Walnut Crusted Salmon

Baked salmon with a sweet, savory, crunchy topping with a little hint of spice, this walnut crusted salmon recipe has only 6 ingredients and it’s so easy, elegant and tasty, you’ll want to make it again and again.

Disclaimer: by clicking links in this post and making a purchase, I will receive some compensation that is used to offset the costs of running this blog. While I may receive compensation, all opinions expressed are my own. Thank you for your support! This blog is a labor of love.

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, that day when lovers renew their love for each other (or get in a spat because it wasn’t properly recognized) and all the single people feel a little left out (and some quite depressed … this holiday is NOT a good day for mental health for many people!) … For me, Valentine’s Day is the day when I look back on past years and remember my loves. There have been many good Valentine’s Days and also many that were not so good. At this moment in my life, I’m perfectly content with being single and NOT looking. Relationships are kind of like a grab bag … you never know what you’re getting, and I’ve found as I age, I have definitely gotten much pickier about who I want to hang out with.

So these days I celebrate Valentine’s Day as the day when I simply send love to myself and the people around me. I get my (adult) kids some silly little thing like a heart shaped box full of chocolates and maybe make them a ridiculously sappy lovey dish like heart-shaped pancakes. For me, I make a lovely meal something like this, something that makes me feel special but also makes me feel like I’m doing something good for my body.

Salmon is one of my favorite things (especially when it’s wild-caught salmon from Wild Alaskan). Salmon always makes me happy (when prepared correctly … so it’s not overcooked or dry or boring) … and I’m SO happy that I just HAVE to eat it twice a week now that I’m trying to lower my cholesterol. Walnuts are another one of those cholesterol-lowering foods I’m trying to include more of in my diet … so what better pairing for my heart than salmon with crunchy walnuts?

I loved the little crunch that the toasted walnuts add to this dish. Personally, I like a little spice, so I put a big healthy pinch of cayenne in the honey mustard spread that sticks the nuts to the fish fillet, but if you don’t, skip the cayenne or just add a tiny pinch. Use whatever seasoning mix brings you joy. I’ve really been loving the Trader Joe’s 21 Salute Seasoning lately, but Mrs. Dash or Old Bay Seasoning (this one has salt so reduce added salt if you use Old Bay) or the Mural of Flavor seasoning from Penzey’s is nice too.

Watch this dish carefully as it bakes. You want to pull it out of the oven as soon as the salmon looks cooked on the bottom and flakes nicely in the middle, before it gets dry. This can happen really quickly if your salmon is thin (Iike within a few minutes!), and might take up to 20 minutes or more if your salmon chunk is big and thick.

While my salmon was cooking, I microwaved some frozen broccoli, sprinkled it with a little seasoning and I had a lovely meal in front of me in minutes … which was really good because my son and I had just returned from the gym and I was having a bit of a food emergency! I had a hard time pausing to take pics, but I had a feeling I’d want to share this recipe with you … so I took a little time to take a few photos, and then I gobbled it down.

Walnut Crusted Salmon

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 1 -2 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Roasted
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Gluten Free

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 – 2 salmon fillets
• Freshly ground salt, pepper and your favorite salt-free seasoning blend (I used Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute)
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Tablespoon spicy brown mustard (or dijon)
• 1 clove garlic, peeled & chopped
• A pinch of cayenne (or to taste)
• 2 – 4 Tablespoons chopped walnuts

---

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a small baking sheet with a silicon baking mat or spray with cooking spray.
2. Season both sides of the salmon fillet(s) with salt, pepper and the seasoning blend. Set on the prepared pan.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the honey, mustard, garlic and cayenne. Use a spoon to drizzle and spread the honey mustard mixture over the top of the seasoned salmon. Sprinkle liberally with chopped walnuts.
4. Bake at 350 F. for 5 – 20 minutes (depending on the thickness of the salmon fillet) or just until the salmon flakes when you test it with a fork.
5. Use a spatula to move the salmon to your plate and enjoy!

---

Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

© Copyright 2019, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.

Keywords: Salmon, Walnuts, Gluten free, Heart healthy