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    Make It Skinny Please » Recipes » Main Dishes » Baked Salmon recipe with Orange-Chili Glaze

    Published: Nov 7, 2021 · Modified: Nov 6, 2021 by Toni Dash · 17 Comments

    Baked Salmon recipe with Orange-Chili Glaze

    Weight Watchers Points1
    Calories: 259kcal
    Carbs: 3g
    Protein: 34g
    Fats: 11g
    Jump to Recipe

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    baked salmon title overlay

    It only takes 20 minutes to whip up this delicious simple Baked Salmon recipe. The lightly spicy-salty-sweet orange glaze makes it a favorite easy dinner the whole family loves.

    baked salmon title overlay
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    There is nothing better than an easy baked salmon recipe for fast delicious dinners. It's no wonder salmon is such a popular fish. It's perfect for serving to guests too.

    With only 15 minutes of cooking time it's an easy weeknight dinner win and a healthy dinner option too. Pair it with our air fryer carrots, air fryer green beans or some red cabbage slaw! It's a great dinner recipe for fresh salmon or frozen, thawed salmon.

    Jump to:
    • What makes this skinny?
    • Recipe Ingredient Notes
    • What is Sambal Oelek?
    • Wild Salmon vs Farm raised Salmon
    • Where to buy wild salmon?
    • How to make Baked Salmon - Step-by-Step
    • Frequently Asked Question
    • How to store
    • More recipes you'll love!
    • Recipe

    What makes this skinny?

    • Though salmon is considered a 'fatty fish' that's not a bad thing. It is loaded with healthy fats, Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D. It's a leaner choice than beef or other higher calorie dishes like creamy pasta.
    • Using wild salmon brings down the calories, though either wild caught or farm raised salmon work with this recipe.
    • No butter used

    Recipe Ingredient Notes

    baked salmon labelled ingredients image

    Salmon. You'll need 4 6-ounce salmon filets. They can be fresh fish or frozen and thawed. Try to get fillets the same size. The thickness of your salmon will determine cooking time. If they are all the same size they will cook in the same minutes of cook time.

    Sambal Oelek. This is a thick spicy chili paste available in the international aisle of the grocery store. More details below.

    Soy sauce. Use low sodium soy sauce, regular or gluten-free. For gluten-free regular tamari may be used.

    Orange juice. Both zest and juice will be used. Always zest the orange before juicing it.

    Sesame oil. Oil is needed in a sauce or marinade to convey the flavors into the salmon (or any meat being marinated). Only ½ teaspoon is used.

    What is Sambal Oelek?

    Sambal Oelek is a chili sauce or paste, typically made from a mixture of a variety of chili peppers with other ingredients such as garlic, ginger, shallot, scallion, palm sugar, and lime juice.

    The word “sambal” is an Indonesian word referring to a sauce made primarily with chili peppers. “Oelek” refers to a mortar and pestle. It goes with everything. It is so good. 

    serving of baked salmon with side dishes filets

    Wild Salmon vs Farm raised Salmon

    There are different varieties of salmon: chinook salmon, coho salmon, sockeye salmon, king salmon, Atlantic salmon. The main thing that separates out the types of salmon is whether the salmon is farm raised or wild caught.

    There are a few differences between farm raised and wild caught salmon. Farm raised salmon is available fresh all year long. It has a milder flavor and 38% more calories than wild caught salmon. It's usually less expensive than wild salmon too.

    Wild salmon is available fresh during the summer months and other times of the year is available frozen. It has a stronger flavor and distinct deep salmon-red color. The texture is firmer and the salmon flakes wonderfully when cooked.

    We based the calories for this recipe on wild salmon though any salmon can we used. Sockeye salmon for instance has 45 grams of protein in a 6-ounce fillet compared to 38 grams in the same size farm raised salmon. It has only 133 calories and 4.7 grams of fat making it a great choice.

    Where to buy wild salmon?

    Whole foods carries 2 pound frozen packages of each wild salmon and farm raised salmon in the frozen section. The fillets are sealed individually making it easy to grab one or two and leave the rest for later.

    How to make Baked Salmon - Step-by-Step

    STEP 1. Preparation

    Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

    baked salmon recipe steps 1-3

    STEP 2. Make glaze

    In a small bowl whisk together the sambal oelek, soy sauce, orange juice, sesame oil, ginger and orange zest (photo 1).

    STEP 3. Bake salmon

    Place salmon fillets skin side down on the prepared baking sheet (photo 2). Brush with the prepared glaze (photo 3-4). Cook for 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the salmon reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

    If you have leftover glaze, brush more glaze on halfway through cooking.

    Allow the salmon to rest a few minutes before serving. Serve with a sprinkling of freshly chopped cilantro and a lime wedge (photo 5).

    baked salmon recipe steps 4-5

    Frequently Asked Question

    Is salmon skin edible?

    Yes. Salmon skin contains many of the same Omega-3 oils and nutrients as the salmon. It’s mild in flavor too. It's easy to remove after the salmon has cooked if you prefer not to eat it.

    How to know if salmon is cooked?

    It needs to reach 145 degrees F internal temperature. Using an instant-read thermometer for food is the most accurate way to determine the temperature. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the fillet.

    How to remove salmon skin?

    This is most easily done after the salmon is cooked. Gently lift the skin away from the meat with a fork and remove.

    serving of baked salmon with side dishes plated

    How to store

    Store any leftover salmon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. It can be rewarmed or eaten cold in a salad.

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    Recipe

    baked salmon on plate

    Baked Salmon with Orange-Chili Glaze

    Weight Watchers Points1
    Click to track Weight Watchers Points
    Moist, delicious salmon with a lightly spicy-salty-sweet orange glaze makes this a favorite easy dinner the whole family loves.
    5 from 133 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Low Calorie
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Resting Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 259kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
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    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon sambal oelek chili paste
    • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce regular or gluten-free
    • 2 tablespoons orange juice
    • 1 teaspoon orange zest
    • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
    • 1 teaspoon diced fresh ginger
    • 4 6-oumce salmon filets wild salmon if possible
    • 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro optional garnish
    • Lime wedges optional granish

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
    • For the glaze: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the chili paste, soy sauce, orange juice and zest, sesame oil and ginger. Set aside.
    • Place salmon filets on prepared pan, skin side down.
    • Brush salmon with the glaze. Place in oven for 15 minutes until just cooked through, and the fillets reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
      Remove from oven, cover and allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.
    • Squeeze a lime wedge and sprinkle salmon with cilantro if using.

    Notes

    Weight Watchers points from previous program (WW SmartPoints):
    • Green: 4
    • Blue: 0
    • Purple: 0
    The points values above are using wild caught sockeye salmon which is very lean. If substituting farm raised salmon the points would be:
    Green: 8  Blue and Purple: 0
    How to store leftovers
    Store any leftover salmon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. It can be rewarmed or eaten cold in a salad.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 342mg | Potassium: 883mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 102IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 2mg
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    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    TONI DASH
    Toni Dash head shot

    Toni Dash, is a Certified Nutritional Coach and certified Weight Loss Specialist, writer/blogger, photographer, chief recipe developer and creator of Make It Skinny Please. She has been developing easy to make, well-tested recipes since 2010. Her slimmed down recipes using real food ingredients bring excitement to the dining table and never taste like 'diet food'. Toni has been featured in numerous publications and on culinary websites for her creative, delicious recipes and travel features. For more details, check out her About page.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 133 votes (116 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Linda says

      February 25, 2022 at 4:05 pm

      5 stars
      Love the idea of sambel oelek in this recipe. So flavorful and make our weeknight dinner more special

      Reply
    2. Debra says

      February 23, 2022 at 7:48 pm

      5 stars
      Ooh...that glaze was so tasty! Will definitely make again.

      Reply
    3. Jennifer says

      February 23, 2022 at 12:43 pm

      5 stars
      One of the yummiest salmon recipes I've had! So delicious and simple!

      Reply
    4. Donna Batrone says

      February 23, 2022 at 11:35 am

      5 stars
      This came out perfectly! My kids actually loved it!

      Reply
    5. Erin says

      February 23, 2022 at 11:09 am

      5 stars
      My husband loves salmon, and he raved about this recipe! I loved all the fresh ingredients.

      Reply
    6. Nora says

      February 23, 2022 at 9:10 am

      5 stars
      This is my hubby's new favorite recipe! He is a huge fan of salmon and the orange chili glaze is the bomb! Thanks for the great recipe!

      Reply
    7. Natalie says

      February 23, 2022 at 8:00 am

      5 stars
      I'm making this recipe for dinner tonight. Sounds amazing. That glaze is YUM! Thanks!

      Reply
    8. Gloria says

      February 23, 2022 at 7:27 am

      5 stars
      I always have frozen salmon. This is the perfect weeknight meal. I know this will be a hit with the family.

      Reply
    9. Genevieve says

      November 08, 2021 at 4:42 pm

      5 stars
      This baked salmon recipe is delicious! I love using an orange chili glaze!

      Reply
    10. Andrea says

      November 08, 2021 at 4:23 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my, what great flavors for salmon. Love the Orange chili flavor.

      Reply
    11. Jess says

      November 08, 2021 at 3:08 pm

      5 stars
      The glaze sets this salmon apart from the rest!

      Reply
    12. Wanda says

      November 08, 2021 at 3:05 pm

      5 stars
      Salmon and sambal are two of our favourite ingredients. I know my family is going to love this recipe!

      Reply
    13. Linda French says

      November 08, 2021 at 2:42 pm

      5 stars
      I love this flavor combination. Absolutely delicious and you can't beat the cooking time.

      Reply
    14. Samantha says

      November 08, 2021 at 2:02 pm

      5 stars
      I'm always looking for new ways to bake salmon and this version was absolutely delicious! My kids have already asked when I can make it again. And it was so quick and easy to make...keeper recipe for sure!

      Reply
    15. Tammie Rainworst says

      November 08, 2021 at 11:38 am

      5 stars
      So, so easy! And everyone loved it. Thank you for this recipe.

      Reply
    16. Sue says

      November 08, 2021 at 10:40 am

      5 stars
      The glaze is the perfect touch for the salmon! Delightful!

      Reply
    17. katerina @ diethood.com says

      November 08, 2021 at 10:29 am

      5 stars
      This was incredibly delicious! I can't wait to make it again and again! SO GOOD!

      Reply

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    Welcome! I’m Toni. I'm a Certified Nutrition Coach and NASM certified Weight Loss Specialist. I'm excited to share Classic Recipes made more calorie friendly using real food!

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