Nothing says holiday centerpiece like Christmas Baked Salmon. This recipe is tender, buttery, and layered with creamy dill sauce, tangy cranberry tapenade, and jewel-like pomegranate seeds for a show-stopping finish. Best part? You can prep most of it ahead, making it perfect for stress-free entertaining.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Christmas Baked Salmon
This Christmas Baked Salmon is the ultimate holiday main course because it combines elegance with simplicity. The honey butter glaze caramelizes beautifully while keeping the salmon moist and flavorful.
You can prepare the sauce, tapenade, and glaze in advance, so the final assembly takes only minutes. It’s lighter than traditional holiday roasts yet just as satisfying, offering a fresh alternative for festive tables.
The toppings provide a balance of creamy, tangy, sweet, and crunchy, creating a colorful presentation that looks as good as it tastes. Plus, the recipe adapts well for dietary needs, from nut-free to dairy-free swaps, so everyone can enjoy a slice.
Whether you serve it warm or at room temperature, this dish guarantees compliments and makes your holiday hosting stress-free.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The Salmon
Choose a side of salmon weighing 1.2–1.5 kg with skin on for structure. Fresh salmon works best, but well-thawed frozen salmon is fine too. If salmon isn’t available, trout is an excellent alternative.
Honey Butter Glaze
A quick simmer of butter, honey, and garlic creates a glossy glaze with sweet and savory depth. It adds richness and helps the salmon caramelize under the broiler.
Creamy Dill Sauce
This sauce balances the richness of salmon with tangy sour cream, fresh dill, lemon zest, and a hint of shallot. It serves as the base layer, holding the tapenade and garnishes in place.
Holiday Tapenade
Dried cranberries plumped in orange juice, crunchy almonds, parsley, and olive oil create a festive topping. You can prepare it ahead, but add almonds just before serving to keep their crunch.
Finishing Touches
Pomegranate seeds, fresh parsley, and lemon juice brighten the dish visually and flavor-wise. Lemon wedges on the side allow guests to adjust to taste.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Christmas Baked Salmon
Make the Creamy Dill Sauce
Stir sour cream, dill, shallot, lemon zest, and salt until smooth. Cover and refrigerate. This step can be done the day before, and the flavors deepen as it rests.
Prepare the Holiday Tapenade
Warm orange juice and soak dried cranberries for 15 minutes. Drain, then mix with toasted almonds, parsley, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Chill until ready to use.
Bake the Salmon with Honey Butter Glaze
Line a tray with foil and parchment. Place salmon on top and fold foil edges to form a shallow tray. Simmer butter, honey, and garlic for two minutes until foamy, then pour over salmon. Season with salt and pepper. Cover loosely with parchment and foil, bake at 180°C/350°F for 15 minutes, then uncover and broil for 7–10 minutes until caramelized.
Assemble and Finish
Using the foil and parchment, lift salmon onto a serving platter. Cool at least 15 minutes before topping so the sauce doesn’t slide off. Spread dill sauce generously, spoon tapenade over, scatter pomegranate seeds and parsley, then drizzle with lemon juice. Add lemon wedges for serving.
Tips for Success
Never spread dill sauce on hot salmon or it will melt off. Use parchment and foil to transfer the fish without breaking it. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature for best texture. The tapenade can be made up to two days ahead, but keep almonds separate. For nut-free versions, use pumpkin seeds or omit them entirely. If dairy-free is needed, swap sour cream for coconut yogurt or cashew cream. Cranberries are traditional, but red grapes or cherries work beautifully as substitutes.
How to Serve Christmas Baked Salmon
Serve the salmon whole on a platter for a festive centerpiece. Use a wide spatula to cut crosswise into portions. This dish pairs beautifully with roasted vegetables, buttery potatoes, or a crisp salad. Because it tastes just as good at room temperature, it works well for buffets or family-style dinners where guests serve themselves.
Storage and Make-Ahead Guide
You can refrigerate leftovers for up to four days. Do not reheat, as it can dry out; instead, serve chilled or bring to room temperature. The dill sauce and glaze can be prepared a day ahead, while the tapenade is best made in advance without the almonds. Toast and add those just before serving. With these make-ahead tips, the holiday meal becomes much more relaxed.
Recipe Notes & Variations
For dairy-free needs, use cashew cream or coconut yogurt in place of sour cream. For nut-free, substitute sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Swap cranberries for chopped grapes or cherries if pomegranates aren’t available. You can scale this recipe down by using smaller fillets instead of a whole side, perfect for smaller gatherings. Trout is also a reliable and tasty substitute for salmon. The skin provides support during baking but is not meant to be eaten.
Other recipes you may enjoy
- Classic Beef Bourguignon for Christmas Dinner
- Cranberry Orange Snowball Cookies
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
- Recent recipes
Conclusion
This Christmas Baked Salmon is festive, flavorful, and designed for stress-free hosting. With make-ahead sauces, vibrant toppings, and a simple cooking method, it delivers both beauty and taste without the fuss of heavy roasts. Serve it warm or at room temperature, and you’ll have a holiday dish that’s light, colorful, and guaranteed to impress every guest. Add it to your holiday menu this year, and watch it become a new tradition. For more seasonal recipe inspiration, you can also check my Pinterest board.
Christmas Baked Salmon
Equipment
- Baking tray Lined with foil and parchment
- Small saucepan For simmering honey butter glaze
- Mixing bowls For sauces and tapenade
- Spatula To transfer salmon safely
Ingredients
- 1.2–1.5 kg side of salmon, skin on, bones removed
- 2 ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 150 g unsalted butter
- ½ cup honey
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 ½ cups full-fat sour cream
- ½ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
- ½ French shallot finely grated
- 1 ½ tbsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup toasted slivered almonds
- ⅓ cup parsley, chopped
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 fruit pomegranate, seeds only
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 lemons cut into wedges
Instructions
- Mix dill sauce ingredients and refrigerate.
- Heat orange juice, add cranberries, cover 15 minutes, then drain. Mix with almonds, parsley, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Line tray with foil and parchment. Place salmon on tray, folding foil edges to form shallow tray.
- Simmer butter, honey, and garlic until foamy. Pour glaze over salmon. Season with salt and pepper. Cover loosely with parchment and foil. Bake 15 minutes, uncover, then broil 7–10 minutes until caramelized.
- Transfer salmon to platter using foil. Cool at least 15 minutes. Spread dill sauce, top with tapenade, scatter pomegranate seeds, parsley, and drizzle lemon juice. Serve with lemon wedges.
