had fried rice & roasted Brussel sprouts with it. We are regular salmon lovers so I’m always looking for different recipes. Will definitely make again. You need the skin on to keep it moist.
I am so glad you liked it, Janet!
Can you make this with a no skin salmon filet. I can’t eat fish with skin on it. Ewww!
The skin adds lots of flavor. You can just peel it off after baking. The salmon won’t be as tasty or as moist without it. If you insist on skinless salmon, I’d personally advise you to look for a different recipe.
Hi Janet,
You can make this without skin! I have a friend who doesn’t like skin and she enjoys this recipe!
Made this for dinner tonight. My husband remarked hoe juicy it was. I have @ numbe4 of salmon r3cipes that we lik3 & now this is one of them. Side dishes were stir fried rice & fresh asparagus. Will definitely make agsin
So glad you liked them, Janet!
My favorite salmon recipe. I will make this again.
My husband who don’t like salmon very much really likes this one. It is pretty easy and a definite do again.
I am so glad to hear that! Thanks for stopping by to let me know, Shawna!
Delish. I grilled it for 4 mins on each side on a grill pad No picture because we finished it. i would make this agàin!
I am so glad you liked it, Lesa!
Thank you! We loved your recipe! Made it exactly as written & won’t change a thing when we make it again. My guy said we are adding it to our weekly rotation . It was so delicious!!!
Nice! I am so glad you liked it!
This was delicious! Was looking for something new to do with salmon and this was perfect! My husband commented twice how good it was and he only eats fish to appease me.
I made this for my son for dinner tonight. It was so easy and he loved it. He is a hard critic. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Laurie,
Wow! I am so happy you liked it! Thanks for stopping by to let me know! 🙂
Super super yummy!!!! I was making a side dish with pineapple and had a little left over…threw the extra in the sauce and it was super delicious!!! Thanks for the great recipe idea!!!
I am so pleased you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to let me know! 🙂
If i sub. Fresh squeezed OJ instead of actually squeezing two approximately how many ounces would i use. Guessing 3 to 4 oz.
If you don’t have any oranges, how much juice should be added?
You would use about 4 tablespoons of orange juice.
This recipe was absolutely awesome! I made it tonight for my mom and myself and we both loved it! I ended up using the juice of 4 fresh mandarine oranges and the zest of 2. I also added freshly grated ginger, (about a 1/2 tsp), and sprinkled slivered scallions on in the final 2 minutes of cooking. Will definitely be making again! Thank you!
Thank you, Deborah!
Wow! I just made this and it was delicious! I’ll definitely be making this again!
Because I watch my sodium intake, I substituted Worcestershire sauce for the soy sauce.
Great recipe!!,
Glad you liked it, Caroline!
You can also use aminos to substitute for soy. It tastes exactly like soy and very low sodium.
Yes, you right! That is a good substitute for soy. 🙂
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make it?
This looks so good! Does this glaze work on other kinds of meat?
I think it would be great with chicken! Cooking time would change of course.
I made this for our Valentines Dinner, it was delicious. It’s the best salmon I have ever eaten. I did add some grated ginger to the recipe but everything else was the same. My son, who loves salmon, said it’s the best he’s ever eaten, that’s saying something, he orders salmon every time we go out. Even my youngest son, who doesn’t like fish loved it. So it was a hit. Thank you and I’ll be back to try more of your recipes.
Thank you for such a nice comment! I am glad you liked it! 🙂
Hello so I’m planning on making this. I only have orange juice and no oranges is that fine as well? Also what would be the measurement for that?
You can make it without orange zest but the flavors wont be as vibrant.
Remove the hide from the salmon before preparing. The hide contains an oil that makes the fish taste nasty. (spoken by someone who had a father that fished for salmon.)
Cleaning n scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
Because babies grow up to our sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs, dust, go to sleep
I’m rocking my baby n babies don’t keep!
I’ll try your recipe. Looks tummy!
Made this twice, and loved it. Planning on making for a large group, approximately 15 people. Since this recipe is for 2, I figured I could multiply the sauce by 8. That would give me 16 servings.
My question is, can I make the sauce ahead of time? This would give me a chance to clean up my kitchen before my guests arrive.
You could put it all together and just cook it right before your guest come.
Delicious!! Keeping this in my all time favorite recipes box!! Thank you.
Emily, I’m so pleased to hear you like it so much!
I make something like this about once a month and we love it. I take a shortcut and use sugar free orange marmalade. I think it provides a more intense flavor and a thicker glaze. I’m still trying to remember how I came up with a weird combo like marmalade and soy sauce!!
how much marmalade and do you still use the honey?
how much marmalade? I have diabetes and that would be very helpful.
Thanks Edythe
this sounds deelish! Can’t wait to try it. Wondering if you have ever used this same sauce for cooking shrimp as well?
I haven’t tried it but that sounds really good!
How many servings does this recipe make. The nutrition facts label tells the calories/fat per serving but not the size of serving. Can’t wait to try this. I love salmon
Made this salmon tonight and it was delicious! FIrst time I ever had salmon that I actually thought was good! Will be making this recipe again soon. Thank you!
Awe, I”m so happy to hear that, Carol! I’m glad you liked it and hope you will try my other salmon recipes as well 😉
Is 1 orange JUICE the juice of one orange or a glass of orange juice?
Thanks
Hi Luis! It’s the juice from 1 orange. I hope you like it!
It’s technically zest from 1 orange and juice from 2 oranges. So 1 orange is zested and juiced and the other one is just juiced.
Hi, maybe I’m blind but I’m not seeing an actual recipe for this orange salmon
i.e. amounts of ingredients, etc. Help!
Course Main Course
Keyword orange sauce, salmon
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 463 kcal
Ingredients
1 lb salmon skin on
1 orange ZEST and JUICE
1 orange JUICE
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, folding up the edges to keep keep sauce in.
Combine juice from 2 oranges, zest from 1 orange, soy sauce, and honey in a bowl. Whisk well.
Pour a few spoonfuls of sauce on the prepared baking pan. Place salmon skin up and pour remaining sauce over it.
Bake for about 7 minutes and carefully flip salmon skin down. Spoon some sauce over the top of the salmon.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until salmon is done. Bake time will depend on the size and thickness of salmon filet.
Enjoy salmon over rice or quinoa.
Thank you so much, Irene Swartz, very much appreciate your
writing this down for me!
Thank you, Irene!
I’m glad you have it now, Laura!
This was fabulous. Fiancé said it was cooked to perfection. I loved the sauce. Thank you for this gem.
I love salmon and can’t wait to try this recipe
I really hope you will soon, Jeanette!
This was great thanks for s
I am so glad you liked it!