Oven Baked Salmon with Lemon and Herbs
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Not only is salmon good for you, it is also a major component of the Mediterranean diet, often cited to be the best diet in the world. Read ahead to learn how to best cook a whole fillet of salmon and make sure, it is flaky and flavourful.
The best part about this dish is the lemon-garlic sauce which goes great with the rice and green beans. All of you that are looking to hit the gym, get a taste of this!
I know for some folks fish can be a pesky protein! It’s easy to over-cook or to get a great flavour. This recipe is excellent for beginners, so this simple baked salmon recipe is a wonderful SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) goal toward mastering fish - we all start somewhere! Actually, this was the first way I ever learned to cook fish, and it was my sister’s first time cooking fish too! Sadly, she forgot about it in the oven and over-cooked it, but now she’s a pro at cooking salmon! If you want to learn more about setting SMART goals and how they can motivate you to cook up new creations in the kitchen, then check out my free guide Make Cooking Fun!!
That being said, this Lemon and Herb Baked Salmon is an excellent way for you to break out of your comfort zone and have fish no longer be a pesky protein! Be sure to try out this recipe as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge, which you can get started for free by signing up to my email newsletter!
For a complete easy-to-follow demonstration to digest the concepts presented in this post, then don’t forget to watch the video at the bottom! It would mean a lot to me if you would please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already and be sure to press the bell button to be notified when all of my video recipes go live! Let’s get cooking!
Why You’ll Love This Baked Lemon and Herb Salmon!
Simple and clean flavours: This salmon recipe is just so delicious in many ways! We’ve got a combination of fresh and dry herbs in addition to tangy lemon juice, rich olive oil, and aromatic garlic. Plus, salmon itself gives a great flavour!
Super easy to prep: This is a quick marinade, plus preparing the marinade should only take a couple of minutes.
Hands-off recipe: After the marinade is ready, you basically just toss the salmon in the oven and let the oven work its magic! Even the rice doesn’t require much babying. The green beans will be ready right before your eyes!
Nutritious: Everything about this salmon is so healthy! Salmon itself is full of incredible healthy fats to promote heart health and brain health, in addition to protein to keep you full and satisfied. The side dishes I present here also provide you with an overall balanced meal that’s excellent for the family.
Customizable: Check out different serving suggestions later on in the bottom of this post to craft your perfect meal and to keep things interesting!
Pointers to Make Lemon and Herb Salmon Work For You!
Tender and Juicy
The technique used in this recipe is so simple, it is perfect of beginner cooks. Simple add the marinated salmon with the marinade to the centre of a large foil. Then, fold each corner and tighten until you make a foil “boat”. This helps trap the steam and keep the salmon moist.
How Long Should I Bake The Salmon For?
Usually it depends on the thickness of the fillet and your doneness preference. We usually enjoy our salmon medium rare, but since this recipe is directed towards beginners, the numbers are for a well-done salmon.
For a 4-ounce salmon, the salmon should cook well in about 20-30 minutes in a 375 F oven. If you are still uncertain, you can check the temperature at the centre of the fillet with an instant read thermometer. Canada Health recommends a minimum internal temperature of 70°C (158°F). Click here for more information.
What Should I Look For in a Salmon Fillet?
I prefer buying personal sized fillets to ensure each piece, when served looks just perfect, it makes serving so much easier. However, in case you are serving a big crowd, buying a large fillet (1-2 pounds) may be both cheaper and easier to prepare.
At the grocery store/fish market, ensure the colour of the salmon is vibrant and it does not smell excessively fishy. Also, depending on where you buy the fillet, you may need to de-bone the flesh.
In terms of variety, I almost exclusively go for wild-caught Pacific (also known as Coho) salmon. Avoid farmed salmon (Atlantic) as much as you can, even though it is cheaper, it cannot match the latter in terms of flavour.
Do I purchase salmon with the skin?
Yes, it is ideal to purchase skin-on salmon. This is because you’ll be cooking the fish on the pan skin-side down. The salmon skin is a crucial part because it creates a wall between the delicate salmon flesh and the pan, which will reduce the risk of the fish over cooking and drying out. Technically you could use a fillet without skin, but I think it’s better to cook the fish with the skin on!
That being said, you can remove the skin before or after cooking the fish. However, it’s best to remove the skin afterward because if you try to remove the skin on raw salmon, it can be quite messy! Additionally, as previously mentioned, you won’t have that barrier that can prevent over-cooking.
What About Eating the Skin?
Salmon skin is a touchy subject. You can for sure eat salmon skin as it is actually quite tasty and nutritious for you. However, the salmon skin being edible depends on how you cook the salmon. If you’re going to grill or pan-sear the salmon to get a crispy skin, then I recommend it. On the other hand, when you bake salmon (such as in this recipe), the skin is soft and rubbery, which is not good at all! For this case, you’ll want to separate the actual fillet from the skin once it’s finished baking, and then toss out the skin. You really won’t be missing anything!
What to Serve with Baked Lemon Herb Salmon?
You will see how to make simple steamed rice here in addition to some sautéed green beans. However, if you want to mix and match this meal to have your own healthy creation, then here are some other ideas!
Tools Needed to Make Salmon Bake in Foil
INGREDIENTS FOR Lemon and herb Baked Salmon
Check out the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card by pressing the “Jump to Recipe” button or scrolling to the bottom of this post for full ingredient quantities and to save the recipe for later. You can also scale the recipe based on how many portions of fish you want to make - all ingredient quantities are automatically adjusted for you!
For the salmon
Salmon: The best choice is a wild-caught salmon with the skin on. You’ll see how it’s got a vibrant colour and trust me - it tastes so much better!
Garlic cloves: The minced garlic just melts into the sauce!
Olive oil: Healthy for you and key to bring out the Mediterranean flavours. Make sure to pick out a good quality olive oil and be wary of fake olive oil.
Spices: Dried oregano, dill and parsley make up a simple combination with bold flavours.
Whole lemon: The base of the marinade and provides tons of tanginess.
For the rice
Water
For the green beans
How to Make Lemon and Herb Baked Salmon
To make the salmon
Prepare the marinade by combining olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, lemon zest, parsley, dill, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Add salmon and coat with marinade.
Marinate up to 15 minutes.
Heat oven to 375F.
Take a large aluminium foil and and nestle a filet of salmon down the centre. Start from each ends, bring up edges fold and create a seal or a boat.
Bake in oven for 8-12 mins or until pink, tender and flaky with a fork.
To make the green beans
Bring a skillet to medium heat and add some olive oil, add beans, 1 clove garlic, salt and pepper and cook 5-10 mins until tender.
To make the rice
For more tips and trick on how to prepare the best white rice, check out my full recipe on steamed rice.
Add 2/3 Cup rice with 1 1/3 cups of water to a pot/saucepan and bring to boil.
Once the rice comes to boil, put lid on the pot/saucepan and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender.
Then, plate everything together.
Serve hot, and enjoy!
What to Do With Leftover Salmon?
This salmon lemon and herb baked salmon can be made in advance! Store the salmon in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I’d recommend that you keep it in the fridge for no longer than two days, however, as the salmon will dry out! I’d also recommend not storing the salmon with the rice, as the rice will absorb all the amazing flavours from the salmon and dry it out quicker.
To reheat your salmon, you can microwave it for about a minute or until warmed through.
What to Do With Extra marinade?
I actually had extra marinade when I was recently preparing this recipe for the video! If you do have any extra, it’s really easy to freeze it! Simply transfer your marinade to an airtight container or ziploc, and freeze it for about 3 to 4 months. I wouldn’t keep your extra marinade in the fridge for longer than a day or two because the garlic in it can spoil.
More Easy Seafood Recipes
Watch How to Make Oven Baked Salmon with Lemon and Herbs Here:
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