Easiest Baked Salmon Recipe + 5 Marinades!


This foolproof formula makes the perfect baked salmon every time – choose from yummy marinades like honey garlic, teriyaki and maple dijon!  

Easiest Ever Baked Salmon Recipe

Ingredients and substitutions

  • Salmon fillets – either farmed or wild salmon would work. Keep in mind that farmed salmon is higher in calories.

Teriyaki marinade

  • Sesame oil – or another neutral cooking oil like grapeseed or olive oil.
  • Low-sodium soy sauce – coconut aminos or tamari are the best substitutes here.
  • Brown sugar – a combination of white sugar and molasses would also work.
  • Garlic – fresh minced garlic will provide the best flavour but jarred minced garlic can also be used.
  • Ginger – fresh minced ginger is best but ground ginger will work in a pinch.

Lemon garlic marinade

  • Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like grapeseed or avocado oil.
  • Lemon juice – freshly squeezed lemon juice is best but you can also use the bottled variety.
  • Garlic – fresh minced garlic will provide the best flavour but jarred minced garlic can also be used.
  • Parsley – try swapping out for fresh chervil or tarragon instead.
  • Salt & pepper – to taste.

Chili lime marinade

  • Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like grapeseed or avocado oil.
  • Sweet chili sauce – a mix of hot sauce and honey will provide a similar flavour.
  • Lime juice – freshly squeezed lime juice is best but you can also used the bottled variety.
  • Salt & pepper – to taste.

Maple dijon marinade

  • Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like grapeseed or avocado oil.
  • Dijon mustard – stone-ground mustard or spicy brown mustard would be the best substitutes here.
  • Maple syrup – honey or agave would also provide some sweetness to this marinade.
  • Salt & pepper – to taste.

Mango salsa

  • Mango – try using another fruit like pineapple or peach.
  • Red pepper – any colour bell pepper would work here like yellow or orange.
  • Red onion – you can use white or yellow onion but it will have a milder flavour.
  • Lime juice – freshly squeezed lime juice is best but the bottled variety will work in a pinch.
  • Cilantro – leave this out altogether if you don’t like cilantro.
  • Salt & pepper – to taste.
Easiest Ever Baked Salmon Recipe

How to make baked salmon

  1. Preheat the oven.
  2. Make the marinade.
  3. Marinate the salmon.
  4. Bake for 12 minutes.
  5. Serve and enjoy!
Easiest Ever Baked Salmon Recipe

What type of salmon to buy

You basically have two options when it comes to buying salmon: farmed and wild. Farmed salmon is usually a bit pinker in colour, and it can be fattier while containing more calories per serving than wild salmon. Wild salmon (also labelled sockeye salmon) eat a very different diet than farmed salmon so this type tends to be leaner, lower in calories and more nutritionally dense.

You can read more on the nutritional differences between wild vs farmed salmon here.

Try to choose wild sockeye salmon if your budget allows as this tends to be the better choice flavour-wise and you get more of the nutritional benefits of salmon. You can often find it frozen in bulk, which can help with the higher costs.

Easiest Ever Baked Salmon Recipe

Frequently Asked Questions

What temperature should you bake salmon at?

You should cook salmon at 375° Fahrenheit. This ensures that it stays nice and moist but is still cooked through.

How long does it need to cook for?

Knowing how long to bake salmon will ensure that your dish doesn’t come out of the oven undercooked or overcooked. As it cooks, salmon changes from a raw-looking, translucent red colour to an opaque pink. With this recipe, your salmon will be done in 12 minutes – of course, this does depend a bit on your oven, but for the most part, it holds true. Keep in mind that the salmon will cook for a bit longer after you’ve taken it out of the oven.

Should you leave the skin on or off?

When you cook salmon in the oven, leaving the skin on is the best way to retain more moisture. On the other hand, some people feel as though the skin changes the taste. I recommend you leave the skin on and then peeling off after baking to ensure that you have moist salmon. If removing the skin, salmon does bake up slightly faster, so I suggest taking it out after 10 minutes instead of 12.

Easiest Ever Baked Salmon Recipe

How long to marinate salmon for

Salmon marinades can add a lot of flavour to the fish, especially when you’re baking it. I'm not a giant fan of fish or salmon personally, but these marinades cut the fishy flavour. You'll convert to a fish fan after trying them! The length of time it takes to marinate salmon depends on the marinade you’re using.

Marinades with acid: marinate the salmon for longer than 30 minutes or it will start “cooking” the fish (anything with lemon juice or vinegar will do this).

Marinades without acid: you can marinate the salmon overnight in the refrigerator, but don’t leave it for longer than a day. Fish tend to start going “mushy” if left to marinate too long.

Easiest Ever Baked Salmon Recipe

The best salmon marinade recipes

Below you will see the different salmon marinades pictured and labelled.  Each marinade is super simple and has 5 ingredients or less – and you should have most of the ingredients already on hand at home. The best part about marinating salmon is that it really only needs 15 minutes or so to capture the flavours.

Easiest Ever Baked Salmon Recipe

Asian marinade

Easiest Ever Baked Salmon Recipe

Lemon garlic marinade

Easiest Ever Baked Salmon Recipe

Sweet chili marinade

Easiest Ever Baked Salmon Recipe

Honey dijon marinade

Easiest Ever Baked Salmon Recipe

Mango salsa marinade

Easiest Ever Baked Salmon Recipe

Storing and reheating

If you have any leftovers, gently reheat it the next day. Make sure you go low and slow – fish will dry out from aggressive re-heating. Sprinkle some water over top of the salmon, then place a wet paper towel on top and microwave on low for 1 minute or so. This is the best way to reheat!

You can also take your baked salmon and turn it into something else. Instead of eating the baked salmon the next day as is, why not take a fork, flake it apart and use it in a completely new dish? Try substituting if in place of meat or other fish in recipes:

  • Make a salmon salad sandwich
  • Add it to pasta
  • Toss the salmon flakes into a salad and eat it cold (this way you avoid any fishy taste from overheating)

Freezing raw salmon

You can store frozen, raw salmon without losing much quality for 2 to 3 months in a freezer.   

Avoid thawing your salmon using heat. Instead, cover it and leave it in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. You can leave it in the refrigerator for up to two days before using it.

If you’re pressed for time, place the frozen salmon in a sealed bag and under cold running water until it thaws. (If you do this, you need to cook it the same day.) Before cooking, let it sit for about 15-20 minutes so that it comes closer to room temperature.

Easiest Ever Baked Salmon Recipe

More easy marinade recipes

Meal prep tools for this recipe

Five freezer bags with marinated salmon filets, labelled
Print

Easiest Baked Salmon Recipe + 5 Marinades

This foolproof formula makes the perfect baked salmon every time – choose from yummy marinades like honey garlic, teriyaki and maple dijon!  
Course Seafood
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
20 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 200kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 salmon fillets

Teriyaki Marinade

  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

Lemon Garlic Marinade

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
  • 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper

Chili Lime Marinade

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper

Maple Dijon Marinade

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper

Mango Salsa

  • 1 mango, diced
  • 1/2 red pepper, diced
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper

Optional Side Dish Ideas

  • Sauteed bell peppers
  • Roasted broccoli
  • Roasted/sauteed zucchini
  • Roasted asparagus
  • Mixed green salad
  • Roasted potatoes
  • Rice

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375. Mix together marinade of choice (with exception of mango salsa), then add to a large Ziploc bag along with salmon fillets and marinate for 20 minutes.
  • Add marinated salmon to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, along with optional veggies of choice. Bake for 12 minutes until salmon is fully cooked and flaky. Serve and enjoy!
  • If making mango salsa, add 1 tbsp olive oil to salmon fillets and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 12 minutes until salmon is fully cooked and flaky. Remove salmon from oven and top with mango salsa – serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Use wild salmon for a leaner protein and fewer calories.
If you remove the skin, reduce the cooking time to 10 minutes.
Marinade for less than 30 minutes if you’re using a marinade with acid.
Sprinkle some water over top then place a wet paper towel over top and microwave for 1 minute the next day.
Freeze the raw salmon for 2-3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge for 1-2 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 581mg | Potassium: 584mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1.2mg

The post Easiest Baked Salmon Recipe + 5 Marinades! appeared first on The Girl on Bloor.

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