Easy Oven Baked Salmon Recipe - Healthy Dinner Recipe (2024)

See my guide on how to use an Instant Pot.

This easy oven baked salmon recipe is our favorite! The salmon is cooked in a honey, Dijon and garlic glaze and takes just 10 minutes of prep time. This delicious salmon recipe is perfect for a fancy dinner or weeknight meal!

Easy Oven Baked Salmon Recipe - Healthy Dinner Recipe (1)

If you’re looking for an easy salmon recipe that your whole family will love, look no further. This is the recipe that I make when I want an easy, healthy dinner that both the kids and adults will enjoy. My kids request this salmon for dinner all the time!

This baked salmon recipe turns out perfect every time. The fish cooks until it’s perfectly moist and flaky. The salmon is smothered in a simple glaze that’s made with just five pantry ingredients. As the salmon cooks in the honey garlic sauce it becomes so flavorful!

This is my go-to recipe for salmon. Try it and you will see why!

Then try one of my other healthy dinner ideas: juicy baked chicken breasts, the best baked pork chops and crispy baked chicken thighs and easy fish tacos. When you want to cook an easy and healthy dinner in your oven, these recipes are perfect!

Easy Oven Baked Salmon Recipe - Healthy Dinner Recipe (2)

You will love this easy salmon recipe because:

  • It is so simple and easy to make! There’s very little prep for this recipe. Ten minutes, tops. This salmon recipe is a 30 minute meal, start to finish.
  • The sauce is made with just a few ingredients, and it gives the salmon the best flavor!
  • There is virtually no clean up. Line your baking dish with parchment paper or foil and clean up is a breeze.

Easy Oven Baked Salmon Recipe - Healthy Dinner Recipe (3)

How to Cook Salmon

Making this salmon recipe is easy. I’ll walk you through how to cook salmon, and I’ll give you my tips for making the best tender and flavorful baked salmon.

  1. Choose wild caught salmon. For the best quality and sustainability, choose wild caught salmon. The salmon should have shiny skin and the flesh should look moist and vibrantly colored. Fresh salmon shouldn’t smell overly fishy.
  2. Let salmon come to room temperature. Take your salmon out of the refrigerator when you are ready to get started with this recipe. While you prepare the other ingredients, the fish will begin to come to room temperature. This helps the salmon to cook evenly.
  3. Line the baking dish for easy cleanup. You can use either parchment paper or foil to line your baking dish.
  4. Make a simple glaze. The glaze adds both flavor and moisture to the salmon. For the glaze you will need olive oil, soy sauce, honey, Dijon mustard and garlic. If you prefer a dry rub seasoning, I highly recommend this Salmon Seasoning recipe.
  5. Cook salmon as a whole fillet, with the skin on. Leaving your salmon fillet whole and then cutting it into slices after baking will help the salmon to cook evenly. Cooking salmon with the skin on helps to keep it moist. You’ll bake your salmon with the skin side down. You can easily remove the skin after cooking if you wish. To do this, use a thin metal spatula or knife to separate the skin from the baked salmon flesh.
  6. Brush salmon with glaze a second time. You’ll brush about 2/3 of the sauce on the salmon before it bakes. Then, when the salmon is almost cooked through, brush on the remaining glaze and bake a few minutes more.
  7. Don’t overcook your salmon. Perfectly cooked salmon will be tender, moist and flaky. If you overcook salmon it can dry out easily. The FDA recommends cooking salmon to 145 degrees F. To check the temperature of your salmon, insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the fish. Salmon can go from almost done to overcooked very quickly, so watch it carefully during the last few minutes of baking time. The salmon will continue to cook a bit more after you remove it from the oven, so you can remove it when it is 140 degrees if you wish.

How Long to Bake Salmon in the Oven

The exact baking time will depend on the thickness of your salmon fillet. A one pound salmon fillet will take about 12-20 minutes to cook in the oven, at 400 degrees F. Begin checking on your salmon early and then you can always cook it more if it’s not done.

What to Serve with this Salmon Recipe

I like to serve a vegetable and a starch with this baked salmon. Some options for the veggie are roasted broccoli, air fryer asparagus, green beans or a spinach salad. Instant Pot mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, Instant Pot baked potatoes, air fryer baked potatoes or brown rice are also perfect side dishes for salmon.

More Salmon Recipes

  • Air Fryer Salmon
  • Lemon Garlic Salmon
  • One Pan Salmon and Potatoes
  • Grilled Salmon
  • Salmon Salad

Easy Oven Baked Salmon Recipe - Healthy Dinner Recipe (4)

Easy Oven Baked Salmon Recipe - Healthy Dinner Recipe (5)

5 from 24 ratings

Favorite Easy Oven Baked Salmon

Servings: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

This easy oven baked salmon recipe is our favorite! The salmon is cooked in a honey, Dijon and garlic glaze and takes just 10 minutes of prep time. This delicious salmon recipe is perfect for a fancy dinner or weeknight meal!

Print Recipe Leave a Review Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pound salmon fillet, skin on
  • 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

  • Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature while you prepare the other ingredients.

  • Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet or 9x13-inch baking dish with foil (for easy clean up).

  • In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, olive oil, honey, Dijon and minced garlic.

  • Place salmon, skin side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Reserve ⅓ of the sauce in a clean dish and spoon/brush the remaining ⅔ of the sauce over the salmon.

  • Bake for 15 minutes and then brush on the remaining sauce. Bake 2-5 minutes more, until internal temperature of the fish reaches 145° F on an instant read thermometer, or salmon is cooked to your desired doneness. Serve.

Notes

  • You can also cook the salmon cut into 4 individual fillets instead of one large piece. Individual fillets will cook through faster, so start checking on them after 12 minutes in the oven.

Serving: 6ounces salmon, Calories: 347kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 94mg, Sodium: 549mg, Potassium: 893mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 71IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is an estimate.

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Course: Main Course

Tried this recipe?Mention @kristines_kitchen on Instagram or tag #kristineskitchenblog.

This site contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Kristine's Kitchen!

Easy Oven Baked Salmon Recipe - Healthy Dinner Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest way to eat salmon? ›

Poached Salmon is the healthiest way to cook salmon and will be ready in just 10 minutes! Although it seems fancy, this poached salmon recipe is crazy simple and rewards a tender, delicate, flaky piece of salmon that is light and refreshing.

Is baked salmon good for a diet? ›

Is salmon good for weight loss? It absolutely can be. Salmon is high in protein and fairly low in calories: there's about 25.4g of protein and 182 calories in a 100g serving of wild salmon, and 22.1g of protein and 206 calories in 100g of farmed salmon. This makes either option a great addition to a weight loss diet.

Is it better to bake salmon covered or uncovered? ›

Baked salmon is best when cooked at 425°F in the oven.

Even thicker fillets don't take long. We recommend baking the salmon uncovered. Simply rub the fillets with a little oil, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, then place them in the roasting pan skin-side down before popping them in the oven.

Is it better to bake salmon at 350 or 400? ›

What is the best temperature to bake salmon? 400°F (205°C) is ideal as it allows the fish to gain colour and the skin to become crispy. If you prefer a milder method, you can bake it at 350°F (175°C) for 20-25 minutes or until done. The salmon baked at 425°F (215°C) produces tender, creamy fillets that cook quickly.

Is there a downside to eating salmon? ›

Eating large amounts of salmon and other fish could expose you to cancer-causing chemicals, or carcinogens. Fish get these chemicals by swimming in polluted water. Although both wild and farmed salmon carry this risk, the benefit-risk ratio for wild salmon is significantly greater. Nervous system damage.

Is salmon good for belly fat loss? ›

Certain foods can help you in your search for proper weight maintenance. Superfoods that burn belly fat and help with weight loss include salmon, broccoli, oats, and other foods. The constant quest to lose weight is ever-changing. But you should know that diet is just as important as exercise.

Is it OK to eat baked salmon everyday? ›

So, just how much salmon can you eat in a day or week? While there's no strict daily limit per se, two to three servings of fish per week is generally recommended by the FDA, according to Hill. On the flip side, if you're eating salmon every day, she says that you could also be at risk for a lack of nutrient variety.

What is the best fish for weight loss? ›

Best: Lean Fish

For example, low-fat fish like tilapia, cod, flounder, and sole have fewer than 120 calories in a 3-ounce serving and give you plenty of protein. If you don't like fish but want to get more seafood into your diet, tilapia and cod can be a good starting point. Neither has much of a fishy taste.

Do you flip salmon when baking? ›

Cooking Fillets Skin-Side Up

"When pan-frying or grilling, cook salmon fillets skin-side down for 5-7 minutes, flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes," says Norton. "You should also cook it skin-side down with other cooking methods, including baking."

Should I bake salmon in glass or metal? ›

Culinary experts and chefs recommend using large stainless steel or cast iron pan for baking salmon in the oven. Though you can use pans made of other materials as well, these two are just the most recommended ones. If you're wrapping your salmon in foil you can even simply use a baking sheet or cookie pan.

Should salmon be cooked skin up or down in oven? ›

Always bake salmon with the skin side down as this will help protect the fillet from the heat of the pan and it will help the salmon retain its juices and cook evenly. When it's time to serve the salmon, the skin will come off really easily as you slide a spatula between the fillet and the skin.

Should salmon be room temperature before baking? ›

It is a good idea to let salmon sit out for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking so that it can warm to room temperature. Do not let it sit out for too long. You want it to reach room temperature right before cooking.

How do you not overcook salmon in the oven? ›

The gentler heat cooks the salmon slowly and reduces the chances of overcooking. It also gives you the time to calmly assess when the salmon is done. Bake the salmon at 275°F for 20 minutes, or at 300°F for 10 to 15 minutes.

Is it better to eat salmon with or without skin? ›

Yes, salmon skin is good for you. Salmon skin holds the aforementioned nutrients, plus natural fish oil, which can help lower cholesterol and high blood pressure, reduce arthritic pain, and help prevent heart disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Is salmon healthier baked or fried? ›

Baking salmon in parchment paper is one of the healthiest cooking methods. It's also easy to prep and clean up. However, some people may prefer the texture of pan-fried or grilled salmon over steamed salmon en papillote.

What is the best way to cook salmon without losing nutrients? ›

Some studies have shown that baking fish causes less loss of omega-3 fatty acids than both frying and microwaving (39, 46 , 47 ). Baking may also be a better way to retain the vitamin D content of fish.

What is the healthiest source of salmon? ›

There are many different types of salmon — specifically, five types of Pacific salmon and two types of Atlantic salmon. These days, Atlantic salmon is typically farmed, while Pacific salmon species are primarily wild-caught. Wild-caught Pacific salmon are typically considered to be the healthiest salmon.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Reed Wilderman

Last Updated:

Views: 6229

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (52 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Reed Wilderman

Birthday: 1992-06-14

Address: 998 Estell Village, Lake Oscarberg, SD 48713-6877

Phone: +21813267449721

Job: Technology Engineer

Hobby: Swimming, Do it yourself, Beekeeping, Lapidary, Cosplaying, Hiking, Graffiti

Introduction: My name is Reed Wilderman, I am a faithful, bright, lucky, adventurous, lively, rich, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.