Fresh salmon fillets are rubbed with a sweet & spicy dry rub then baked until crispy! This sugar spiced salmon is the best baked salmon recipe & takes less than 15 minutes! Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner!
Salmon is one of my FAVORITE proteins! Especially when I’m looking for an easy weeknight meal! It’s quick, easy and there’s so many ways to prepare it. But this baked sugar spiced salmon is the BEST! It’s only 5 ingredients and comes together in no time at all!
It’s smokey, sweet, has a little bit of spice and is always so tender and flakey! We make this dish at least once a week and never get tired of it!
Ingredients For Your Baked Sugar Spiced Salmon
- Salmon fillets: Salmon fillets with or without skin both work for this recipe! (We usually prefer it without.) Try using fillets that are similar in size so they finish baking around the same time.
- Coconut sugar: Used as the base for your spice rub! (Brown sugar can be used as a replacement.)
- Paprika: You’ll need 1 tablespoon of paprika for your spice rub.
- Salt: A ½ teaspoon of salt in the rub helps bring out your flavors!
- Black pepper: You’ll need 1 teaspoon of black pepper to give your spice rub the right amount of heat!
How To Make Spice Rubbed Salmon In The Oven
1. Make your spice rub. Mix your coconut sugar (or brown sugar), paprika, salt & pepper together together in a bowl. Then set it aside.
2. Preheat the oven. Turn your oven on to 400 degrees and spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Prep your salmon. Pat both sides of your salmon fillets with a paper towel. Then place them in your prepared dish and rub the spice mixture over each fillet. (Sometimes I’ll season both sides of the fillets if I have enough spice rub.)
4. Bake & serve! Place your salmon in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until it flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
I just love the sweet and spiciness of the salmon! It so good with so many things! You can keep it simple with white rice or your favorite rice pilaf. Or try roasted potatoes with a simple veggie for a completel meal! We also love serving it with one of my favorite salads listed below for a fresh and summery vibe!
- Citrus & Pomegranate Kale Salad (Sometimes we’ll use blueberries instead of pomegranates if they’re not in season.)
- Summer Peach & Blueberry Kale Salad
- Summer Corn salad with Avocado
FAQ’s
- How do I know when my salmon is done cooking? Your salmon should turn a pinkish-orange color and flake easily with a fork.
- What internal temperature should salmon be cook to? The center of your salmon should be cooked to 125 – 130 degrees fahrenheit.
- Can I make sugar spiced salmon on the stove? I wouldn’t suggest it. Because there’s sugar in the dry rub, your salmon can burn easily if it’s cooked on the stove top.
Why you’ll love this oven baked salmon recipe!
- An easy weeknight dinner! Just mix, season & bake! Dinner’s on the table in less than 15 minutes!
- Only 5 ingredients! Most of the spices you already have in your pantry!
- Tender flaky salmon every time! Baking your salmon in the oven helps to lock in those juices (keeping it moist) while still having a flavorful crispy crust!
More salmon recipes you might like:
- Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon
- Roasted Chipotle Salmon with Peach Salsa
- Pan Seared Salmon with Lemon Dijon Sauce
- Chipotle Maple Air Fried Salmon
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Baked Sugar Spiced Salmon
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets (with or without skin)
- ¼ cup coconut sugar (can be replaced with brown sugar)
- 1 Tbsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
- Then mix your coconut sugar (or brown sugar), paprika, salt and pepper together in a bowl and set it aside.
- Pat your salmon fillets with a paper towel and place them in your prepared dish. Then rub your spice mixture evenly over the top of each fillet. (If using salmon with skin, place the fillets in your dish skin side down.)
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until your salmon flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Fresh salmon? How many lbs total?
Hi Amber! Yes fresh salmon. And I would probabaly about 1 1/2 – 2 lbs of salmon. 🙂
Thank you, the recipe turned out delicious, so did the corn salad, however it did take 20 minutes for my salmon to cook. I don’t usually cook and eat salmon, thank you for the great recipe. I have a few more of your recipes lined up for this weeks dinner, thank you.
Hi Amber! I’m so glad you loved the recipe! And cook times can be a little tricky depending on your oven. But I’m so glad everything worked out for you! Let me know you ever have any other quesitons! 🙂
Made this recipe using wild salmon for dinner tonight for my husband and kids and they all loved it. Made exactly as written and served it with roasted asparagus. Loved how quick and easy it was to prepare. Thanks Caitlin 😊
Hi Ella, I’m so glad they enjoyed it! This is one of my favorite salmon recipes now! I hope you’re having a great day!