Salmon is a fish that our entire family can agree upon as being delicious, but I will admit that the small frozen fillets can be tricky to cook. I have a hard time achieving a delicious piece of fish without overcooking it or drying the meat out. Despite those cooking challenges, I am always trying new things with our fish dishes and I think I have finally found a winner with this delicious salmon with a honey pepper sauce. The fish is moist and flavorful and the sauce has the sweet and hot flavors in it that making a boring piece of fish taste rich and flavorful. The bonus is that the glaze is created from ingredients I always have in my fridge and pantry, but mixed together, it creates something that is just out of this world in flavor.
Not a single bit of this fish was left on a single plate. In fact, the kids asked for more when they are done. This may turn into a more expensive dinner than I had anticipated since I will have to buy two pieces for each family member. I can’t rave about this enough- it really was that delicious! It is an Applebee’s knockoff, but just like the Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Tenders, I don’t eat there so I have no idea if it tastes like an Applebee’s dish or not. I do know, it is restaurant-worthy and tastes just like something I would love to order at a restaurant. I am guessing that is all that matters!
In a pot, just whisk together all of the ingredients until they are incorporated. Put the pot on the stove and then bring it to a boil.
Once you have brought your pot to a boil, turn the heat down and allow the sauce to simmer for fifteen minutes or until it has thickened and looks syrupy.
On a baking sheet, drizzle your salmon portions with a little olive oil and then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. You can bake these at 375 degrees for twelve minutes (this is what I did) or you can grill your salmon if you prefer. To grill, cook on preheated grill until fish is opaque in the center and flakes easily with a fork, about 3-4 minutes per side. Please note, the cooking time may need to be adjusted depending on the thickness of your fillet. Once your salmon is cooked, remove the salmon from the grill or pull from the oven, and brush each fillet with the honey pepper sauce. Serve the fish with small ramekins of additional sauce for extra dipping.
I recommend baked brown rice as an accompaniment (with the sauce drizzled on top) and our oven roasted asparagus or a pile of wilted greens as your side dishes to this amazing fish!
Applebees Honey Grilled Salmon (Courtesy of Food.com)
3/4 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 lemon, juice of (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I reduced this to 1/4 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 salmon fillets
Make the sauce by combining all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Stir occasionally until sauce begins to boil, then simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until syrupy. Watch the sauce closely to be sure it doesn’t bubble over. Preheat barbecue grill to medium heat. Rub each salmon filet with olive oil, then add a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Grill the salmon for 3-4 minutes per side or until done. Alternately, you can bake these at 375 degrees for twelve minutes if you prefer not to grill them. Once your salmon is cooked, remove the salmon from the grill or pull from the oven, and brush each fillet with the honey pepper sauce. Serve the fish with small ramekins of additional sauce for extra dipping.