Salmon is rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids and B Vitamins, which makes it an excellent addition to a healthy diet. Your body cannot naturally manufacture Omega 3 fatty acids. This is why you have to rely on outside food sources to get adequate amounts of the nutrient.
Since salmon is both tasty and easy to prepare, it is one of the best sources for Omega 3 Fatty Acids. In this recipe, we will bake the salmon, which retains most of its nutrients.
During the process of baking salmon, you have to be careful not to over-bake the fish, or else it could turn dry and tough. Baking too long can even reduce the tastefulness of the fish.
For every half an inch of the thickness of the fish, you must bake it for 5 minutes. So an inch thick salmon fillet would need about 10 minutes to be baked. Depending on your oven settings, it can take longer or lesser time for the salmon to be done.
When you try this recipe for the first time, try to check the salmon in 10 minutes and if you feel that it still needs more time, then check in every two minutes till it is done.
Check the fish by inserting a fork in the thickest part of the fillet and trying to remove the flesh. If it comes apart easily and is opaque, then the fish is done. The skin should be flaky and should not look very dry.
Alternatively, you can use a thermometer to check the temperature in the thickest part of the fish. A medium-rare salmon should read a temperature of approximately 140 degrees F. The fish will turn tough and taste dry if it is cooked to a temperature above 145 degrees F.
PrintBaked Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound salmon fillet
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 1 tbsp. garlic, minced
- 8 lemon wedges
For the garnish:
- 1 tsp. parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. dill, finely chopped
Additional tools or items:
- Baking sheet
- Cooking spray/vegetable oil
- Baking brush
Instructions
- Place the baking sheet on a baking tray and use cooking spray or vegetable oil to lightly grease the sheet.
- Take the salmon fillet and place it on the baking sheet. If you have kept the skin of the fish, then place the skin-side down and the flesh side upwards.
- Use a brush to cover the fish with half of the melted butter.
- Sprinkle the salt and pepper and pour the rest of the butter on the fish.
- Sprinkle the minced garlic on the fish and set the 8 lemon wedges around the salmon.
- Bake the salmon for about 12 minutes. Check every two minutes after 10 minutes to make sure that you do not overcook the salmon.
- You can check if it is done or not by either using a fork to separate the flesh from the thickest part of the fish or use an instant-read thermometer.
- Optionally, if you would like a golden brown tint on the fish, then set your oven to broil and allow the salmon to broil for about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Make sure you keep checking to avoid losing the flavors.
- Remove the skin before serving the fish on a platter. Garnish with the parsley and dill.
Notes
If you feel that the salmon fillet is very thick or too large, then you can cut it into smaller pieces and use the same instructions to bake the fish.
You can also replace the butter with extra-virgin olive oil according to your food preferences.