This easy baked salmon is perfectly tender and flaky! Cooking salmon en papillote results in a succulent piece of fish every time.
Salmon for dinner? Here’s an easy method for Baked Salmon that works every time! Salmon is incredibly difficult to cook. With so many different fish types and thicknesses, it can be difficult to get it right! This foil-baked salmon takes the guesswork out of making the fish tender and flaky. It’s the perfect healthy dinner recipe and takes only 30 minutes to prepare. Here are the keys to making the best baked salmon!
Want an even faster method? Try the fried salmon.
Perfect Baked Salmon: Salt First!
What is a trick to cooking salmon? Salt it first. What is salting? It’s actually very easy and it doesn’t take any extra time for the recipe. It gives perfectly moist salmon and helps the salmon come to room temperature, which helps it cook more evenly. It also reduces white matter (see below). Here’s what you’ll do:
- Prepare a saline solution. You use 4 cups of water to 3 tablespoons of salt to make a brine solution.
- Put the fish in the water for 15 minutes. Just put the fish in the water for 15 minutes. You can do it in time to preheat your oven: no time wasted!
Baked salmon en papillote: some tips
Baking salmon in foil seals in that moisture, resulting in a tough, tender piece of fish. Here are some pointers for the perfect baked salmon:
- Leave the salmon in the brine while the oven preheats (see above).
- Add the lemon. Slice a lemon and place on the foil next to the salmon. (Putting them on top can make the fish sticky, so set them aside.) Fresh herbs are optional, but delicious.
- Weak and slow. Cooking salmon at a low temperature, 325 degrees Fahrenheit, helps lock in this moisture and reduce the white matter (see below).
- Set the time according to the thickness of the fish. Important with salmon: The cooking time is different each time, depending on the thickness of the fillets! Bake for 10 minutes, then open the foil and bake for another 3-6 depending on the thickness of the fish.
What is the white matter in salmon when cooked?
What is that sticky white substance that sometimes appears on the surface of fish after cooking? Alex and I had been having this a lot lately, so we set out to find the cause. Good news: this is completely normal!
The white matter is called a coagulated protein that leaches to the surface when cooked albumin. The amount of albumin varies greatly between fish, so it’s not something you can control. (Read more here.) It’s safe to eat, but it looks less than appetizing on a nice fillet.
Here are some ways to reduce albumin when cooking salmon:
- Cook it at a lower temperature to cook it more gently (325 degrees Fahrenheit)
- Before cooking, salt the salmon in a solution of salt and water
How to buy a good piece of salmon
You’ll also need a fantastic piece of fish for this baked salmon. Lower quality salmon can taste very fishy and have a mushy texture. How to buy a good piece of salmon:
- Buy wild salmon. Wild fish caught in your country is generally a sustainable choice. (There are also quality options at well-regulated farms; see Seafood Watch’s consumer guide.) Buy it either fresh at the fish counter or frozen.
- Search for the United States (if you are in the United States). 90% of the seafood we eat in the United States is imported. Imported seafood is at risk of being overfished, caught under unfair labor conditions, or farmed in environmentally harmful ways.
- Coho is a great choice for great taste. We tend to like coho salmon for its mild flavor: price-wise, it’s a good, middle-of-the-road option. Sure, the king salmon is fantastic, but it’s pricey. Avoid Atlantic salmon as they are usually farmed.
The best sauces for baked salmon
Here are many ways to accessorize this baked salmon after it’s baked! Here are our best sauces to serve with salmon:
- Squeezed with lemon! Baked salmon en papillote is excellent on its own; sprinkle with lemon and serve.
- Garlic Caper Butter. The lemony caper sauce is packed with amazing flavors! Go for salmon with capers.
- dill sauce. The creamy lemon dill sauce is another favorite! Go for the lemon dill sauce.
- miso sauce. This miso glaze adds tremendous flavor to miso salmon.
- basil sauce. Try this Fresh Basil Vinaigrette or Basil Sauce.
- Chimichurri sauce. Fresh coriander and parsley combine in a fresh and flavorful light green sauce. Go to Chimichurri.
- Teriyaki sauce. Paint over this homemade teriyaki sauce after cooking (and omit the lemon and herbs). Go to Salmon Teriyaki.
- Bourbon glaze. Dress it up and slather on that sweet, moist bourbon glaze. Go to Bourbon Frosting.
What to serve with salmon?
Wanna make a meal out of this? We have many sides that accompany the salmon. Here are some of our favourites:
This baked salmon recipe is…
Pescetarian, dairy free and gluten free.
The description
This easy baked salmon is perfectly tender and flaky! Cooking salmon en papillote results in a succulent piece of fish every time.
- 1 1/2 Pound or 4 (6 ounces) salmon fillets, wild caught if possible
- Olive oil, for brushing
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the brine
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 small lemons
- Variation: 2 tbsp salmon seasoning (and reduce kosher salt on top to ½ tsp)
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Salt the salmon: While the oven is preheating, in a shallow bowl, combine 4 cups of room temperature water and 3 tablespoons of Kosher salt. Place the salmon in the water and wait 15 minutes (this should be about the time it takes to preheat).
- Place the salmon in foil: Place a large piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Dry each piece of salmon and place it on the foil. Sprinkle salmon with kosher salt on each fillet and freshly ground pepper. If using, sprinkle with seafood seasoning (use less salt than directed). Place the lemon slices and fresh herbs around the salmon, not on top. Close and seal the foil around the salmon.
- Bake: Bake the salmon in the foil for 10 minutes. Then, open the foil pack to allow the steam to escape and cook again until tender and pink in the center (temperature should be between 125-130 F in the middle) for 3-6 minutes depending on thickness. A 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick fillet should cook in about 15 minutes total.
- Surcharge: When salmon is done, squeeze lemon wedges with lemon juice, if desired (add a pinch of salt if needed). Serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Category: main course
- Method: Cooked
- Kitchen: seafood
Keywords: Baked salmon, Baked salmon en papillote
More Mediterranean Diet Recipes
This healthy baked salmon recipe is a delicious way to serve fish the Mediterranean way. Here are a few more of our favorite recipes from the Mediterranean diet:
