Seafood

Serving

Baked Salmon Fillet With Mustard Sauce

Name: Baked Salmon Fillet With Mustard Sauce
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Seafood
Ingredients: 6 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each); 1 1/2 Tbsp butter (melted); 1 Tbsp olive oil; 1 1/2 lemons (thinly sliced); 1 Tbsp butter (for sauce); 1 shallot (minced); 1/2 cup dry white wine; 1 cup heavy cream; 2 Tbsp stone-ground mustard; 3 Tbsp chopped fresh chives; 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley; 1/4 tsp salt; Miniature pear tomatoes and parsley sprigs, for garnish

Lemon-topped baked salmon fillets finished with a silky shallot, white wine, and stone-ground mustard cream sauce.

45 minutes

Serves 6

Dinner

16 min prep

25 min cook

Contains common allergens

Fish Dairy mustard Seafood

In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.

Instructions

5 steps

1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Arrange the salmon fillets in a baking pan and drizzle with the combined melted butter and olive oil.
2
Lay the lemon slices over the tops of the fillets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
3
Meanwhile, make the mustard sauce: in a small saucepan, lightly saute the minced shallot in the 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat until softened. Add the white wine and simmer until nearly evaporated.
4
Pour in the heavy cream and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the mustard, chives, and parsley, then season with the salt.
5
To serve, ladle a pool of sauce onto each plate and set a lemon-topped salmon fillet on top. Garnish with pear tomatoes and parsley sprigs.

Baked Salmon Fillet With Mustard Sauce — plated and served — Serving moment. How Baked Salmon Fillet With Mustard Sauce looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

55/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 60

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 44

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 25

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

580

Calories

36 g

Protein

4 g

Carbs

44 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Baked salmon with a mustard glaze is a Northern European and North American classic that owes much to Scandinavian tradition, where dill and mustard sauces have long accompanied cured and cooked salmon. The mustard does double duty here: it forms a savory crust in the oven and a creamy sauce on the plate. It became a dinner-party favorite because it looks elegant while being nearly hands-off.

Listahan note

This version uses the same mustard base as both a glaze and a sauce, so one mixture does two jobs and dinner comes together fast.

Technique cues

Bake at a moderate 375F to 400F and pull the salmon at medium, when it just flakes but still looks glossy in the center, since carryover heat finishes it.
Brush the mustard glaze on before baking so it sets into a savory crust rather than sliding off.
Let the fish rest two minutes before saucing so the surface is not so hot that the cream sauce thins and runs.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Mix the mustard glaze and sauce while the oven heats, then glaze and bake in one move.
Make-ahead: Whisk the sauce a day ahead and keep chilled; the flavors deepen overnight.
Leftover move: Flake cold salmon into a grain bowl or onto greens with a spoonful of the mustard sauce as dressing.
Cleanup rhythm: Line the sheet pan with parchment so the glaze does not bake onto the metal.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Salmon fillet

the main protein

Purpose: Salmon is rich enough to stand up to a sharp mustard sauce and stays moist when baked gently.

Handling: Pat dry and bring near room temperature for even cooking.

Adaptation: Steelhead trout or arctic char bake almost identically.

Dijon mustard

glaze and sauce base

Purpose: Dijon gives the dish its signature sharp, savory backbone in both crust and sauce.

Handling: Use part for the glaze and reserve part for the finishing sauce.

Adaptation: Whole-grain mustard adds texture and a milder, seedier bite.

Honey

the balancer

Purpose: A little honey rounds the mustard's edge and helps the glaze caramelize.

Handling: Whisk into the mustard for the glaze portion.

Adaptation: Maple syrup gives a similar balance with a deeper note.

Fresh dill

the classic herb

Purpose: Dill is the traditional partner to salmon and mustard, adding a fresh anise lift.

Handling: Chop and stir into the sauce just before serving.

Adaptation: Tarragon or chives work if dill is unavailable.

Cream or sour cream

the sauce body

Purpose: A spoonful of cream turns the mustard into a pourable sauce that softens its bite.

Handling: Stir in off the heat to keep it from breaking.

Adaptation: Greek yogurt makes a tangier, lighter sauce.

Technique notes

Use an instant-read thermometer and pull at 125F to 130F for a moist, just-cooked center.
Score the glaze lightly with the back of a spoon so it grabs and caramelizes in patches.
Reserve the saucing portion before brushing raw fish to avoid cross-contaminating the finishing sauce.

Ingredient swaps

Dairy-free option: Build the sauce on a dollop of dairy-free yogurt or a splash of coconut cream.
Lower-sugar direction: Skip the honey and balance the mustard with a touch of lemon instead.
Lower-sodium direction: Use a low-sodium mustard and lean on dill and lemon for flavor.

Serve alongside

Dill-buttered new potatoes
Roasted asparagus
Cucumber dill salad
Wild rice pilaf
Crisp Sauvignon Blanc
Sparkling water with lemon
Dry Riesling

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate cooked salmon airtight for up to three days and keep the sauce separate. Reheat fish gently or, better, serve leftovers cold in salads to avoid drying it out. Cooked salmon freezes for up to two months; thaw in the fridge, though the texture firms slightly.

Equipment

Sheet pan
Instant-read thermometer
Small whisk
Fish spatula

Make this household-aware

Listahan Pro checks this recipe against your household's allergens, finds pantry-aware swaps, builds the shopping list, and helps you plan the week around it.

Get the app