15-Minute Baked Salmon
This delicious baked salmon is seasoned with olive oil, garlic, and thyme. Only 15 minutes in the oven, and it emerges perfectly cooked, tender, and flavorful!
Servings 4 servings
Calories 346kcal
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets 6 ounces each, skin-on or skinless, about 1 inch thick, pin bones removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra-virgin
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
Optional:
- 1 lemon sliced and seeded
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Position a rack in the middle of the oven.
- Run your finger across the salmon fillets to check for bones. If your fish have bones in them, remove the bones with fish bone tweezers.
- Using a pastry brush or clean hands, coat the salmon fillets with olive oil.
- Sprinkle the salmon on both sides with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and thyme.
- Arrange the salmon fillets on the baking dish, skin side down. If using, arrange the lemon slices around the fish. Lightly brush the lemon slices with olive oil.
- Bake the salmon, uncovered, until it's opaque and cooked through and its internal temperature reaches 145°F. This should take around 15 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
Video
Notes
- The USDA says that you should cook fish to medium (145°F). If you don't have a thermometer, you can check with a fork. The center of each fillet should be opaque and flaky. If it's still translucent and resists being flaked with a fork, it's not done yet.
- You can line the baking dish with nonstick foil to minimize the risk of sticking.
- To cook frozen salmon, increase the baking time to about 20 minutes for 6-ounce fillets. Baking fish from frozen often helps avoid drying them out. However, you should only do this with smaller, 6-ounce fillets. Bigger fillets could be undercooked in the middle if you cook them frozen. When cooking from frozen, it's especially important to check for doneness with an instant-read thermometer or use a fork to ensure the center is opaque and flaky.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I don't like reheating them - they end up dry and fishy. So I flake them and use them cold as a salad topping the next day. If you prefer to reheat the leftovers, do so very gently. Cover the fish and reheat it in the microwave at 50% power, turning often, until heated through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1fillet | Calories: 346kcal | Protein: 32g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 360mg
