This is the best Baked Salmon Recipe made with simple seasoning of butter, garlic and lemon, then baked until flaky and juicy. Ready in 25 minutes, it’s a perfect weeknight dinner!
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This baked salmon is the most simple and juicy salmon recipe! I do have a similar recipe for baked salmon in foil, but this time I added the butter sauce before baking and cut large fillet into slices.
It’s a hands-off dinner that’s perfect for busy weeknights. If you prefer something with a sticky-sweet glaze, you’ve got to try my baked teriyaki salmon!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients: Made with 7 ingredients, including salt and pepper.
- Healthy: Packed with protein and omega-3s.
- Endless possibilities: Match it with your favorite sides or play around with different herbs.
- Foolproof: You’ll have perfectly baked salmon on your plate in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients for Baked Salmon Recipe
You’ll need just 5 ingredients to make a garlicky lemon butter sauce plus a sprinkle of fresh dill.
- Salmon: About 2 pounds of boneless salmon fillet cut into 6 or 8 pieces. You can use farmed or wild salmon, with or without skin.
- Salted butter: You’ll need melted butter for the sauce.
- Lemon juice: Adds a zesty touch. If you don’t have a lemon lying around you can swap in white wine vinegar, it’s tangy and bright, and very good!
- Garlic: I recommend fresh garlic for the most flavor. The recipe calls for 3 cloves, but feel free to add more if you’d like.
- Fresh dill: I love using fresh dill with salmon. Fresh parsley is also a top runner.
- Salt and black pepper: To taste.
How to Bake Salmon
Here’s an overview of how to bake salmon in the oven with very little hands-on time.
- Season the salmon: Preheat your oven to 375 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the salmon pieces on the sheet pan, skin down and leaving a little space between each. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
- Make the butter sauce: In a small bowl, mix together melted butter, lemon juice, and garlic.
- Coat the salmon: Brush the butter mixture onto each piece of salmon, covering the top and sides. Spoon the remaining garlic evenly over each piece.
- Bake it: Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the thickest part hits 125-130 F and flakes easily with a fork.
- Finish and serve: Finish by brushing each piece with the butter from the pan. Top with fresh dill and serve right away.
How Long to Bake Salmon?
I find 375 degrees F is the ideal oven temperature to bake the salmon. I tested baking salmon at 400 degrees F but it came out dry, and 350 degrees F is too low.
FDA recommends to cook salmon until an instant read thermometer reads 145 F. I found wild salmon was too dry then. I recommend to bake until 125 F or 130 F, or until it easily flakes with a fork. Let salmon rest for 2-3 minutes and it will get there.
Also keep in mind wild salmon is more dry, so it needs less cook time than farmed salmon.
Tips for Best Results
Here are some helpful tips to make this dinner recipe even easier and more delicious!
- Bring salmon to room temperature: If you have time. You would only need about 15 minutes, and bringing it to room temperature helps it cook a little more evenly.
- Keep the skin on: The skin helps lock in moisture, keeping the fish tender as it bakes. It also contains additional vitamins and minerals and becomes crispy, making it a treat some people enjoy eating.
- Don’t over bake it: How long to cook salmon in the oven depends on the type of salmon, thickness, and your oven. Keep an eye on it and check for doneness around 13-15 minutes to ensure it stays tender and flaky without drying out.
- Farmed vs. salmon need different cook times: Wild salmon is more dry, so it cooks faster than farmed salmon.
Serving Ideas
I usually serve oven baked salmon as a weeknight dinner with green veggies like air fryer asparagus or air fryer broccoli. On the weekends, I go for an elegant brussels sprouts salad.
For easy, tasty sides, try these:
- Crispy Parmesan potatoes
- Cheesy cauliflower steaks
- Roasted cauliflower
- Instant Pot potatoes or Instant Pot mashed potatoes
- Healthy Caesar salad
How to Store and Reheat
Store: Keep fish in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 3 days. Cold salmon is great in salads!
Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Just remember to thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: I reheat my salmon in a skillet with a splash of water and covered, or in the oven. The microwave dries it out a bit but when short on time, I do that.
FAQs
It’s better to bake salmon at 375 because the heat is more moderate. I tried baking it at 400 F and fish dried out.
Salmon is ready when it easily flakes apart with a fork and is opaque. FDA recommends to cook salmon to an internal temperature of 145 F, I bake until it’s between 125 F-130 F, and let it rest for a couple minutes.
You don’t need to cover salmon when baking, but it depends on your preference. Leaving it uncovered allows the top to get a bit crispy. Keep in mind salmon cooks faster when covered in foil.
Yes, there is a difference in cook times. Wild salmon tends to cook faster because it’s more leaner and dry. Farmed salmon is more fatty, so takes a little longer to cook.
More Salmon Recipes to Try
Baked Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds salmon fillet cut into 6 (5 oz each) or 8 (4 oz each) pieces
- 3 tablespoons salted butter melted
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice or white wine vinegar (very good)
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons dill or parsley finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place salmon pieces onto it, leaving some space in between each. Sprinkle with salt and pepper generously.
- In a small bowl, combine melted butter, lemon juice and garlic; stir well.
- Brush onto each salmon piece, making sure to coat the top and sides. Spoon garlic on top, dividing evenly.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes or until thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 125-130 F and salmon flakes easily with a fork. More likely you will need to cook wild salmon for less time than farmed. Do not over bake as salmon dries out quickly, especially wild salmon.
- Remove from the oven and brush each slice with released butter around it. Top each salmon piece with fresh dill and serve immediately while warm.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container and enjoy within 3 days. Cold salmon tastes amazing in healthy salads.
- Reheat: Reheat in a non-stick skillet on low-medium heat, with a splash of water, covered for a few minutes. You can microwave if short on time, but that generally dries out salmon.
- Freeze: Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
