Lacquered Sheet Pan Salmon
Even after all these years of getting family dinners on the table for my herd of 6, Sheet Pan Salmon is still consistently everyone’s favorite meal. Never any complaints, never any huffy moans and never any pseudo-polite “can I have something else” –es.
Through the years, I’ve been pretty honest about how dinnertime goes around my house and I’ve settled for pleasing half of the people half of the time (and two of the three that form a half include myself and David). But this Lacquered Salmon with its sweet and smoky and spicy flavors ticks all the boxes. And the sticky, brown sugar shell that forms in the final minutes? It’s magical with the buttery, flaky salmon.
In addition to pleasing the entire family, this meal is extremely easy to make. But there are 2 things that maximize the success of this meal. First, when picking salmon, choose Norwegian or Atlantic salmon. It’s always a little more mild in flavor and is less prone to dry out while baking. Second, be sure to spray the sheet pan with nonstick spray. This keeps the sticky caramelized lacquered sugar coating from burning to the pan.
I served this salmon with a side of skin-on mashed potatoes and a green garden salad dressed with a few leftover packets of Chick-fil-A’s Avocado Lime Ranch salad dressing (truly the best salad dressing). Hands-down the best salmon recipe I’ve ever had! Yes, the flavor is delicious – that sticky, sweet and BBQ-spiced lacquered shell is EVERYTHING!! But the fact that everyone always happily eats this meal is what makes it for me. Whether with potatoes or over rice or accompanied with your favorite vegetable, this meal is a must for your menu!
Lacquered Sheet Pan Salmon
- 2 – 2 lb salmon fillets (Norwegian/Atlantic salmon is the key to success)
- 1 c brown sugar
- 2 T spicy brown mustard
- 1/2 T dry BBQ spice rub
- 1/2 T garlic salt with parsley
- 2 T vegetable oil
- 1 T water
- 1 t smoked salt (optional)
Preheat the oven to 450°. Spray 2 rimmed baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray and place one fillet on each baking sheet.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the lacquer glaze (all remaining) ingredients, whisking to dissolve sugar.
Spread half of the mixture over the top of each fillet and place the baking sheets into the preheated oven.
Bake 20 minutes or until salmon is just shy of your preferred doneness.
Adjust the oven to the HIGH BROIL setting and place each fillet under the broiler until the brown sugar BBQ topping is bubbly and golden (1-2 minutes).
Serve immediately.
Serves 6-8
