Get a tasty and healthy family dinner on the table quickly with this easy oven-baked salmon recipe. Simply seasoned, this salmon is quick to prep and cook and is ready to serve in 20 minutes. This is a great go-to recipe after a long day!
The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.
When I need a quick and easy weeknight dinner, fish is often my go-to because it cooks so quickly. This easy oven-baked salmon recipe is no different!
Salmon takes just minutes to prep, making it a great option for hands-off cooking. With its short cooking time, you can spend minimal time in the kitchen. Cooking salmon in the oven results in delicious and flaky fish.
Be sure to try my Oven-Baked Fish and my Air Fryer Salmon Patties, too!
A Quick Glance at the Ingredients
- Salmon - Use center-cut fillets; Atlantic, sockeye, or king salmon all work well, depending on your preference for richness.
- Oil - A drizzle of olive oil helps the salmon roast evenly and stay moist.
- Salt and Pepper - Classic seasoning that enhances the salmon’s natural flavor; you can also use salmon seasoning for a more enhanced flavor.
How to oven bake salmon
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425°F and prepare a sheet pan by lining it with foil paper.
Step 2: Pat the salmon dry and rub the oil over the flesh side of the salmon. Season the salmon with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Place salmon, skin-side down, on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes. (4-6 minutes per ½ inch salmon). Bake until salmon is cooked through. Serve and enjoy.
Why oven-bake salmon?
Oven baking is a great hands-off method for cooking salmon; pop it in the oven, set a timer, and it's ready to serve. The clean-up is a breeze, too, as you just have to throw the foil away.
I do also love to cook it in the air fryer, be sure to check out my air fryer salmon recipe for another quick and easy method.
Can you bake salmon from frozen?
I always prefer to use fresh, defrosted fish rather than frozen. When fish freezes it tends to hold on to a lot of water which can make the fish mushy rather than flakey, however, it is more convenient.
If using frozen salmon, thaw the fillets fully in the fridge overnight. As with fresh, pat them dry with kitchen paper before seasoning, this is especially important when using frozen as you don't want it to be waterlogged.
How to know salmon is done?
Salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork. You could also check the doneness of the salmon by using a quick read thermometer. I prefer to cook my salmon to medium doneness, which is about 120 - 125 degrees Fahrenheit and results in moist, tender, and flaky salmon.
Take note of carry-over cooking when baking salmon. Once your salmon is removed from the oven, allow it to rest for about 5 minutes. The temperature will continue to rise a few degrees.
What is the best Salmon to Bake?
There are many types of salmon you could buy, but farmed Atlantic, Alaskan, or sockeye salmon is what I usually have access to. All cuts of salmon can be roasted following the method below.
If using sockeye salmon, lower the cooking time as sockeye salmon is leaner and thinner and tends to dry out quickly.
What do you serve it with?
This easy oven-baked salmon is great to serve with salads, vegetables, grains, and potato sides for a filling meal. Try it with:
Tanya's Recipe Notes and Tips
- You can use skin-on or skin-off fillets for this recipe. I prefer to use skin on as it tends to be cheaper and the flesh easily seprates from the skin after cooking.
- Line your baking sheet with foil or parchment. This will mean your fish won't stick to the baking sheet and the clean up will be extra easy.
- Pat the salmon dry before seasoning. This helps to remove excess water that can cause the fish to be soft and mushy.
- The salmon is cooked when it is pink and opaque in color. It should easily flake with a fork.
Even More Fish Recipes
We love fish in our house, here are a few of our favorites.
- Jamaican Escovitch Fish - A Caribbean classic that we love. Whole fish is covered in a peppery vinegar sauce. It's amazing.
- Air Fryer Whole Fish - a great way to cook a whole fish fast.
- Jerk Salmon - Similar to this method, we coat the fish in jerk marinade and broil it in the oven.
I hope you love this baked salmon recipe as much as we do. If you have tried this or any other recipe on my blog, please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! Your feedback is invaluable and helps us grow. I appreciate your support!
Easy Oven Baked Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F and prepare a sheet pan by lining it with foil paper.
- Pat the salmon dry and rub the oil over the flesh side of the salmon. Season the salmon with salt and pepper.
- Place salmon, skin-side down, on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes. (4-6 minutes per ½ inch salmon).
- Bake until salmon is cooked through.
Nutrition
Notes
- You can use skin on or skin off fillets for this recipe.
- Line you baking sheet with foil or parchment. This will mean your fish won't stick to the baking sheet and the clean up will be extra easy.
- Pat the salmon dry before seasoning. This helps to remove excess water that can cause the fish to be soft and mushy.
- The salmon is cooked when it is pink and opaque in color. It should easily flake with a fork.
roy burtrum says
The marinade is definitely the secret to success in this recipe. It is absolutely delicious. Delicious.
Tanya says
Thanks so much, Roy! Agreed, a good marinade on salmon makes it so good.
Vajendra Desai says
I LOVE SALMON BUT DONT LIKE ALUMINIUM IN MY BODY
CAN WE USE PARCHMENT PAPER INSTEAD?
Tanya says
Hi Vajendra, yes, you can use parchment paper.