Best Baked Salmon
205 Comments
Dec 04, 2023
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This moist, flavorful, and flaky baked salmon is what weeknight dinners are all about! It’s seriously the easiest recipe to make – all you need are a few salmon fillets, plus a quick lemon butter sauce, and chopped herbs. Then, let the oven work it’s magic!
This is hands-down the salmon recipe that I make most often in my house. It’s completely foolproof, it takes less than 20 minutes to make, and it gives you the most succulent, and mouth-watering salmon. In other words, it’s just an easy, healthy dinner recipe that the whole family will love.
The great thing about a simple recipe like this is that it’s versatile enough to serve with a wide variety of side dishes. And by simply switching up the side dishes you can keep weeknight dinners interesting and tasty!
Baked Salmon ingredients
When it comes to baked salmon, don’t overthink it. All you really need are a simple lemon butter sauce and a sprinkle of herbs to make it super delicious.
- Salmon: You can make this with individual filets or one large piece (i.e. half of a salmon). It works great either way!
- Butter: A little butter keeps the salmon moist and adds that delicious buttery taste. You could also use ghee.
- Lemon Juice: A squeeze of fresh lemon adds a bright and zesty touch.
- Garlic: I’m using three garlic cloves, but feel free to add more or less.
- Herbs: You can use a variety of tender herbs, but I love a chopped parsley and dill combination. It complements the salmon perfectly.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Shop For Salmon
Between farmed vs. wild-caught and king vs. sockeye vs. coho, shopping for salmon can get confusing. So to make things easier, here’s a handy check-list of things to look out for.
- Wild salmon is best. Similar to shrimp, it’s best to steer clear of farmed salmon. Why? It’s more likely to contain pollutants, antibiotics and various toxins from the fish farms. And aside from safety reasons, wild-caught salmon generally has more nutrients, a better texture, a brilliant hue, and better flavor (translation: a more delicious baked salmon!)
- The types of salmon to know. There are several varieties of salmon, but the ones I recommend are king, sockeye, and coho. Wild salmon does have seasons and each of these varieties are available at different times throughout the year. But no matter which you choose, just look for fillets that are bright pink and marbled.
- Fresh vs. frozen salmon. Unless you’re going to a fish market that has fresh catches of the day (which can be expensive), grab frozen salmon instead. Yes, it’s totally okay, and often better than the “fresh” salmon you’ll find sitting on ice, which isn’t always as fresh as it may seem. Frozen salmon is flash frozen on the ship right after it’s caught to preserve freshness!
How To Properly Thaw Frozen Salmon
- If you planned ahead of time, thaw it in the fridge. Ideally, you want to slowly thaw your salmon in the fridge overnight, or about 12 hours before cooking it. Just make sure to keep the fish in it’s wrapping and place it on a plate to catch any liquid.
- If you’re hours away from dinner, thaw it in cold water. Not to worry if thawing it overnight slipped your mind! You can thaw your salmon by submerging it in a big bowl of cold water. This should take about an hour or so, depending on its thickness. But be sure to swap for fresh water if it starts to become lukewarm.
The Best Temperature For Baked Salmon
You’ve probably come across a few common answers when it comes to time and temperature. And while they all work, I find that baking at a lower temperature of 375°F will keep the salmon extra moist and avoid overcooking. Because let’s be honest, it’s easy to lose track of time when you’re busy whipping up other dishes. So if you’re 1 to 2 minutes over your timer, your salmon will still be perfectly cooked. But, do keep in mind the size and thickness of your fillet:
- For a normal size salmon fillet: cook for 12 to 13 minutes.
- For a thicker salmon fillet: cook for 13 to 15 minutes.
- For a whole side of salmon: cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
Pro tip: You’ll know the salmon is done baking when it flakes apart easily with a fork. I don’t often use an instant read thermometer when baking salmon, but if you want to double check, the internal temperature should be 125 to 130°F for moist, perfectly cooked salmon.
How To Bake Salmon Perfectly
This amazingly moist and flakey salmon is done in just 15 minutes! It bakes super fast, so make sure to have your side dishes planned and ready to go! To get started, preheat your oven to 375°F and then follow along below.
- Let the salmon come to room temperature. Take your fillets out of the fridge and let them sit on the counter for about 15 minutes.
- Make the butter mix. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter and lemon juice. Then brush the butter mix over the fillets in a baking dish.
- It’s baking time. Sprinkle minced garlic, salt, pepper, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Ready to serve! For the finishing touch, sprinkle a bit of parsley and dill before serving.
Common questions
Whether you like salmon skin or not, don’t remove it before baking. It will help protect the fillet from the pan’s heat, cook the salmon more evenly, and retain its delicious juices. Then once you’re ready to serve, you can easily slide the skin right off.
If you notice some white slimy substance on top of your baked salmon, don’t panic. It’s actually just a protein in the salmon called albumin that becomes solid when heated. The hotter salmon cooks, the more albumin will come out. So to prevent a thick white layer, cook your salmon at a gentle temperature.
Remember that salmon will continue to cook as it rests. So if you’re keeping a close eye on the time, taking it out right before it’s “done” is another way to prevent overcooking.
Tasty Ways To Serve Baked Salmon
Now that you have a beautiful fillet, it’s time to build the perfect meal. Here are few delicious options to keep your weekdays interesting.
- Round out a dinner plate. Add healthy carbs and greens to your plate! Carb ideas can include fluffy rice, mashed potatoes, or garlic herb roasted potatoes. And for veggies, sides such as green beans, roasted Brussels sprouts, or sauteed spinach are always great.
- Layer it onto a salad. Layer your fillet on a bed of leafy greens and tons of fresh veggies. Alternatively, create a whole new salmon salad recipe by flaking it into a bowl with celery, red onion, and radishes.
- Add it to a macro bowl. There are many ways to go about this. But I personally love a Mediterranean bowl that includes lentils, leafy greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded cabbage, and a side of tzatziki.
To Store
- For storing: If you’ve got a few salmon fillets leftover, they’ll keep for up to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container.
- How to freeze: Make sure your salmon is completely cool before freezing. Then top it on parchment paper in a storage container to prevent it from sticking to the sides. Reheating salmon can be tricky since it’s already cooked. So the key here is to reheat it low and slow, either in the microwave or oven, to prevent it from drying out.
More Ways To Cook Salmon
This simple baked salmon is a go-to recipe for quick weeknight meals. But it doesn’t stop there! Here’s a few more ways to enjoy salmon.
- Salmon Patties: Turn leftover cooked salmon into salmon patties!
- Orange Glazed Salmon: A favorite weeknight dinner recipe.
- Salmon Avocado Salad: A light and fresh salad for summer.
- Cedar Plank Salmon: The perfect outdoor grilling recipe.
- Dijon Baked Salmon: So simple, yet so delicious.
I hope you enjoy this baked salmon! If you make it let me know how it turned out! I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.
Best Baked Salmon
Description
Video
Equipment
- Enamelware Casserole Pan One of my favorites for baked mains!
Ingredients
- 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice, plus more lemon slices for garnish
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped dill
Instructions
- Brush the salmon. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and let the salmon come to room temperature for 15 minutes. Mix the melted butter and lemon juice (I use the juice from ¼ slice of lemon) in a small bowl. Then, place the salmon in the baking dish and brush the butter mix all over.
- Bake the salmon. Top the salmon with the minced garlic, salt, and pepper, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Garnish and serve. Sprinkle the fresh parsley and dill on the salmon before serving.
Lisa’s Tips
- If you’re dairy-sensitive you can use ghee or a light brush with olive oil as well.
- I love to use this casserole pan for baked salmon, but I’ve got a few more options listed in the Shop page!
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally published January 2021, but updated to include new information for your benefit!
Adding this to my favorites! I made it for my mom and siblings, the salmon was so moist and tender, and the flavors were fabulous!!
That recipe is excellent, I do it almost once a week. The only irritant is the old fashioned terms like temperature in Fahrenheit, and imperial measurements. .. There are only two countries in the world that are not going metric!
You can also find metric measurements in the recipe card. Just make sure to toggle it :)
The best so far!!
Im very particular on salmon juicy taste. It’s very easy to cook, but if you want it to perfection, it’s on different level, and this is the best site so far!!
Yay, so happy you love all my recipes, Sebastian!
The salmon was juicy and very tasty. The fillets were larger than what Lisa recommended so they took a bit longer to prepare. Will definitely do this again and again. You get the point.
We use this recipe at least once a week for the best tasting salmon. Quick and healthy dinners are the way to go.
Yay, happy to hear that!
Excellent, thank you! Made it this evening and everyone complimented it!
Yay! Happy to hear everyone enjoyed this baked salmon recipe.
I made this for dinner last night and my husband and I loved it. I served it with a bulgur pilaf with sweet potato and feta cheese. Thank You
Best recipe ever!!
I made it, and it was the first salmon recipe ever that my husband liked and asked me to make it again.
Thanks Lisa you are the best!!
Hi Lisa, I just made The Best Baked Salmon and it was absolutely delicious . The ingredients were simple but the taste was incredible. Thank you for your recipes, I always check your site first when coming up with a meal plan.
Martha
Glad you enjoyed this salmon recipe Martha!
I made this for dinner today. My husband loved it. It was fast and easy to make, took very few ingredients and easy clean up too. I paired it with brown rice and green salad. My only regret is that I forgot to take a picture to post. I will definitely add this to weekly dinners.
Glad to hear this will become a staple now :)
A delicious salmon recipe. I made it this evening.
Quick and simple. I did not have lemons so I improvised and used 1/4 teaspoon of lemon/pepper instead.
Glad you enjoyed this baked salmon recipe!
It came out delicious, thank you. What I appreciate the most is time to make it. Quick and easy. Because I don’t use a microwave and I am lazy by nature I changed the recipe a little, I squeezed lemon juice directly on the salmon and then covered it with slices of butter.
Glad this salmon recipe turned out great Elizabeth! My goal is to always try and make recipes as easy and efficient as possible.
I was looking for a quick and easy salmon recipe and found this one. So good! Another fantastic recipe from Lisa! Thank you so much! Yum :)
Delicious. I was never able to make a juicy salmon fillet. It melted in my mouth.
Patricia. Canada
Glad you enjoyed this salmon recipe Patricia!
Comes out perfect every time! Thank you so much!!!!
Quick and easy to make with ingredients I already had on hand. Thank you!
The salmon was perfectly cooked. I had individually packed frozen salmon without skin and I sliced a lemon and put the slices in the bottom of the pan and placed the salmon on top. Other than that I followed the recipe. Easy and tasty.
Great recipe Delicious but easy
Great video….Thank You for Sharing…!!! ✨😊✨👍🏻👍🏻✨👍🏻✨👍🏻
Great recipe! Thank you Lisa for the details on how to cook it.
Excellent recipe, great tips. Love the simplicity. Thanks.
Very easy to follow directions. Thank you. Salmon was tasty.
This is my first time eating salmon. It was delicious. I think I like it better than chicken. I will make it again soon.
Hi! Do I need to adjust time if baking only two filets? Thank you.
I would keep it the same – just keep an eye on them :)
Quite wonderful. Details in instructions helpful to augment quality.
It’s simple, easy, quick and delicious! Made it again for lunch today 😊
I love it!! sooo delicious and easy!! Thank you!
Delicious and Easy! Thank you
I did it without dill and I added cilantro instead butt it was delicious! Thank you for this recipe!
Wonderful! Glad this turned out great with cilantro instead :)
Love this simple recipe. Do you have any recipes featuring other types of fish? Would love to have information on what types of fish are healthy, where they might be sourced, and the best method to prepare.
I also have cod, shrimp, and a scallop recipe on the site 😊
Delish & simple
This salmon dish was delicious! I used vegan butter instead of regular butter. In addition to the ingredients listed, I also sprinkled the salmon with smoked paprika and a a very little bit of seasoning salt before putting it in the oven. I served it over rice with a side of stir fry vegetables well seasoned. My husband said the meal was amazing!
Happy to hear both you and your husband enjoyed this baked salmon :)
Where can I get the white baking dish you use as well as the small cutting board and electric (?) pepper grinder in this video? Please post link!
Hi Chris – you can find most of the products I use in the Shop page on my website :)
Should you bake the salmon with a foil cover?
There’s no need to cover with foil for this recipe.
Going to make your baked salmon recipe this weekend for family. You have laid out the method so well, I feel I will have no problem. Thank you for a great recioe
Hope your salmon fillets turn out perfectly Joyce!
I love Salmon and make it often. I learned a good tip from your recipe, and that is to put the dill and parsley on the fish after it comes out of the oven.
Thanx for the tip Stan! Never heard that before. 💜
First time fixing salmon and this recipe was really easy and the texture and taste wonderful!
Hi! I’m vegetarian venturing to pescatarian and was wondering this could be used in an airfryer?
I haven’t tried making this in an air fryer yet, but if you do, please let me know how it turns out!
This is an absolutely perfect way to prepare and bake salmon! Extremely easy and oh so tasty!! We love it! It is my go-to for salmon now all of the time! And, it is so healthy too!!
Glad you found a winning recipe for perfectly baked salmon :)
Very nice very good instructions..thank you Lisa! The outcome looks delicious I will definitely try,
Delicious and so easy to make.
Glad you enjoyed this baked salmon Elsa!
I usually just soak my salmon in Moscato fruity wine instead of rinsing it before baking it..
Made this recipe for dinner this evening! I didn’t have lemons, so used limes instead. Served it with mashed potatoes and roasted Brussels and came out perfect!
Glad this still turned out great, but with limes instead!
Absolutely delicious! I’m so glad this recipe popped up for me on YouTube. It is so easy and really is the best salmon. My husband just returned from Alaska with a freezer full of fish he caught and this is the recipe we are using to enjoy the first of his catch.
I’m sure using fresh Alaskan salmon tasted amazing with this recipe Emy! Glad you both enjoyed this one :)
Wow! I really enjoyed this recipe and will save it to my favorites on my kindle. Thanks for sharing and GOD bless!😀
This baked salmon is surely a weeknight staple :)
It was indeed the easiest and the juiciest salmon I’ve ever cooked! Thank you for the information and tips, you always answer all the questions that pop in my mind when I read the recipe!!
Thank you so much!
Happy to hear this post and video was helpful to make the perfect baked salmon!
This is my go to for baking salmon. I have made it three times and it comes out perfectly moist every time! I usually do rice and steamed garlic herbed broccoli for sides. Such an easy weeknight meal.
Happy to hear you’ve found a go-to baked salmon recipe Marita!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I am not a fish fan (working on it) and have been trying to find ways to cook salmon well for my family. My son ate an extra serving and my husband said it was the best salmon I have ever cooked! I used rosemary instead of dill and lime instead of lemon because those ingredients aren’t available were we live but it was perfect!
Happy to hear the whole family enjoyed this baked salmon Jessica! Sounds great with rosemary as well :)
Made this last night and it turned out beautifully. Had it with asparagus. I will say, I made it for meal prep and overnight the garlic turned green due to the parsley and dill I guess, haha! But it tasted phenomenal :)
Glad you enjoyed this baked salmon Mia!
So DELICIOUS , I followed your directions step by step, I baked my half salmon for 29 min and it’s so moist and I love the lemon butter flavors with the minced garlic. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Wonderful! Glad your baked salmon turned out perfectly :)