25-Minute Baked Chili Salmon
This buttery-soft baked chili salmon recipe is made with fresh garlic, chili powder, and honey. It’s the perfect mix of sweet, savoury, and a touch of spice. With only 5 simple ingredients + 25-minutes to make it, you will LOVE this easy, healthy dinner idea!

As a registered dietitian, salmon is one of my favourite quick + easy proteins to prepare – it’s filled with nutrition benefits and only takes about 15 minutes to cook in the oven.
This particular baked salmon recipe is topped with minced garlic, honey, and chili powder – it’s melt-in-your-mouth tender and delicious!
As always, I’ve included some recipe pairing ideas for what to serve this chili salmon with to make it a complete, nutritionally-balanced meal. Enjoy!
Want more salmon recipe inspiration? Check out my roundup of simple, healthy salmon recipes for more ideas! I’ve also got a roundup of salmon side dishes if you want to explore that, too 🙂
Ingredients needed & possible swaps
All you need to make this chili salmon recipe are 5 simple ingredients:
- Salmon: I like to use fresh rather than previously frozen salmon whenever possible. I find the texture is SO much more soft and tender! You can ask the people behind the fish counter to cut you 4 nice pieces of salmon for this recipe – I usually aim for somewhere between 4-6 ounce per piece.
- Olive oil: This will be used to coat the salmon prior to baking.
- Honey: You can use any type of honey here, but you’ll want to make sure it’s on the more liquid-side. If the honey you have has hardened too much, simply give it a quick zap in the microwave! This will help make it more spreadable over the salmon.
- Garlic: I like to use freshly minced garlic here as it adds a nice bit of texture to the top of the salmon. In a pinch, you are welcome to use garlic powder instead. I’d aim for at least 1 teaspoon, spread evenly across the salmon.
- Chili powder: I use store-bought (pre-mixed) chili powder. If you can’t find any and are in a pinch, you can try making your own version using paprika, cumin, and a pinch of cayenne. There are a handful of recipes online to guide you.
Full ingredient measurements and detailed instructions are located in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Step-by-step: how to make baked chili salmon
Making this salmon recipe is incredibly easy – it only takes a few simple steps and about 25-minutes of your time!
After pre-heating your oven to 400F, you’ll want to start by mixing olive oil, honey, and minced fresh garlic together in a small bowl.
Then, place your salmon fillets on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a bit of space between each piece. Alternatively, you could make this with one large piece of salmon! In that case, you may want to increase the cooking time a bit, making sure the salmon is cooked through in the thickest part of the fish.
Once on the baking sheet, brush the honey-garlic mixture on top of the salmon, dividing evenly between each piece.
Once the honey mixture is on, carefully sprinkle the top of the salmon with chili powder. Finish with salt and pepper, then transfer the baking sheet into the oven.
After about 12-15 minutes (depending on thickness of the salmon + desired doneness), remove the fish from the oven and serve as desired (see serving ideas below).
How to know when salmon is cooked? You can check to make sure the salmon is cooked all the way through by cutting through the thickest part of the fish. It should no longer have a translucent-pink colour, and should instead be opaque with a whitish-pink colour!
What to serve this recipe with
This chili salmon recipe pairs so well with many different foods! As salmon is a source of protein and heart-healthy fats, I recommend pairing this recipe with a complex carbohydrate or starch and some non-starchy veggies to make a nutritionally-balanced meal.
Some ideas for starches:
- cooked whole grains like farro, quinoa, or brown rice
- pasta, couscous, or orzo – keep it simple by tossing with some olive oil, garlic, chopped herbs, and freshly-grated parmesan
- mashed, steamed, or roasted potatoes OR sweet potatoes
Non-starchy veggies:
- a simple side salad, like mixed baby greens with your favourite dressing OR this massaged avocado kale salad
- roasted vegetables, like roasted broccolini, bell peppers, or roasted zucchini – you can roast them in the oven at the same time as the fish!
- simple sautéed veggies, like swiss chard, kale, broccoli or zucchini
Got leftovers? If you have leftovers that you don’t want to reheat (I know that can compromise the texture of salmon), I’d recommend keeping them cold and adding them as the protein component of a grain bowl or salad the next day. It would make the perfect, healthy lunch!
Nutrition benefits of salmon
Salmon is an excellent source of quality, complete protein, which helps to protect bone health and prevent muscle loss, among many other functions.
- a 3-ounce serving provides 17 grams
- a 6-ounce piece will give you 34 grams
In addition to protein, salmon is rich in heart-healthy unsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3s. Omega-3s are known to support heart health, brain health, and to reduce inflammation overall.
On the micronutrient side, salmon is a great source of B vitamins like:
- vitamin B12
- vitamin B6
- thiamin
- riboflavin
- niacin
B vitamins act as coenzymes in many important metabolic processes throughout your body, such as turning the food we eat into energy!
Salmon is also a good source of minerals like potassium and selenium.
More easy, healthy salmon recipes:
- Honey Garlic Salmon Parcels With Vegetables
- Salmon With Wasabi-Dill Yogurt Sauce
- Taco Salmon Rice Bowls
- Baked Honey Lemon Salmon With Thyme
- Crispy Turmeric Salmon With Yogurt Sauce
Did you give this Baked Chili Salmon Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!
Healthy Seafood Dinners Ebook
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Get the Recipe: 25-Minute Baked Chili Salmon
Ingredients
- 4x 4-6 oz salmon fillets
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- Salt + pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place salmon fillets on the baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, honey, and minced garlic. Using a brush, evenly spread this mixture on top of the salmon fillets.
- Next, evenly sprinkle the chili powder over the salmon fillets as well. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer salmon to the oven and allow to bake for about 12-15 minutes, depending on thickness and desired doneness. When done, the insides of the fish should be opaque and no longer a translucent pink colour.
- Remove salmon from oven and serve with desired sides. Enjoy!
Notes
- Leftover cooked salmon will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- If you have leftovers that you don’t want to reheat (I know that can compromise the texture of salmon), I’d recommend keeping them cold and adding them as the protein component of a grain bowl or salad the next day. It would make the perfect, healthy lunch!
- I like to use fresh rather than previously frozen salmon whenever possible. I find the texture is SO much more soft and tender!
- You can use any type of honey here, but you’ll want to make sure it’s on the more liquid-side. If the honey you have has hardened too much, simply give it a quick zap in the microwave! This will help make it more spreadable over the salmon.
- In a pinch, you are welcome to use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic! I’d aim for at least 1 teaspoon, spread evenly across the salmon.
- If you can’t find any chili powder, you can try making your own version using paprika, cumin, and a pinch of cayenne. There are a handful of recipes online to guide you.
- This recipe would also pair beautifully with a squeeze of lime juice!
Nutrition
As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.
Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!
6 Comments on “25-Minute Baked Chili Salmon”
Delicious recipe! So easy and quick, but also delicious.
I accidentally added the chili power to the rest of the marinade and it was still great.
Served on Cesar salad and it was perfect!
Will absolutely make again
Will definitely make again!
Thank you so much, Natalie!! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this one. LOVE the Caesar salad pairing – I need to do that next time 😍
Made this Baked Chili Salmon and omg this was literally one of the best dinners I’ve ever eaten! So easy to put together, had dinner on the table fast! We put broccolini next to the salmon and baked them together. Definitely will be putting this recipe on repeat!
Hi Erin! Thank you SO much for the kind review – it’s so appreciated!! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this one so much. Love that you had it with broccolini – the perfect combo!!
This was soooooo delish and very easy!!! Just a couple of ingredients and BAMMM done and so yummy! Easy, healthy and delicious… and made me feel like a chef! Carrie’s recipes are the best!
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this kind review, Sara!! It’s so appreciated :). I’m so so happy to hear that you enjoyed this one!! Can’t wait to see you what you make next!!