4-Ingredient Orange Marmalade Salmon
4-Ingredient Orange Marmalade Salmon is as tasty as it is easy. Just mix up a quick flavorful topping and bake, for a healthy entrée that’s ready in minutes.
Salmon is a wonder. To make a healthy and flavorful entrée, you can simply take a nice fillet, season it, pop it into the oven, then sit down to a lovely dinner.
Until the hundred and eleventh time. Then, if you’re like me, it’s starting to feel a little boring. And that’s your sign to switch things up–while still keeping everything easy, of course!
4-Ingredient Orange Marmalade Salmon anyone?
In this quick and easy recipe, the tartness of the orange perfectly complements the slightly oily and flavorful fish. Which means you gain flavor without sacrificing a relaxing evening!
Count me in!
Why You’ll Love This!
Flavorful. Since orange marmalade is already delicious, a little balsamic vinegar is all it takes to turn it into an easy and tasty topping.
Healthy. If you’re like half the populations you’re probably trying to increase the healthy omega-3s in your diet. This can help–and even better, it won’t stress you out.
Quick & Easy. With four ingredients (not including salt and pepper) and about 20 minutes of prep time, it doesn’t get much better than this! Take back your evening!
What You’ll Need
Ingredients
- Orange marmalade. This provides a bright orange flavor. You can use other types of marmalade as well, in fact I used a homemade cranberry orange marmalade.
- Balsamic vinegar. This adds a nuanced flavor to the topping.
- Salmon fillets. I use wild Alaskan salmon. Farm raised salmon is sometimes moister, but it isn’t always raised under the best conditions and I like to skip the research project.
- Olive oil. This helps the salmon retain moisture. You can use another oil such as avocado oil if you prefer.
- Salt, pepper. Salt and pepper function as flavor enhancers.
Special Tools
· No special tools are needed.
Step by Step Overview
Mix marmalade and vinegar. Set aside.
Brush fillets on each side with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake skin side up, for 8 minutes at 400F. Turn fillets over then top with marmalade and vinegar mixture.
Return to oven and bake until desired doneness, 5-10 minutes. Or broil for a couple minutes until topping is bubbly. Enjoy!
Variations
If you have some quick cooking vegetables to serve (I use spring peas below), consider popping them in pan with the salmon. In that case, don’t broil at the end, just bake after you flip the fish over.
And for another easy salmon dish, try this Horseradish Crusted Salmon with Asparagus or Lemon Tarragon Salmon with Quick Béarnaise. Or for a crowd-pleasing and cost effective salmon lunch, you can’t beat an Easy Salmon Melt!
Tips & FAQs
Should I remove the salmon skin before baking? If your salmon has skin, know that it is a lot easier to remove after cooking than when it’s raw. So except for using preparation methods like breading or frying, I usually leave it on.
And some people will eat the skin knowing that “the skin of a salmon contains the highest concentration of omega-3 fatty acids on the fish” (source: Healthline). Of course if your fish came from contaminated waters that may outweigh any benefits.
Can I leave the pin bones in? Packaged salmon fillets may come with or without (pin) bones, which are a row of bones down one side of the fillet. Suppliers often say that leaving those bones in keeps the quality of the fish higher.
I’ve left pin bones in when cooking if I’m in a big hurry, but usually I remove them before. I’m fortunate enough to have a fish bone tweezer, but I’ve even used a (cleaned) pliers in a pinch).

Orange Marmalade Salmon
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup orange marmalade or cranberry orange marnalade
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 12 ounces salmon fillets 2 6-ounce fillets
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- Salt pepper
Instructions
- Mix marmalade and vinegar. Set aside.
- Brush fillets on each side with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake, skin side up, for 8 minutes at 400F.
- Turn fillets over then top with marmalade and vinegar mixture.
- Return to oven and bake until desired doneness, 5-10 minutes. Or broil for a couple minutes until topping is bubbly.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Updated from the original dated Apr 27, 2017.
Love this recipe ❤️
It’s so easy and it tastes great! It’s a good dish for last-minute guests.
Or busy evenings–thanks!
Thanks for this simple recipe using marmalade and salmon…looks delicious Inger 🙂
Thanks Juliana!
i already know i’d like this–the combination of anything sweet with balsamic vinegar makes me happy! great idea. 🙂
Thanks Grace. Yes, what would we do without balsamic vinegar!
Hah! I was looking for a new salmon recipe for Monday evening. Thank you! (Will use my homemade marmalade!)
Your homemade marmalade? Why aren’t I surprised!
Thanks for the re-post and reminder. We loved this and look forward to having it again! (Though I didn’t make marmalade this year… )
Thanks! And there’s always a good specialty food store for a quality marmalade!
I love salmon! this look stunning and delicious Inger!
Thanks Gloria. Yup, salmon is pretty incredible!
Salmon is my favorite of all, love this 4 ingredient recipe. A keeper for sure. Pinned.
I am about to make more marmalade Cheri!