Creamy Honey Mustard Salmon

Creamy Honey Mustard Salmon ~ crispy pan-seared salmon topped with a light, creamy sweet-tangy fresh-herb honey mustard sauce.

I don’t have anything against take-out. It’s saved the day in my house just like it has in yours. So when I ask ‘would you skip takeout if I told you I had a really delicious, healthy recipe that goes from stove to table in under 20 minutes?’, I ask this with all due respect to the takeout industry. But would you? Skip takeout that is.  

How about Creamy Honey Mustard Salmon, a 20 minute meal with a sauce so ridiculously good you’ll not only want to eat with a spoon but you’ll be looking for other things to serve it over.  Do I have your attention yet?

Because it’s just the two of us at home I don’t make a lot of casseroles even though I love them because they usually involve cheese. Lots of cheese. I like meals that:

1. Taste delicious (don’t we all?)
2. Don’t take forever to make (with a few classic favorites)
3. Don’t leave me with leftovers for the entire neighborhood

Bonus points if the meal is healthy, too because chances are good I ate something yesterday or I’m going to eat today that I probably shouldn’t. It’s all about balance.

Creamy Honey Mustard Salmon Ingredients:

• 2 individual size salmon fillets
• Light (or Greek style) cream cheese
• Dijon mustard
• honey
• Fresh-squeezed lemon juice + optional extra lemon wedges for serving
• Milk
• Basil (sliced chiffonade)
• Salt and pepper to taste

I love the deep, rich flavor Dijon adds. It’s like a secret weapon in the kitchen.

Let’s talk sauce. There are just a few basic ingredients in this light, creamy, tangy-sweet sauce and not one of them is cream. We’ll save the heavy sauces and gravies for winter – it’ll be here soon enough.

When my kids lived at home we could hardly keep enough milk in the house because they drank it so quickly. These days, I just buy a small container of low-fat milk for cereal unless I know the grandkids are coming because they go through it by the gallon. 

If you find yourself out of milk as you start making Creamy Honey Mustard Salmon a splash of chicken stock will work well too. I wasn’t kidding that once you taste the sauce you’ll want to use it again. It’s delicious over chicken or pork too.

Instructions:

Add the oil to the skillet and pat the salmon dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet face down.

Cook the salmon over medium to medium-high heat 3-4 minutes on the first side until you have a nice golden sear and slightly crispy exterior then turn it over and continue cooking 2-3 minutes more. Cooking times will vary with the size of the filets and the exact temperature of the skillet.

Cooking Tip:

Watch the side of the salmon as it cooks. You’ll see the color change pale. Once it’s pale pink about ¾ of the way up, turn it over and cook another couple of minutes.

The salmon will continue cooking after you remove it from the skillet to make the honey mustard sauce.

After the salmon is cooked, transfer it to a plate then lower the heat and in the same skillet add the cream cheese, Dijon mustard, honey and lemon juice whisking while slowly adding the milk.

Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper then fold in the basil. So simple. So delicious you can even entertain with this dish.

Pair it with a light side of vegetables, brown rice or salad. 

If you like salmon as much as we do and you’re always on the lookout for a new salmon recipe, this Cucumber Dill Salmon is not only one of my most popular recipes but family tested and approved.

Enjoy!

Creamy Honey Mustard Salmon

Pan seared salmon with a creamy honey mustard sauce. 

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: seafood

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 individual size salmon fillets
• 2 ounces light or Greek style cream cheese
• 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice + optional extra lemon wedges for serving
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 tablespoon basil sliced chiffonade
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Heat the skillet over medium – medium-high heat until it’s hot then add the oil. 
• Pat any excess moisture from the salmon with a paper towel then season both sides with salt and pepper and once the skillet is hot, gently place the salmon in face down.
• Cook the salmon over medium to medium-high heat 3-4 minutes on the first side until you have a nice golden sear then turn it over and continue cooking 2-3 minutes more (see tip #4). NOTE: Cooking times will vary with the size of the filets and the exact temperature of the skillet.
• After the salmon is cooked, transfer it to a plate then lower the heat and in the same skillet add the cream cheese, Dijon mustard, honey and lemon juice whisking to combine.
• Slowly add the milk and cook over low heat a couple of minutes, continuing to stir.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper then fold in the basil and drizzle over the top of the salmon filets.