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.
Made this last night and it was amazing!!! I’m not a Salmon lover but this won me over. The only thing I changed, experimenting, was the paprika. I did half regular paprika and half smoked paprika.
Thank you for this recipe
Glad to hear it worked out well for you. Thanks for letting us know
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, it is amazing!
Such a great combination of flavours!
I do add a bit more lemon, because I love the tanginess with the salmon
When I make this, I have enough marinade leftover to toss in some vegetables and roast them together with the salmon.
I made this for my adult son & I this evening. Just delicious. I will definitely make it again!
Awesome!! I am so glad you loved it, Barbara. Thank you for the feedback!
We had thicker salmon so cooked for 20 min, but after the first bite my wife said “It’s been a long time since we had a great recipe, write this one down!” It was easy for me to cook and delicious. Definitely a must for a I delicious meal!
Awesome!! Easy to cook and delicious are my go to ;)! I am so glad this was a hit with you and your wife. Thanks for the feedback, Jon!
Loved the recipe! I kept the ingredients for the sauce the same for only 1 lb of salmon and caked on more of the sauce on the fish. Using about 3/4 tsp cayenne it was a little spicy for our young kids, but giving them pieces beneath the sauce worked for them. The sauce was delish, though we live in the Pacific NW with wonderful fresh salmon, and the sauce masked most of the fish flavor. Great for people who don’t like fish, and great for mixing up our usual fish-cooking methods. Next time, I may try
on some chicken.
Yummy! We have never had salmon like this before, everyone loved it!
Awesome!! I am so glad you got to try something new and that it was a hit for you. Thank you for the feedback, Emily!
This is such a great recipe. Everyone in my family loves it and so we make it at least once a month.
Glad to hear this . Thanks
This sounds delish! Have you made this in either an air fryer or instant pot? Was wondering about your success.
Hi Gabrielle! It tastes delish too :).
I haven’t tried making this in an air fryer or instant pot yet. Do let me know how it works out for you :).
Great recipe! I made it according to your recipe and the taste is great! Everyone in the family likes it, it makes me happy. Thank you
And now I am happy too :)! I am so glad this was a hit with your family, Lisa. Thanks for stopping by!
Amazing! Served with mango/black bean quinoa!
Sounds delish!! Thanks for stopping by, Tabbatha!
Just looking at it makes me drool, it looks delicious and beautiful. I definitely have to cook this dish right now. Thank you for sharing!
It tastes delicious too!! 🙂 Do let me know how it works out for you!
I made this recipe and it came out wonderful it reminds of of when I was in Africa and our cook made something like this with barracuda he made a thick paste for it in Sierra Leone!!!
Love it! Comes out so delicious and became a top favorite for my husband. He has requested it numerous times. Thank you!
This was delicious. I have baked salmon numerous ways and this out shinded them all. Definentlya keer.
Thank you
Awesome and a refreshing change! Will definitely make again.
Thanks for the feedback.
Do you slice the skin off the salmon or do you leave the skin on through cooking?
Hi, Rick. I left the skin on for this salmon.
Always love my salmon,will definitely try your recipe.
Second time to make this. I love your recipes and am so happy you share them!
Aww.. thanks Carol. I love cooking!!!
Quick and dumb question, it says about the fresh parsley, then in quotation marks, it says, basil … which is it or are they the same thing?
Hi Donald,
They both work just fine .Basil adds strong, pungent, sweet smell. While parsley is more mellow. Add one or both .
I put 2 parsley and 1 basil worked out fine
Can I use olive oil instead of butter?
Yes you can.
I just made your recipe and it was easy but most of all the taste was amazing. Even my husband, whom is not a big fan of fish, asked for seconds. Definitely, will keep this recipe. Thank you!
Awesome! I am so glad this was a hit with your family, Mercedes. Thank you for the review :)!
Mmm hmmm…that’s good sauce! Love this recipe — thank you!!