How To Bake Salmon Perfectly!

Baking salmon is one of the best ways to make it. If you love tender, succulent salmon, you’ll love this simple way of cooking it.

Cooking any type of fish can be challenging. With so little fat, the line between perfectly done and overcooked can be a fine one. And even though salmon is relatively fatty for a fish, it’s still relatively lean compared to other proteins.

So how do you avoid dry, overcooked salmon? Slow-roast it.

How Should I Cook Salmon?

If you’re worried about overcooking your fish, slow roasting is the way to go. Slow roasting is exactly what it sounds like—cooking something slowly in the oven. Because your food is going from raw to cooked at a more leisurely pace, there’s more wiggle room between delicious and overdone. In other words, if you cook it a few minutes too much or too little, it won’t make a big difference.

Cooking at a low temperature, of course, means your food will take longer to cook. With something like a big beef roast, that could mean an extra hour or more. But with something thin and delicate like a fish fillet, “longer” only means about 10 minutes.

Just the right amount of time to throw together a salad or other easy side dish or enjoy a few sips of wine.

Can I Get Crispy Skin?

While I definitely don’t mind the extra 10 minutes that slow roasting takes, there is one trade-off. That is, for something as small as a salmon fillet, low and slow doesn’t give you quite the same crisp, browned exterior that fast and hot does. But then we’re back to the challenge of avoiding overcooking.

For me, luxuriously tender and juicy salmon with almost no risk of overcooking—that’s usually a welcome trade-off. But if you prefer your salmon more browned and crispy, you can increase the temperature and cook for a shorter amount of time. Cooking skin-on salmon fillets in the air fryer is also a good way to get that crispy skin.

How Do I Know Salmon Is Fully Cooked?

The safest way to make sure your salmon is done is to check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer. The USDA recommends a temperature of 145°F, but as the temperature will continue to rise a bit after removing from the oven, you can pull it out between 135-140°F and let it rest for a few minutes. If you prefer your salmon with a bit of translucence, you might want it closer to 120-125°F.

You can also test the salmon by touch. A 3/4-inch-thick fillet should feel barely firm and definitely not rigid. Or test your salmon with a fork – if the thickest part flakes easily with a fork, it’s ready to enjoy.

Flavors For Baked Salmon

I’ve kept this baked salmon recipe very simple with only the salmon, oil, salt, and pepper as ingredients. That’s because I wanted to focus on the technique and timing for cooking in the oven. But you can absolutely play around with seasonings or sauces. 

Try a seasoning blend like Italian Seasoning, use garlic butter, or simply finish the dish with lemon juice and parsley or other fresh herbs. Or go with Asian flavors like in my marinated Asian Baked Salmon.

Print

This post originally appeared in July 2021 and was revised and republished in February 2024.