Flaky Oven Roasted Salmon Recipe (2024)

Alisa InfantiPublished:Jan 28, 2020Oct 23, 2022Updated:Oct 23, 2022

This oven-baked salmon recipe is so flaky and tender it will literally melt in your mouth! Makes enough for a whole family and dinner is ready to hit the table in 30 minutes. East to make with only 3-ingredients you likely have right in your kitchen.

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I have been making this salmon recipe for years and it is one of the only recipes my kids have never ever turned their noses up to. My kids are picky where one minute they love something and the next minute what I made is the worst thing in the world.

It is really hard to keep up sometimes. But this recipe has remained a favourite and has so far stood up to their changing palates.

My teenage daughter objects right now only because she had an incident at school because of some bad fish I made the night before. The smell was horrendous and of course, we threw it out but not before the smell seeped into her winter jacket and when she was at school some people were wondering where the fishy smell was coming from. To her horror!

Now she forbids me to make fish around her so, for now, this recipe is out with her but not for flavour-related reasons.

In the winter I always make this salmon in the oven baking it just until it flakes apart with a fork but it can also be made on a grill exactly the same way.

What you need to make oven-baked Salmon

• 2 lbs salmon (skin on or off)
• Seasoning Salt
• Garlic Powder
• Fresh Dill
• Baking Sheet

Any type of salmon works for this recipe but the one recommendation I have is to always use fresh salmon. I find that salmon gets a bit fishy when frozen so avoid frozen salmon whenever possible.

I prefer to buy a full fillet of salmon like this in the winter when I am baking in the oven usually with the skin left on. I like the crispy skin and find it adds even more flavour but it isn’t a must-have. Salmon with the skin removed works just as well.

In the summer I usually go with salmon steaks and grill them on medium heat for about 20 minutes. If grilling, be sure to season both sides of the salmon steaks.

side dishes that go well with baked salmon

• Fattoush Salad
• Raw Asparagus Salad
• Zesty Quinoa Salad
• Seasoned Baked Sweet Potatoes

how long do you bake salmon?

I like to bake my salmon on high heat so that the bottom and edges get a nice sear trapping in the juices. I also like my salmon done more on the well-done side. Not dry but I don’t like it to be a darker pink in the centre either like how you would cook a tuna steak.

Salmon is perfectly fine done medium and being a little pinker in the centre but I prefer it to be cooked evenly all the way through just until it is flaky enough to fall apart with a fork.

The thickness of each piece of fish will differ so fork testing is always the best way to gauge when the fish is done. At 400ºF typically it takes about 30 minutes for salmon to be cooked. But to be sure place a fork in the centre of the fish and gently twist.

If the fork easily turns and the fish flakes away the salmon is done. You can also use a meat thermometer. The FDA recommends a minimum internal temperature of 145ºF.

Can dried dill be used instead of fresh Dill?

Yes, but you will need to adjust the amount used. This recipe calls for a 1/4 cup of fresh dill so if you plan to use dried dill use 4 tsp instead.

What do you do with baked salmon leftovers?

Baked or grilled salmon reheats very well and can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can reheat the salmon in the oven or microwave to reheat but know if you bring it to work and microwave it you may not have many friends afterwards. Microwaved fish can smell terrible. So terrible memes have been made about this topic!

I personally like to eat my leftover salad cold broken up over a nice salad for lunch. A great change from the usual chicken salad.

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For the step-by-step version of this recipe, check out the How to Make Flaky Oven Baked Salmon Story.