Best Baked Salmon Recipe

This is the very best oven baked salmon recipe, seasoned perfectly with a crispy top! Here’s how to bake salmon: you’ll never need another way.

A lot of recipes claim to be the best baked salmon, but this one lives up to the hype. Meet the very best baked salmon recipe! The tender fillet is perfectly seasoned with brown sugar and spices and has a lovely crisp topping, a feat for baked salmon which can often turn out mushy and under-seasoned. After years of making salmon recipes, we’ve taken all our knowledge and rolled it into this master recipe. It’s guaranteed to impress everyone and it doesn’t even need a sauce to taste incredible (though of course, you can add one.)

Tips for buying salmon

For the very best baked salmon recipe, you’ve got to start with a great fillet of fish. This is easier said than done, since there are many different ways salmon is sold at the store. In general, stay away from those big economy-sized freezer bags. Here are a few tips:

• 1 to 1 1/2-inch thick fillets have great flavor and look impressive; you might find this type labeled “center cut” at the store. You can also use thinner fillets like sockeye salmon, which take less time to cook.
• Buy fresh salmon. Salmon that’s fresh from the fish counter usually has the best flavor. Frozen can work too, but try to find highest-quality frozen salmon. Avoid those big economy-sized bags; it’s typically much thinner and can taste fishy.
• Buy wild caught salmon. Fish that is wild caught in your country is usually a sustainable choice. (There are also quality options in well-regulated farms; see Seafood Watch Consumer Guide.) Buy it either fresh from the fish counter or frozen works too.

What you need for this baked salmon recipe

If you have a few great filets of salmon, baking is a fantastic way to prepare this popular fish. It’s quick and simple, with just a 15 minute cook time. Here’s what you’ll need for this baked salmon recipe:

• For the fish: skin-on salmon filets, wild caught if possible
• Seasonings: Olive oil, salt, brown sugar, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, cumin
• Equipment: Baking sheet, aluminum foil

How to bake salmon

This baked salmon recipe calls for seasoning the fish with brown sugar and spices, then baking until tender. You can also use this template of a recipe and add your own flavors. We used to only bake salmon in a foil packet, but found it got very moist and mushy. When we found this method for salmon that makes a lightly caramelized top, we haven’t stopped making it since! Here’s the basic idea for how to bake salmon:

• The best temperature for baked salmon? 400°F. High heat makes for a tasty, tender piece of fish. Broil it in the last few minutes to finish with a crisp top, if desired.
• How to season it? Place the salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet and pat it dry. Drizzle with olive oil and use 1 teaspoon salt for 1 ½ pounds salmon. For extra seasoning, top with a mixture of brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and cumin (see the recipe below). Do not seal the foil!
• How long to bake salmon at 400? Bake the salmon for 10 to 16 minutes, depending on thickness, until just tender and pink at the center (the internal temperature should be between 125 to 130°F in the center). A 1-inch thick fillet should cook in about 15 minutes total. For a crispy top, when the salmon is at 115°F, broil for about 2 minutes (about the last 2 minutes of the cook time).

How to avoid the white stuff

Ever cooked salmon and noticed gooey white stuff that oozes on the surface after cooking? It’s called albumin, and it’s a coagulated protein that seeps to the surface while baking. The amount of albumin varies depending on the specific fish, so it’s not something you can control. It’s safe to eat, but it does look less than appetizing on top of a beautiful fillet.

The biggest tip for avoiding the white stuff? Buy the right fish! We’ve found salmon we buy fresh at the fish counter at certain grocery stores has less white stuff than what we get from other stores, but there’s no labeling difference. Another thing you can do is brine the fillets before baking. It makes for perfectly moist and evenly cooked salmon, and it can help reduce the albumin, too. Here’s what you’ll do:

• Mix up a salt water solution. You’ll use 4 cups of water to 3 tablespoons salt to make a salt water solution.
• Place the fish in the water for 15 minutes. Just set the fish in the water for 15 minutes. You can do this in the time it takes to preheat your oven: so there’s no time lost.

Sauces for oven baked salmon

The best part about this oven baked salmon recipe is that it’s perfectly seasoned on its own, so it doesn’t need a sauce to make it taste great. That said, there are lots of sauces that add even more flavor and moisture. Here are a few salmon sauce ideas:

• Butter sauce: Try a Garlic Butter Sauce, Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce or Lemon Pepper Sauce.
• Dipping sauce: Dip it into Mustard Sauce, Remoulade or Buffalo Ranch.
• Chimichurri: Fresh cilantro and parsley combine into a fresh and tangy bright green chimichurri sauce.
• Creamy pan sauce: Try flavor-popping Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce.

Ways to serve this baked salmon recipe

Want to make it a meal? Try some of these easy sides to go with salmon, none of which require the oven!

• Green salad: Whip up Chopped Salad, Crisp Apple Salad, Fennel Orange Salad, Kale Salad, or Easy Arugula Salad.
• Green veggies: Try Lemony Green Beans, Peas with Lemon, Baked Asparagus, Sauteed Broccoli, Sauteed Broccolini, or Sauteed Spinach.
• Whole grains: A pile of grains is perfect! Try Lemon Rice, Easy Couscous, Lemon Orzo, or Quinoa.

More salmon recipes

Love cooking with salmon? Here are a few more salmon recipes to try:

• Looking for salmon basics? Try it pan seared, marinated, grilled, poached, or broiled. Learn how to know when salmon is done, and browse ideas for leftover salmon.
• Make Smoked Salmon or Sockeye Salmon
• Try Salmon Tacos, Salmon Sandwich or Salmon Caesar Salad
• Opt for Salmon Burgers, Salmon Rice Crunch Bowl, or Honey Garlic Salmon

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This oven baked salmon recipe is…

Pescatarian, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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