Oven Baked Salmon
These moist, flaky oven-baked salmon filets are generously seasoned with a spicy kick and a lemony flourish. It’s one of those easy, never-fail-you recipes that packs a real flavor punch.
Spicy, lemony, moist—this recipe is everything you could ever want a salmon dinner to be! And honestly, any meal that can work for a fancy date night or a quick weeknight meal holds a special place in my heart.
Plus, this salmon is so tasty that you’ll probably forget it’s also incredibly good for you. Here’s to all the healthy foods that still taste like a treat.
Keeping Baked Salmon Moist
Moist, flaky salmon is pretty simple. The trick is to avoid overcooking it. Ten to fifteen minutes at high heat－400℉ (205℃)－works well for me. However, cook times will vary depending on how thick your salmon filets are.
Just start checking them around the 10-minute mark. When the fish loses all opacity and the thickest section flakes easily with a fork, it’s time to pull them out of the oven. They’re done!
How to Bake Salmon in the Oven
- Pat the salmon dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. (Photo 1)
- Melt the butter, then saute the minced garlic, paprika, onion powder, cayenne pepper, parsley, and basil for 30 seconds to a minute. Turn off the heat and let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes so the flavors meld. Finally, add the lemon juice to the mix. (Photos 2-3)
- Brush the salmon with the spice mixture, covering every inch. (Photo 4)
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through, depending on the fillets’ thickness and your preference. When the thickest part of the salmon easily flakes with a fork, it’s perfectly cooked. (You could do this stovetop if you don’t want to heat the oven.) (Photo 5)
- Garnish with lemon slices and serve with your favorite sides. (Photo 6)
Recipe Notes
- Season the fish with soy sauce, grated ginger, minced garlic, and a touch of honey for an Asian-inspired twist.
- Spread a layer of basil pesto over the salmon filets and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese before baking for an Italian take.
- Take a whiff. Fish should smell like the ocean, not fishy, and watch out for bruising. If you’re buying frozen filets, avoid packages that say “color added” or include non-natural ingredients.
- Feel free to use skin-on salmon, baking it skin down, which creates a barrier to hold in the juices.
- Setting a timer will prevent overcooking the salmon. Fish cooks fast, and it’s easy to forget about it when you’re busy making sides.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
Salmon will stay good in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months, so feel free to make this dish ahead. Just let it cool and refrigerate or freeze it in an airtight container.
Thaw frozen salmon overnight before reheating it. Pop it in the microwave, air fryer, or your oven set to a low temp (325℉/160℃) for about 10 minutes or until just heated through.
What Goes With Oven-Baked Salmon
Oven-baked salmon goes with loads of sides. Enjoy it with garlic mashed potatoes or creamy orzo and bacon-wrapped green beans. Or serve it chilled over a strawberry spinach salad and top it with mango salsa.
More Sumptuous Salmon Recipes to Try
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”VkWj59UL” upload-date=”Mon Aug 06 2018 20:14:42 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”Oven Baked Salmon” description=”Oven Baked Salmon – moist and flaky highly seasoned salmon fillets with a lemony and spicy kick. A perfect easy weeknight meal for busy folks or as a low-carb go-to Lenten meal. Spicy, lemony, and moist – everything you want a salmon dinner to be!”]
This blog post was first published in February 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Oven Baked Salmon
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (900g) salmon fillets
- 3-4 tablespoons (42-56g) unsalted butter
- 2-3 teaspoons (6-8g) minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon (7g) onion powder
- 1 tablespoon (7g) paprika
- ½-1 teaspoon (1-2g) cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2-3 tablespoons (7-10g) fresh parsley or basil (minced)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) or more lemon juice
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400ºF (205℃). Line a baking sheet with foil or baking paper, like I did, spray with cooking spray or lightly oil. Set aside.
- Make 4-5 slits in each salmon fillet with a sharp knife. Dab both sides of the salmon dry with paper towels, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat a small pan over medium-low heat. Melt the butter, then add minced garlic, paprika, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and parsley or basil. Stir for 30 seconds to a minute. Let this mixture sit for a little bit, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice.
- Brush the salmon fillets with the mixture, covering every inch.
- Bake until cooked through, 10-15 minutes, depending on the salmon's thickness and your preferred doneness. The salmon is perfectly cooked when the thickest part easily flakes with a fork.
- Garnish immediately with lemon slices and serve.
Tips & Notes:
- Season just before cooking to keep the salt from pulling out too much moisture.
- While the FDA advises an internal temperature of 145°F (62℃), most chefs and pro-home cooks prefer 125-130°F (50-55℃). The higher the temperature, the drier the fish.
- Let the filets rest for 5 minutes after removing them from the oven. Residual heat will continue cooking it for a few minutes, and the juices will reabsorb into the meat.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
This was delicious! I must say I did add one ingredient since I used a full tsp of cayenne pepper and needed to back down the heat for the kiddos. So after tasting the sauce after 5 minutes, I added 1/4 cup of white cooking wine and it worked perfectly. This recipe was a hit all around the table. Thanks for sharing!!
Okay, legit the best salmon I have ever had!
Omg I love this recipe for salmon it goes awesome with roasted cauliflower, broccoli and carrots
Adding my stars. Somehow I missed that part during my 1st review! If I could give 10, I would! Excellent!
Yay!!! Thanks Vicki
I think I died and went to heaven. It was all I could do to not eat the whole 2 pounds! Possibly the best salmon I’ve ever had. In fact, I was beginning to not like salmon and haven’t been ordering it because it is either not seasoned to my liking or is way over cooked. And I tend to over cook mine as well so I was ready to throw in the towel. So glad I came across your blog and this recipe. So easy and possibly the tastiest and flakiest and moistest salmon I’ve ever eaten or made. This is a 5 star restaurant quality recipe!! Printed and going to the top of my dinner lists.
Made this today for lunch over a beautiful spinach and Romain salad with a drizzle of EVOO and ACV. It was picture perfect. Snapped it to my friends and forgot to download it. Gone into the Snap Chat world forever.
Oh, I have cut out butter from my diet so I used 2 TBS coconut oil and 2 TBS EVOO. I used my glass Pyrex pans, drizzled some olive oil on the bottom of the pan and sprinkled salt and pepper on the bottom of the pan. Laid my salmon fillets (skin on) in the pan, sprinkled some more salt and pepper on top of the fillets and followed the recipe exactly thereafter. Baked for 15 minutes (thick filets). Skins peeled right off the fillets. I wish my family liked fish. This was literally to die for. Sharing the recipe with EVERYONE!!
Thank you!!
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, Vicki. So glad this recipe did win you back. And thanks for sharing this to your friends. 🙂
I love baked salmon this recipe is so simple
Trying this now!
Great recipe, love your ideas, very unique and delicious
My husband always makes smoked salmon so I decided to try this recipe and it was delicious! My granddaughter said it was the best salmon she has ever had. Thanks!
This has become my go-to baked salmon recipe that I make probably once a week. It gives the fish a ton of flavor that even my picky fiance will eat. Accompanied with a vegetable of choice (normally broccoli) and you have yourself an easy dinner. Just place it all in the oven, watch your favorite show and dinner is ready with minimal dishes in 30 minutes! That is my kind of weeknight recipe. Thank you for sharing!
I loved this recipe!! I am Mexican so I love how it has a nice kick to it and the lemon, everything was delicious!
Cooked it tonight for my moms birthday, she loved it, very quick and easy to make. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!!
This salmon recipe is amazing! My kids’ thumbs shot through the ceiling in approval, they loved it and made me the popular parent tonight . I accompanied with grilled veggie kabobs and couscous. Thanks for sharing this!
Made tonight, easy and delicious. Thank you.
Delicious, quick and easy!! Thank you! This will be my go to weeknight meal from now on!
Wow I’ve never left a review on a recipe. This one is really worth it!! Thank you it was awesome and I will definitely make this again!! I like that you can enter how many people you’re making it for and the recipe adjusts. If I could give more stars than 5 I would. It doesn’t disappoint.
Delicious. Quick, easy directions and simple steps with complex flavors!
Nurse G.
Thanks Nurse G.
The salmon is delicious!
I just want to say oh my God I came across your website while searching for a recipe and at first I was hesitant to try your oven baked salmon but, when I looked at all the reviews everything was nothing but compliments how great it is. I made for dinner, let me just say it smell and it taste as delicious as it looks. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.Thank for your amazing recipe .
Thanks for this easy, tasty, wonderful recipe!
Awesome! Happy to hear it worked out well for you.
Sounds delicious. This salmon dish is not African, definitely European based along with the fish. Even many of the ingredients are not normally used in traditional African cuisine
The video has like 20 commercials..
I made this tonight and it was AH-MAY-ZING!! My husband and I enjoyed it. I used fresh parsley and added some dried basil. Oh, soooo yummy! Thank you!! I know, I will make this again when my children come for dinner. Again, thank you for this wonderful and yummy recipe.