This maple pecan crusted salmon is a simple and delicious dish. Pecans are the star ingredient in this salmon recipe. Their naturally sweet and buttery taste pairs so well with the maple marinade. And when it’s all baked up together, the result is a flavorful melt in your mouth salmon with just the right contrasting crunch from the pecans on top!
SIMPLE AND DELICIOUS SALMON RECIPE
Salmon is one of my favorite types of fish to prepare at home. It’s relatively fast and easy to cook, versatile and healthy. I also think the leftovers hold up a lot better than some other types of fish and tend to taste great the next day – reheated or chilled!
This maple pecan crusted salmon only has six ingredients and gives you two tasty meals. I like to serve the salmon with steamed or roasted broccoli and rice for dinner and then top a salad with leftovers for lunch the next day with my homemade honey mustard dressing.
MAPLE PECAN CRUSTED SALMON INGREDIENTS
- Salmon – this recipe will work well with most any type of salmon – Atlantic, coho, king, sockeye, etc.
- Butter – for the marinade, I like to use salted butter
- Maple syrup – for the marinade, you can sub honey if you don’t have maple syrup
- Worcestershire sauce – for the marinade
- Dijon mustard – for the marinade
- Fresh raw pecan pieces – toasted and then used to crust the salmon
- Lemon wedges – optional for garnish when serving, I like a squeeze of lemon on top of my salmon and broccoli
LET’S TALK PEANS!
I partnered with the American Pecan Council to create this recipe for an Instagram Reel. It’s so good that I wanted to be sure to share it here too since I know some people don’t do social or prefer to access recipes online.
I have been a lifelong fan of pecans. I spent a lot of time at my grandparents house growing up and they had some big pecan trees in their yard. I still remember gathering the pecans, shelling them and storing them in the freezer to enjoy throughout the year. My grandparents had a secondary chest freezer in my grandfather’s “boat house” (what we called his shed) and he used to fill my pockets up with cold pecans to snack on.
I think pecans are the perfect nut for so many sweet and savory recipes…and for snacking by the handful! Here are some details on the nutritional benefits of pecans:
- There are three grams of plant protein in a one-ounce serving of raw pecans provides three grams of plant protein.
- Each one-ounce serving of raw pecans has 12 grams of “good” monounsaturated fat with zero cholesterol or sodium.
- Compared to other nuts, pecans are among the lowest in carbs and highest in fiber.
Let’s get to the recipe!
MAPLE PECAN CRUSTED SALMON RECIPE
Print
Maple Pecan Crusted Salmon
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A simple and delicious salmon recipe that’s sweet and savory with the perfect pecan crunch!
Ingredients
4 (6-oz) salmon fillets (about 1.25 lbs)
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup fresh pecan pieces
Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and stir continuously for 3-4 minutes until all ingredients are incorporated. Let cool.
- Pour pecan pieces in a dry skillet and toast over medium heat until just golden, careful not to overcook.
- Place salmon fillets in a gallon bag and add marinade. Seal and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours).
- Preheat oven to 325. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.
- Place pecans in a shallow dish and dip the top side of each salmon fillet into pecans. Press lightly to get pecans to adhere. Place fillet-side up (skin side down) on prepared baking sheet.
- Sprinkle fillets with remaining pecan pieces and salt, and drizzle with any remaining marinade.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature is 125 degrees. I swear by my instant read thermometer for perfectly cooked fish. Serve with fresh lemon wedges.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. They are delicious served over a salad with homemade honey mustard dressing.
