Holly’s Maple Salmon

BySharla Hours Posted on Hours Updated on

Salmon is one of my absolute favorites. It’s what I often choose to order at restaurants. Having a stash of salmon options in the freezer is a must. Holly’s Maple Salmon is sweet, savory, and delicious. It’s also ready in 25 minutes or less and tastes like fancy restaurant food. You can’t beat that.

The top half of the image shows salmon marinating in a sauce, in a freezer bag. The bottom half of the image shows the salmon cooked, on a plate over rice. In the middle, text states "freezer meal Holly's Maple Salmon".

This recipe got its name from my friend Holly. She and I have been friends since we were 9 years old and I treasure our times together. One of the things we like to do is get together to cook nice dinners. This salmon is from one of those evenings spent cooking and visiting and experimenting with new dishes.

Freezer meal prep is an amazing way to stay ahead of your family’s mealtime needs. Whether you are a family in crisis with medical treatments crowding your days, or a busy soccer mom with lots of chauffeuring to do (and I’ve been both), the convenience of having a variety of dinners you can pull from the freezer and get to the table in less than thirty minutes is priceless.

You’ll be delighted to know this isn’t our only salmon recipe. How could it be? Rich, buttery, and good for you, salmon is an easy indulgence and a favorite treat at our house. For variety, be sure to try Sweet Sriracha Salmon or Everything Bagel Salmon. Or better yet, join our Freezer Meals 101 Club for instant access to all of our recipes — twelve unique salmon recipes and so much more!

Holly’s Maple Salmon Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
  • 2 tsp minced ginger (from squeezy tube)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

How to Make Maple Salmon

Freezer bag with salmon fillets in marinade.

Assembly Instructions

  1. Add salmon and all other ingredients to a large resealable freezer bag.

Cooking Instructions

  1. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
  2. Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.
Collage image shows baked Maple Salmon on a plate over rice, maple salmon fillets in a freezer bag marinating, salmon filets baking on a sheet pan, and a distant view of cooked salmon on a plate over rice.

Do I have to thaw the salmon?

No. You can cook it directly from frozen and just increase the cook time. Make sure it is 165ºF for food safety purposes. Thawing the salmon overnight is ideal because the salmon will cook more evenly, and more quickly.

I can’t find salmon. What should I do?

Need a substitute for salmon? Find steelhead trout, halibut, tilapia, or chicken and follow the same recipe, adjusting the cooking times as needed.

Holly’s Maple Salmon Recipe Ideas

Baked maple salmon filet on a black plate, served over rice.

This is actually a teriyaki style sauce with a maple flair. You could substitute brown sugar or honey without sacrificing deliciousness.

Add a teaspoon of maple extract to bump up the maple flavoring in the dish.

Add red pepper flakes for an easy increase in heat. You can start with just a pinch and increase it from there depending on your tolerance.

Sesame seeds, green onions, or chopped cilantro all make a nice garnish for this dish. Add them after removing the dish from the oven.

Maple salmon would be amazing with veggies added. You could add onions, red peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, carrot strips, or mushrooms. Put them right in the bag and double the sauce. Bake with salmon. You can also saute these veggies in a skillet on the day of cooking and toss them in a single recipe of the sauce toward the end of the cook time.

How do I store Maple Salmon?

Leftover cooked salmon can be refrigerated or frozen. In either case, it needs to be in an airtight container. Frozen salmon should be individual serving containers because if it freezes stacked together it is more difficult to reheat. In the fridge, it will keep for one or two days and reheat in a skillet. In the freezer, it will keep for up to three months if stored properly and can be reheated in a skillet, oven, or microwave but may need thawed slightly.

What to Serve with Maple Salmon?

We love serving salmon over rice, with a nice salad. It’s also lovely served over mashed potatoes, grits, or corn polenta. Fresh bread, warm dinner rolls, or Garlic Freezer Bread rounds out your meal beautifully. Since we do a lot of freezer meal cooking here, I like to pick up bagged salads, and steam-in bags of frozen veggies to add healthy greens to our meal each week. Broccoli, green beans, or snow peas in the steam-in bags would be perfect with salmon. If you are up to the extra work, roasted veggies are a delicious option.

This delicious protein can also be made into a sandwich. Maple salmon would be incredible served on a toasted hoagie bun with sauteed onions and peppers and a garlic aioli! Pair it with fries or chips and fruit for a light and casual meal with restaurant flair.

Baked Maple Salmon over rice on a blue plate with a grey table.
Print
Holly’s Maple Salmon
Prep Time
8 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 
Servings: 6
Calories: 189 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets, cut into six equal (4 ounce) portions.
  • 2 tsp minced ginger, (from the squeezy tube works)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
Assembly Instructions

  1. Add salmon and all other ingredients to a large resealable freezer bag.

Cooking Instructions

  1. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

  2. Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Sharla is a busy mom of 7 who is passionate about sharing her best secret to saving time, money, and stress… freezer meals. Read more…