Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Salmon
- 600 g salmon fillets, skin-on, room temperature
Flavorings
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, half juiced, half thinly sliced
- 10 g fresh dill, finely chopped
- 6 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 471 kcal
- Protein
- 37 g
- Carbohydrates
- 8 g
- Fat
- 46 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 3434 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Potassium
- 55 mg
- Calcium
- 426 mg
- Iron
- 18.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 454 mg
- Phosphorus
- 456 mg
- Zinc
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 417 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 13 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 5 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.01 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 6 mcg
- Water
- 21 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Pat the salmon fillets completely dry with paper towels and place them skin-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice evenly over the fillets. Rub gently with your fingers to coat the surface completely.
Sprinkle the chopped fresh dill, kosher salt, and black pepper uniformly across the salmon. Top each fillet with two thin lemon slices.
Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Check with a meat thermometer to ensure the thickest part of the salmon reaches an internal temperature of 63°C/145°F.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the salmon rest for 3 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional sprigs of fresh dill if desired.
Chef's Notes
- For the most even cooking, always let your salmon come to room temperature for 15-20 minutes before placing it in the oven.
- If your fillets have thin tail ends, fold the thin tips underneath the fillet to create an even thickness. This prevents the ends from drying out while the center cooks.
- Baking the salmon skin-on protects the delicate flesh from the heat of the pan and helps retain moisture. The skin will easily peel away from the meat after cooking.
- Use fresh dill rather than dried for this application; dried dill has a muted, dusty flavor that will not provide the bright aromatic qualities needed to balance the rich fish.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. The fish will become firmer when cold.
Freezer: 1 month — Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Texture may become slightly mushy upon thawing.
Reheating: Gently reheat in a 135°C/275°F oven until warmed through to prevent drying out, or flake cold over a salad.
Troubleshooting
White substance oozing from the salmon
Cause: The protein albumin is being squeezed out, often due to a rapid temperature change or slight overcooking.
Fix: Purely cosmetic. Gently scrape it off before serving if desired.
Prevention: Let the salmon sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking, and avoid overbaking.
Salmon is dry and chewy
Cause: The fish was left in the oven too long past its ideal internal temperature.
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but can be masked by flaking the meat and tossing it with mayonnaise or olive oil to make a salmon salad.
Prevention: Begin checking internal temperature at the 10-minute mark.
Cultural Context
Baked salmon represents a cornerstone of modern, health-conscious American home cooking, largely popularized alongside the rise of the Mediterranean diet in the United States. The classic pairing of lemon and dill is a culinary staple that cuts through the naturally rich, oily profile of the fish while maintaining a light, vibrant finish.
