This Oven Baked Salmon dripping with garlic butter and topped with crispy Parmesan panko has readers raving: “THE BEST SALMON I have ever tasted! It was seriously an out-of-body experience!” “Incredible recipe! So quick to make, I can’t even believe it!” and “What an outstanding recipe!” As a salmon lover, I’ve perfected this recipe to be foolproof and flavorful with step-by-step instructions and expert tips. Follow along for this restaurant-quality sheet pan winner!
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Oven Baked Salmon
Why do readers repeatedly call this “the best salmon they’ve ever tasted!”? I experimented again and again until I created this recipe worthy of the title the BEST, a recipe even non-fish lovers will CRAVE. Here’s why you’ll love it:
What you need to make Salmon in the Oven
Let’s take a closer look at what you need to make this recipe (measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):
What Salmon is Best?
Salmon is my favorite fish to bake because it’s mild, un-fishy, rich and buttery tender. What should you look for when selecting salmon? Here are a few tips and tricks:
How to make Oven Baked Salmon
Let’s take a closer look at how to make this recipe with step-by-step photos (full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):
- Bring salmon to room temperature. Salmon should never be baked directly from the refrigerator or it won’t cook evenly. Instead, let your salmon fillet rest on the counter for 15-30 minutes.
- Remove bones. While your salmon fillet is sitting at room temperature, is a great time to remove any leftover skinny “pin bones” the butcher may have missed. You should not use a knife or fingers, but rather, use sanitized needle-nosed pliers or tweezers. To find the bones, run your clean fingers down the surface of the salmon then remove them with your sanitized instrument of choice.
- Create a foil pouch. Line a large jelly roll pan with foil that extends 2” past the pan on each long side so you can fold the sides up and create a wall. This will keep the lemon butter from leaking out. Lightly spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray and place the salmon in the center of the foil and fold up all the sides snugly around the salmon.
- Season salmon. The flavor and seasonings in this oven baked salmon recipe comes from the luscious lemon garlic butter sauce. To make, add 2 tablespoons butter and 4-6 minced garlic cloves to a medium bowl and microwave until butter is melted then whisk in the remaining ingredients.
- Add panko. Finally, the crowning Parmesan Panko Topping that elevates this oven baked salmon to my new favorite salmon. I have made salmon in foil before and although moist, I missed the juxtaposed texture of the caramelized pan sear. This topping solves my texture woes by adding a buttery crispy crunch along with the complex nutty flavor of Parmesan.
- Bake. This oven Bakes Salmon should be baked uncovered at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes (depending salmon thickness), or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.
What Oven Temperature Do I Use to Bake Salmon?
Bake salmon at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. I suggest checking the temperature with an instant read thermometer right at 12 minutes because nothing is worse when it comes to salmon then ruining by over-cooking!
America’s Test kitchen suggests baking your salmon until it reaches 125-130 degrees F (52 degrees C) to avoid overcooked salmon. 125-140 degrees will be medium to medium-well. I like to cook mine to 130 degrees F and the results are always perfect after a 5-minute rest. During the 5-minute rest, the salmon will continue to cook (carryover) and rise about 5 degrees. Always take this carry over into consideration when taking the temperature of your salmon or any protein.
Note: The FDA advises salmon should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit, HOWEVER, if you cook your salmon to this temperature, it will be dry, chalky and overdone.
How Long Does it Take to Bake Salmon?
The cook time to bake salmon depends on the oven temperature, desired doneness and thickness of your salmon. The general rule of thumb is for every half-inch of salmon, bake 4-6 minutes, 4 minutes for more rare and 6 minutes for well done. I don’t recommend 6 minutes per half inch, however because then you’re flirting with overcooked salmon.
This rule holds true for both a full salmon fillet and multiple thinner salmon fillets because these smaller fillets are just slices of a whole fillet.
How do you know when salmon is done?
The best way to know if your salmon is done but NOT overcooked is to use an instant read thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the salmon. Alternatively, look for the salmon to be opaque on the outside and just slightly translucent (but not raw) in the middle.
How to serve with Lemon Garlic Salmon
If you don’t love broccoli, this oven Baked Salmon can be baked with any other vegetable that cooks in 12-15 minutes. You can use thick asparagus (or give the salmon a head start then add for thinner asparagus), cherry tomatoes, zucchini or bell peppers.
In addition to veggies, I like to serve this oven baked salmon with any of the following:
How to store Lemon Garlic Butter Salmon
• How to Store: Store leftover salmon in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
• How to Reheat: Cut the salmon into fillets and warm in the oven for about 10 minutes at 275 degrees F, or in the air fryer at 350°F for 3-5 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 125°F to 130°F
FAQs
No, you should NOT rinse your fish before baking! The USDA cautions: “do not rinse raw fish, seafood, meat, and poultry. Bacteria in these raw juices can splash and spread to other foods and surfaces. Cooking foods thoroughly will kill harmful bacteria.”
Absolutely! In fact, the skin contains more of the same minerals and nutrients contained in salmon, so it is highly nutritious. I usually remove the skin or purchase salmon without the skin if I am going to be baking the salmon. If I’m gong to be pan searing the salmon, then I leave the skin on so it can get nice and crispy in the pan. You can also cook your salmon with the skin and then just remove it before eating.
Always spray your foil with nonstick cooking spray and make sure the skin is patted completely dry before it comes in contact with the foil.
Although a whole fillet looks like a lot of protein, it goes down surprisingly easy! There are quite a few variables to when it comes to serving size such as what you are serving with your salmon and how big of eaters your audience is, but the general rule of thumb is about ½ pound per person.
Like everything, salmon is great in moderation. The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two 3.5-ounce servings of fatty fish like salmon every week. It should not being eaten every day, however, due to concerns about the trace amounts of mercury in seafood.
Salmon is is a low-calorie protein source that is rich in heart-healthy omega-3s, and low in saturated fat. It is also an excellent source of several B vitamins, antioxidants and potassium. Studies show that salmon can help lower inflammation, which may reduce the risk factors for several diseases. A growing number of studies also suggest that including salmon in your diet might improve brain function and even reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression and the risk of age-related memory problems.
The omega-3 fatty acids in salmon are linked to reducing inflammation which may help skin retain moisture. Salmon is also a good source of vitamin E and zinc which are good for the skin.
BAKED Salmon is safe to eat during pregnancy but pregnant women should not eat raw salmon, including sushi. They should also take care when handling raw salmon because raw fish could contain parasites or harmful bacteria.
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Garlic Lemon Salmon
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Ingredients
Salmon
- 1 wild Alaskan salmon fillet with or without skin (3-4 pounds)*
Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4-6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 tsp EACH salt, onion powder
- 1/2 tsp EACH dried dill, paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Panko Parmesan Topping
- 2/3 cup panko
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a jelly roll pan with foil that extends 2” past the pan edge on each long side (so you can fold the sides up). Lightly spray foil with nonstick cooking spray. Place salmon in the center of the foil (skin side down if it has skin) and fold up all the sides snugly around the salmon. Push foiled salmon to one side of the pan.
- Add 2 tablespoons butter and the 4-6 minced garlic cloves to a medium bowl and microwave until butter is melted. Whisk in all remaining Lemon Butter Sauce ingredients and pour evenly all over salmon.
- Whisk together the Parmesan Panko Topping until butter is evenly absorbed. Pat Topping evenly all over salmon.
- Add broccoli to open space in pan next to salmon and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread broccoli out in a single layer next to the salmon.
- Bake uncovered at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes (depending salmon thickness), or until salmon flakes easily with a fork. Broil approximately one minute or until panko is golden.
- Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and additional salt and pepper as needed.
Notes
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Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
This salmon looks amazing! Loving the crispy panko topping!
Jen says
Thank you! The panko really does make a huge difference! Its going to be hard for me to make salmon again without it!
Susan says
That recipe looks amazing! I just made your sheet pan lime cilantro salmon for the fourth time and it was amazing as always, but I was ready to try another salmon recipe. When I saw this, I was totally excited and can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
Jen says
Thank you so much Susan, I am excited for you to try it! I love hearing you have made my Fajita Salmon so many times! I hope you love this one just as much!
Diana Lopes says
Incredible recipe! And so quick to make, I can’t even believe it! I love it already =)
Jen says
Thank you so much Diana! It really is amazing! I hope you can make it soon!
Layne Schwabedissen says
Heidi ate the salmon AND the broccoli- this feels like an alternate universe! Super delicious!
Jen says
Whoa! Always amazing when kids will eat dinner with foods they don’t usually like! YAY!!! Thanks Layne!
Patricia says
Do you think this would work with halibut fillets?
Jen says
absolutely!
Krista says
Oh my heavens, I AM the type to crave salmon and have eaten tons of it over the years, but this was hands down THE BEST SALMON I have ever tasted! It was seriously an out-of-body experience, and my kids (even the picky ones!) licked their plates clean. Amazing!! THANK YOU!!!
Jen says
Wow Krista, I am so excited this is the “best salmon” you’ve ever had! thank you so much for taking the time to comment and make my day!
dawn crossno says
Just getting into cooking salmon. This is by far the best salmon recipe I’ve ever tried! Have made it 4 or 5 times now, and we still love it. When i’m looking for a new recipe your site is the first, and usually the only, site i go to. Have several of your recipes that are favorites in our house. Thanks for being my go to girl!
Jen says
I cannot tell you how much I love your comment, thank you Dawn! This is one of my all time favorite recipes that seems to be “forgotten” by readers so the fact you love it so much means that much more! I am honored my site is your go-to for new recipes! Thank you for making my recipes and letting me part of your home in some small way :).
Rita Sullivan says
Loved this recipe. We eat Salmon at least once or twice a week and I like to try different ways of doing Salmon. This was the best recipe I’ve found so far. The sauce compliments the Salmon really well. I am all about sauces. I did not do the panko topping because my husband doesn’t like a crust on his Salmon. Also I should have checked it at 10 minutes because we like medium rare and it was well done at 13 minutes. My fault, not the recipe.
Jen says
Hi Rita, I am honored this is the best salmon recipe you’ve tried, thank you so much!
Emily says
Hi! Is there anyway of making this recipe and baking it at 350? Also, could I add small fingerling potatoes? If so, how would you do that – timing, etc? I have individual salmon fillets, which I would probably only use 2 for this recipe and not a whole filet. Thanks so much. Always love your stuff ❤️
Jen says
Absolutely, you will just need to increase the baking time, possible to 20-25 minutes. Depending on the size of the potatoes, they will take 30-50 minutes, so I would give them a 10 minute headstart in the oven before adding the salmon. If the potatoes aren’t done at the same time as the salmon, then remove the salmon and continue with the potatoes. Hope this helps!
Susan says
Had some leftover and used chunks of cold, cooked salmon on top of a caesar salad. Oh my goodness!
Jen says
Brilliant idea – yum!
Margaret F says
What an outstanding recipe! The panko adds a wonderful contrast to the buttery soft salmon and the timing of the dish was perfect. I added some slim carrots, split in half and cut in bite sized pieces, along with the broccoli. We eat salmon a couple of times a week, so I’m always looking for new recipes. Not to mention, sheet pan dinners are a saving grace. This one is definitely a keeper, thanks!
Jen says
Thank you! Sheet pan dinners are seriously the best! I’m glad this one will be a repeat for you!