This easy recipe for broiled salmon is ready in just 10 minutes, making it the perfect weeknight dinner recipe.
It's as simple as can be - brush the fish with olive oil, season it, then broil for just 4 minutes. The fish comes out so delicious and perfectly cooked!
Whenever I want to make something quick for dinner, I default to one of my trusted salmon recipes. I always have frozen salmon fillets on hand. All I need to do is remember to defrost them the night before. Although even if I forget, I can simply use them frozen in most recipes and cook the fish a little longer.
This broiled salmon recipe is one of my go-to weeknight dinners because it's so easy to make and it's truly delicious. Baked salmon is another good one. Super easy too, but it takes slightly longer and you do need to preheat your oven.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty salmon recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Salmon fillets: I prefer using skin-on fillets. In my opinion, the skin is the best part of the fish!
- Olive oil: If you worry about its low smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: I use kosher salt in most of my recipes. If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the dish could end up too salty.
- Spices: I use garlic powder and dried thyme. Make sure they are fresh! A few years ago, I had stale thyme in my spice cabinet (it was six months past its expiration date). It ruined quite a few recipes until I realized what was going on!
Instructions
The detailed instructions for broiling salmon 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.
- Now, season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme. Then give them another quick coating of oil.
- Broil them on high, skin side down, and directly beneath the heating element (which is usually four inches below), for just 4 minutes. That's it! Dinner is served.
Expert tip
The more I cook, the more I like broiling. Broiling is a truly fast cooking method. It leaves the food juicy and is far less messy than stovetop frying. I have several broiler recipes on this website, including:
Broiled scallops
Juicy broiled burgers
Broiled shrimp
The only drawback to this cooking method is that you really need to pay close attention to the food and make sure it doesn't burn. Sometimes it helps to keep the oven door slightly ajar.
Frequently asked questions
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.
Having said that, broiling is by far the easiest way to prepare this fish. It comes out tender and delicious, and it's ready in TEN MINUTES. Faster than picking up fast food!
I never do. I think it's the best part of the fish, especially salmon. You CAN remove it if you want, but I think you will lose out on a very flavorful part of the fish.
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" simply means that the flesh separates easily. If the salmon is undercooked, its flesh will resist separating.
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 include onion powder, dried dill, and red pepper flakes.
- Another tasty variation is to brush the salmon fillets with melted ghee in lieu of spraying them with olive oil.
Serving suggestions
I often serve broiled salmon with broccoli salad. I make the broccoli salad in advance, so all I have to do at dinnertime is cook the salmon. It's truly one of the easiest dinners I make.
It's also excellent 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 don't like to mix two different cooking methods in one meal (I'm way too lazy for that).
Storing leftovers
You can keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days, in a sealed container. They do tend to dry out when reheated, so I like to flake them cold and mix them into a salad the next day for my lunch.
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Recipe card
Easy Broiled Salmon
INGREDIENTS
- 4 (6 oz) salmon fillets ½-inch thick
- Olive oil spray
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher 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, about 4 minutes. Serve immediately.
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NOTES
- There's no need to remove the skin from the fish, although you can do it if you wish.
- There's no need to flip the fish midway through cooking.
- To ensure that the salmon is ready, use a fork to gently flake its top. When fully cooked, the flesh will separate easily. If undercooked, the flesh will resist flaking.
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. 