Baked Salmon with Zesty Lemon Dijon Garlic Marinade
By Isabella Quinn
Prep
5 min
Cook
15 min
Total
20 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
For a family meal, this baked salmon recipe feeds four in 20 minutes. A sauce combining lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, and parsley adds bright citrus flavor to the baked salmon. Baking the salmon at a high temperature keeps the fish moist and tender, or easy to flake with a fork.
Instructions include preparing a 1 1/2-pound salmon fillet cut into four pieces. Place skin side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Coat the salmon fillets with a marinade made from parsley, garlic, extra-light olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Add lemon slices as a garnish and additional flavor. Bake fillets uncovered.
Look for salmon that flakes well but does not appear to be overcooked in areas of greatest thickness. Thinner pieces of salmon cooked in this high oven temperature may cook more quickly than thicker pieces. Tips to avoid include overcooking and loss of moisture in the salmon and letting the lemony glaze sit for too long before baking, which can toughen it.
Serve with mashed potatoes, quinoa, rice, and other vegetables, such as roasted potatoes, green beans, cucumber salad, and asparagus. Cold leftover salmon can be used in salmon cakes and Cobb salads. Tips for reheating leftover salmon include avoiding overcooking, which can make it dry.
Why we keep this one around
- Serves four people well with one salmon fillet. Good choice for simple family meals when everyone in the family prefers traditional foods.
- Newly trained chefs can distinguish cooked fish from uncooked fish by appearance and texture. This can save time when preparing fish dishes or marinating fish.
- Picky eaters may like the milder taste of Dijon, lemon, and garlic flavors mixed into salmon. Each portion is cooked individually for easy serving.
- Weeknight meal preparation and cleanup are simple. The fish can be roasted on a foil-lined baking sheet, and the marinade can be prepared in a small bowl.
- For presentation to customers, muffins with lemon topping can be displayed on a baking sheet.
- The muffin recipe is easy to prepare and requires few ingredients. Muffins can be made in 20 minutes or less.
- Leftover salmon can be made into fish cakes or a salmon Cobb salad for another meal. Large dinners prepared for other meals may have leftovers for one more meal.
Ingredients
- •1 ½ lb salmon fillet (cut into 4 fillets)
- •2 Tbsp fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- •2 Tbsp extra light olive oil (or vegetable oil)
- •2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- •3 garlic cloves (minced, pressed, or grated)
- •½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
- •½ tsp fine sea salt
- •⅛ tsp black pepper (freshly cracked)
- •½ lemon (sliced into 4 rings for garnish)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone liner, parchment, or foil.
- 2
Arrange the salmon fillets skin-side-down on the prepared baking sheet.
- 3
Add the parsley, garlic, oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to a small bowl.
- 4
Stir the marinade to combine.
- 5
Generously spread the marinade over the tops and sides of the salmon.
- 6
Top each salmon piece with a slice of lemon.
- 7
Bake uncovered at 450°F for 12 to 15 minutes, until just cooked through, flaky, and 145°F at the thickest portion on an instant-read thermometer.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
314
Calories
34g
Protein
18g
Fat
3g
Carbs
Reviews
Pin this recipe
Tap an image to save it to Pinterest.
