This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Maple Soy Salmon has been on our weekly dinner rotation for years and for good reason — four simple ingredients, 15 minutes, and a sweet-savory glaze that caramelizes in the oven and tastes like you tried a lot harder than you did. My kids request this constantly and I never say no.
I’ve been going to my local Farmers’ Market for upwards of 22 years. I always say that being there every Sunday is like my church, and the people there are like my family. That holds completely true to my favorite fish vendor, Marilyn. I met Marilyn before I was even pregnant with Kenya, so when I say she’s like an aunt to us, I mean it.
Every week Marilyn greets each of us with a huge smile and gigantic hug. She sends us home with little scraps of fish for our dog, Cosmo, and not to mention, the most delicious salmon you’ve had in your entire life. I’m drooling even thinking of it right now!
I took one of Marilyn’s marinade suggestions and added my own twist — soy sauce, orange juice, and a touch of maple syrup creates a light, sweet glaze my kids adore. I make salmon at least once a week because it’s packed with Omega-3 fatty acids and has a firm, flavorful texture that even picky eaters love. This marinade is the perfect balance of simple and absolutely delicious!
Why This Maple Soy Salmon Marinade Works
What I love most about this maple soy marinade is how versatile it is. It works on any cut of salmon — fillet, sockeye, whatever Marilyn has that week. You can marinate it for as little as 10 minutes or up to a few hours if you’re prepping ahead. Either way the result is incredibly flavorful fish that even the pickiest eaters in your family will love.
Pair it with Grilled Lemon Asparagus and Asian Style Cauliflower Rice and you are sure to have a meal that will make each and every family member very happy.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
More Kid-Approved Salmon Recipes
Once you try this salmon marinade I think you’ll find yourself coming back to it again and again. It’s the kind of recipe that feels special enough for a Sunday dinner but easy enough for a Tuesday night. If you make it, I’d love to hear what you think — leave a rating and a comment below!
Want more Weelicious? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok for all the newest recipes!
Maple Soy Salmon
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 pound salmon fillets (cut into 4 even pieces)
Instructions
- In a large bowl or 8×8 inch baking dish, whisk together the soy sauce, maple syrup, and orange juice until combined.
- Add the salmon fillets flesh side down into the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- When ready to cook, position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the broiler to high.
- Remove the salmon from the marinade and place skin side down on a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Broil for 7 to 9 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and the glaze is caramelized. Watch closely to prevent burning.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Notes
- Don’t skip the foil: The maple syrup in the marinade will caramelize and stick to the pan without it.
- How to tell when it’s done: The salmon should flake easily with a fork and be opaque throughout.
- Marinating time: 30 minutes is the minimum but 1-2 hours gives a deeper flavor if you have the time.
- Leftovers: great served cold over a salad or rice bowl the next day.
I substituted the maple syrup with honey. Easy and good. My sister liked it too. Thanks for the recipe, Catherine!
Just wanted to say thanks for all of these amazing recipes. We make this Maple Soy Salmon all the time, my kids LOVE it! Same with your turkey pesto meatballs. My 5 year old is a super picky eater too, so it’s nice to have found some super easy and healthy recipes that she gobbles right up!
This sounds so good! So excited to try it!
Just made this for the first time tonight and my 3yo gobbled it up! Thanks so much for all the great recipes:) my 9 month old is enjoying broccoli potato cheese purée this week too 🙂
What a delicious and easy recipe! No one in my family is a huge fan of fish, but we are really trying to eat it more often. This was definitely a hit!
I am so glad I found your website. My daughter has a dairy allergy, so finding foods she can eat can be a challenge. I love being able to search for dairy-free recipes! My hot-dog and chicken nugget loving daughter willingly ate the salmon tonight. Good job, and you definitely have a new fan!
WOW- This was a huge hit in our house the other night. My 5 year old and 2 1/2 year old gobbled it up as well as my hubby and I. We can’t wait to have it again. Thanks for all your healthy, yummy recipes!
My 4 yr-old twins LOVE salmon and so do we. What’s not to love? HOT TIP: There’s an amazing fish shop in Berkeley, CA called the Tokyo Fish Market. It’s a hidden treasure and has THE best fish selection (5 or 6 different kinds of salmon) I have ever seen. They have a lot of sushi grade fish there as well. I usually marinate it for an hour in soy sauce, garlic and olive oil with a little salt and pepper. I grill or broil it and it gets nice and crispy on the outside and moist and flavorful on the inside. My kids will eat it hot or cold the next day. It’s so good for you and such a tremendous source of protein.
Made this for my picky kids tonight. We all loved it — and it was so easy! Thank you.
Hi there. I am relativly new to weelicious, but just wanted to say thank you. My daughter is 8 months old and I have been using your site to get ideas and inpiration for different purees. I look forward to being a long time reader, and making thinks like this delicious salmon for her as she gets older. Jade x
This looks good! I’ll definitely make this on fish Friday!