This easy broiled salmon recipe is ready in 10 minutes, making it perfect for a weeknight dinner.
It's as simple as can be: brush the fish with olive oil, season it, then broil for 4 minutes. The salmon comes out perfectly cooked!
Whenever I want to make something quick for dinner, I default to one of my trusted salmon recipes, such as baked salmon, salmon steak, blackened salmon, and Asian salmon.
This broiled salmon recipe is especially good. It's one of my go-to weeknight dinners because it's incredibly quick; broiling is faster and easier than baking or pan-frying.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Salmon fillets: I use skin-on fillets. In my opinion, the skin is the best part of the fish! The skin also helps prevent the fish from drying out.
- Olive oil: I love its flavor, but you can use avocado oil. It has a higher smoke point.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme.
Variations
- The best way to vary this recipe is to use different spices. While I typically use garlic powder and dried thyme (in addition to salt and pepper), other tasty options that I tried and liked include onion powder, dried dill, and red pepper flakes.
- Another tasty variation I like is brushing the salmon fillets with melted ghee instead of spraying them with olive oil. The ghee adds a rich nutty flavor.
Broiled Salmon Instructions
The detailed instructions for making this recipe are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of the steps:
- Your first step is to spray or brush the salmon fillets with olive oil. (Photos 1,2).
- Season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme. Then give them another quick coating of oil. (Photo 3).
- Broil them on high, skin side down, directly beneath the heating element (4 inches below), for 4 minutes. That's it! Dinner is served. (Photo 4).
Expert Tips
- Broiling is a fast cooking method. It leaves the food juicy and is far less messy than stovetop frying. However, when broiling, you must pay close attention to the food and make sure it doesn't burn. Sometimes it helps to keep the oven door slightly ajar.
- This recipe works with ½-inch thick salmon fillets. If your salmon fillets are thicker, broil them 6 inches below the heating element for 5-6 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
There are several ways to prepare this fish. I like them all! Baked salmon, pan-fried salmon, grilled salmon, and poached salmon are all excellent.
But broiling is the easiest way to cook this fish. It comes out tender and delicious, and it's ready in ten minutes. This is quicker than picking up fast food!
No. The skin is the best part of the fish, especially salmon. It also helps prevent the fish from drying out during the cooking process.
No! That's one of the reasons this recipe is so easy to make. Simply season the fish, place it in the pan, and broil. There's no need to flip it midway through cooking.
Grab a fork and very gently flake the top part of the fish. If it flakes easily, it's done. "Flaking" means that the flesh separates easily. If the salmon is undercooked, its flesh will resist separating.
Serving Suggestions
I often serve broiled salmon with broccoli salad. I make the salad in advance, so all I have to do at dinnertime is cook the salmon. It's one of the easiest dinners I make.
It's also good with other make-ahead salads, such as tomato salad, asparagus salad, and creamy cucumber salad.
On occasion, I serve it with roasted cherry tomatoes, the ones you see in the photos. But I serve it with those only when I have leftovers of them. They require baking, and I dislike mixing two different cooking methods in one meal.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. They dry out when reheated, so I like to flake them cold and mix them into a salad (such as this arugula salad) the next day for lunch.
If you decide to reheat the leftovers, you can do so in the microwave, covered, at 50% power.
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Recipe Card
Broiled Salmon
Ingredients
- 4 (6 oz) salmon fillets ½-inch thick
- Olive oil spray
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ teaspoon of any other salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Heat the broiler on high and set an oven rack directly below the heating element (4 inches below). Line a large rimmed broiler-safe baking sheet with foil (for easy cleanup).
- Generously spray both sides of the salmon fillets with olive oil.
- Place the fish fillets in the pan, skin side down. Sprinkle their tops with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme.
- Lightly spray the tops again to help keep the spices (especially the thyme) moist and prevent them from scorching under the broiler.
- Broil the salmon until opaque and cooked through, for about 4 minutes. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- There's no need to remove the skin.
- There's no need to flip the fish midway through cooking.
- To ensure the salmon is ready, gently flake its top with a fork. When fully cooked, the flesh will separate easily. If undercooked, the flesh will resist flaking.
- When broiling, you must pay close attention to the food and make sure it doesn't burn. Sometimes it helps to keep the oven door slightly ajar.
- This recipe works with ½-inch thick salmon fillets. If your salmon fillets are thicker, broil them 6 inches below the heating element for 5-6 minutes.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. They dry out when reheated, so I like to flake them cold and mix them into a salad the next day for lunch. If you decide to reheat the leftovers, do so in the microwave, covered, at 50% power.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition per Serving
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Elle
Added cumin and smoked paprika. What an excellent recipe! paired it with your arugula salad. Thank you!
Vered DeLeeuw
Love your additions, Elle!
Sabrina
I try to eat salmon once a week, and your website makes it easy with your selection of easy salmon recipes. Ii tried this one last night and it was excellent! Thank you for this great website. I appreciate the work you put into it.
Vered DeLeeuw
You're most welcome, Sabrina! Thank you so much for this comment.