Baked salmon

Who doesn’t love easy, healthy recipes and main dishes? In minutes, you’ll have your healthy seafood dinner. How long to bake salmon at 375 degrees Fahrenheit? Believe it or not, your fish will be fully cooked and ready to eat in about 15 minutes!

Salmon contains heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and protein, so it’s a good fish to include in your weekly diet. Best of all, this baked salmon recipe is an easy sheet pan salmon dinner.

When you bake it, you have a constant, controlled environment that prevents the fish from becoming overcooked salmon. Gently cook your slow-roasted salmon on a baking sheet with garlic, melted butter (or olive oil), freshly ground black pepper, kosher salt, and lemon wedges.

How to choose salmon

In the supermarket, there are different types of fresh salmon fillets and you can choose the one you like. Some favorites are king salmon, Atlantic salmon, and Scottish farmed salmon. All of these have a rich, buttery flavor and texture. For a deep red color, look to wild-caught salmon. The downside is that wild salmon tends to be drier. If you are using frozen salmon, thaw it before cooking the salmon.

Checking the salmon for bones

You want to make sure all the bones are removed from the salmon fillets. Before you season the fish, look for the long white back bones. These flow through the middle of the fish. You can use tweezers or needle-nose pliers to remove the bones. To avoid tearing the flesh of the fish, pull the bones in the same direction.

Keep salmon sliced ​​or whole

If you buy large salmon fillets, the center bone will already be removed. You can keep your fish whole for a great dish and less work, or you can cut the fillets into smaller pieces so you can serve the portions individually. Individual portions weigh 4 to 6 ounces.

Is skin removal important?

One thing we love about this oven baked salmon recipe is that it’s incredibly versatile. Once the fish begins to cook during baking, the skin is easy to remove. You can use a spatula to gently separate the skin from the fish. The skin of oven-baked salmon is soft and chewy, so it is not good to eat. When you pan-sear salmon, the skin is perfectly crispy and delicious.

Customize the seasons

• Spices: You can use garlic powder or onion powder to give your fish a concentrated earthy allium flavor. If you want your fish to have a reddish color, sprinkle with sweet paprika or smoked paprika. A little lemon zest will add a pop of citrus flavor.
• Fat: If you prefer not to use butter, you can use extra virgin olive oil. You can also use brown butter.
• Herbs: For extra flavor, add some dried oregano, thyme, or rosemary. You can use herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning. Herbs de Provence has marjoram and lavender, a wonderful quick herbal blend. You can place whole sprigs of herbs like fresh dill while baking to infuse the fish with aromatics. Fresh parsley or chopped green onion is also a nice touch.
• Heat: Want to add some heat to your fish? Use chipotle or dried chili powder.
• Sauce: One thing you can do is drizzle your fish with pesto. Want a more sumptuous main course or brunch meal? Serve your fish with hollandaise sauce. Some brown sugar also gives you a new flavor.

How to cook salmon in the oven

To cook baked salmon, use a rimmed baking dish lined with tin foil. Be sure to spray the foil with cooking spray so it doesn’t stick. Place the salmon in the center of the pan, then season the fish evenly with kosher salt, melted unsalted butter, minced garlic cloves (or garlic powder), and pepper.

The lemon wedges added to the sides are a nice touch, as the lemon juice cooks as the fish bakes. It removes the tartness and acidity of lemon juice. For a delicious and simple sauce, you can top the fish with a lemon slice or a squeeze of lemon juice. Nothing beats the taste of lemon butter or garlic butter sauce when you cook fish!

Bake the fish until it reaches an internal temperature of about 125 degrees Fahrenheit (52 degrees Celsius). Once you are done baking the fish, broil the fish for about 3-4 minutes and set the oven to broil. This will complete the cooking process of the fish and give it a deep flavor. Your fish will also get a nice golden brown color.

Baking time and temperature

Bake your fish at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (52 degrees Celsius) for medium rare. Baked salmon temp should be around 125 degrees Fahrenheit (52 degrees Celsius). When fish is baked at moderate temperatures, it stays moist. Oven-baked salmon doesn’t hold heat well, so you won’t have the carryover cooking you have when you cook red meat. Your fish will continue to cook during the broiling process.

For a 1.5 pound salmon fillet, you should cook the fish for 10-12 minutes. Cooking time will depend on how thick your fish is. The tail of the fish cooks faster than the thicker body part. It takes about 5 minutes for each 1/2 inch thickness. For example, a 1-inch-thick fillet takes 10 minutes to cook.

Complete the fish recipe with quick broiling

Broiling your salmon fillet for 3-4 minutes after baking will add tons of extra flavor to the surface of the fish. As you fry the fish, keep a close eye on it after the first couple of minutes. Make sure the garlic is browned but not burnt. The broiling step is optional, but it’s the secret to enhancing the flavor of the fish. If you don’t want to do the broiling step, add about 3 more minutes to the cooking time of the fish.

Make sure your salmon is done

To check if your salmon is fully cooked, use a fork to separate a few flash layers of fish. Insert a fork into the thickest part of the fish and see if it flakes easily. The color of the fish should be opaque pink. However, if you prefer your fish to be medium rare, it will be a little brighter in the middle.

We recommend using a meat thermometer to check your fish. To use a thermometer, insert the probe into the thickest part of the salmon. For medium-rare fish, medium should be about 125 degrees Fahrenheit (52 degrees Celsius). For perfectly opaque or medium done fish, the internal temperature should be around 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius). If the internal temperature of the fish is above 145 degrees Fahrenheit, it will become too dry.

What to Serve with Baked Salmon

Oven baked salmon is delicious with any of these side dishes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long to cook salmon at 375 degrees Fahrenheit?
A 1.5 pound salmon fillet baked at 375 degrees Fahrenheit will cook to medium rare in about 10-12 minutes. If you cook smaller portions of fish, your fish will cook faster. If you prefer to skip the broiling process, you can cook your fish longer to medium-ready. For every half inch of thickness, you can count on adding about 5 minutes to the cooking time.

What is the best temperature for cooking baked salmon?
The salmon is baked at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (191 degrees Celsius) and then allowed to finish cooking and turn a light golden brown.

Do you eat salmon skin?
Fish skin contains the most beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, so you’ll get all those wonderful heart-healthy benefits. However, the skin on baked salmon is hard to chew because it’s rubbery, so you may want to remove it. Fish fry, grilled salmon, air fryer salmon filets or broiled salmon are easy to eat with the skin on until crispy.

How do you know when salmon is fully cooked?
Raw salmon is a translucent orange color. Once cooked, it will turn an opaque pink color. Cooked salmon flakes easily when you insert a fork into the center. Also, use a meat thermometer to check doneness. On the thick side, cooked fish should reach an internal temperature of 125 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (52-60 degrees Celsius).