8 Minute Baked Salmon
This baked salmon is our favorite baked salmon recipe ever. It cooks in only 8 minutes and always turns out perfect. Learn how to bake salmon so that it turns out flaky and tender every single time!
This method of cooking salmon comes from my former neighbor, Danielle. She served it once at a dinner party and I fell in love with it. It's a foolproof recipe that turns out perfectly every time. Keep this recipe in your back pocket for when you need a healthy dinner on the table stat!
Why this baked salmon recipe is the best
- The short cooking time on high heat guarantees that the salmon will be juicy and tender.
- If you/your kids/roommate/partner are starving, this is the recipe to make. Pair it with a simple salad and dinner will be on the table in 15 minutes. Tops.
- It's a versatile recipe. A little salt and pepper are all the basic version needs to be delicious. But the spices you can add are almost limitless, and we have plenty of suggestions on salmon seasonings for you in the recipe.
- While it's an easy recipe, it's also perfect for entertaining. Prepare the salmon then let it rest at room temperature on a baking sheet. When you want to eat, pop the baking sheet into the oven and 8 minutes later you'll be sitting down to a beautiful dinner.
READ MORE: Baked Fish with Lemon Garlic Butter
How to make this baked salmon recipe
Oven baked salmon is the easiest ever. Here's what you're going to do:
- Put the salmon on a baking sheet skin side down.
- Top with oil, salt, pepper, and any spices that you want. (We have lots of suggestions in the recipe!)
- Pop it into the oven for 8 minutes.
That's in. In less than 10 minutes you've made yourself a delicious salmon dinner!
How long to bake salmon
In a 400 degree oven, salmon needs to bake for 4 minutes per ½ inch of thickness. Most salmon fillets are 1 inch thick, so you'll want to cook them for 8 minutes.
Salmon is notorious for being dry. That's because almost all salmon recipes tell you to cook it for too long. While the FDA recommends cooking salmon to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, if you remove the salmon from the oven at 145, you'll end up with dry salmon that (in my opinion) is barely worth eating. That's because the temperature will continue to rise after the salmon has been removed from the oven and it will end up being overcooked.
If you're new to making baked salmon, the best way to tell if it's cooked is to use an instant read meat thermometer. If you remove the salmon from the oven when it reaches an internal temperature of 135-140 degrees Fahrenheit, it will be fully cooked by the time you eat it.
Can I cook my salmon more/less than the recipe says?
Of course! 8 minutes in a 400-degree oven will give you medium-well cooked salmon fillets. If you like salmon that's medium-rare, take it out of the oven a minute or two earlier.
If you like your salmon done well, keep it in the oven for an extra minute or two. But please don't expect the salmon to be juicy or tender if you opt for a longer cooking time!
Salmon seasoning ideas
Baked salmon is delicious even with the most simple salt and pepper seasoning. But it's fun to spice things up. Here are a few spices that go great with salmon:
- Personal favorite: sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, coconut sugar, and oregano.
- Lemon thyme: lemon zest, fresh thyme leaves, and a squeeze of lemon when the salmon comes out of the oven.
- Garlicky: Lemon slices, Italian seasoning, and finely minced garlic.
- Chili lime: Chili powder, garlic powder, and lime zest.
- Rosemary: Lemon slices, minced garlic, and rosemary.
- Curry: curry powder, garlic powder, coconut sugar, and lime zest.
Can you eat salmon skin?
Yes! Crispy salmon skin is not only delicious, but it's also healthy, too. Salmon skin contains high amounts of heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids, so don't skip the skin. But salmon skin that is not crispy, isn't very appetizing. Here's how to turn salmon skin into salmon bacon:
When the salmon is cooked, remove it from the baking sheet by sliding a spatula between the skin and the flesh. This will leave the salmon skin on the baking sheet. Now pop the baking sheet back into the oven and turn the oven off. The residual heat from the oven will crisp the salmon skin so that by the time you finish eating, you'll have a little salmon bacon for dessert.
Thanks, Danielle, for teaching that trick!
What to serve with baked salmon
Most of the time, we serve this salmon with a big dinner salad. Arugula and Wild Rice Salad and The Best Kale Salad are two of our favorites. If you're feeling quite hungry, some Greek Lemon Potatoes, Smoky Roast Potatoes, or Cauliflower Fried Rice make great sides.
Here are a few other sides that go well with this baked salmon:
- Sauteed Asparagus with Garlic and Parmesan
- Spicy Honey Roasted Carrots
- Best Roasted Broccoli (pictured below)
- Avocado Cucumber Salad
- Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic
- Simple Cauliflower Rice
- Perfect Basmati Rice
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Easy baked salmon recipes
- Slow Baked Asian Salmon
- Ginger Miso Salmon Steaks
- Sweet and Smoky Baked Salmon with Roasted Tomato Salsa
8 Minute Baked Salmon
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Prep Time: 5 mins
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Cook Time: 8 mins
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Total Time: 13 minutes
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Yield: 4 servings 1x
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Category: Seafood
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Method: Baked
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Cuisine: American
Description
This baked salmon is our favorite baked salmon recipe ever. It cooks in only 8 minutes and always turns out perfect. Learn how to bake salmon so that it turns out flaky and tender every single time!
Ingredients
- 4 6-ounce salmon fillets (1-inch thick)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon each: sea salt and pepper
Optional seasonings
- Personal favorite: ½ teaspoon each: sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, coconut sugar, and oregano.
- Lemon thyme: zest from 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, and a squeeze of lemon when the salmon comes out of the oven.
- Garlicky: 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 2 finely minced garlic cloves, and 1 thinly sliced lemon.
- Chili lime: 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and zest from 1 lime.
- Rosemary: 1 finely minced garlic clove, 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, and 1 thinly sliced lemon.
- Curry: 1 teaspoon curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon each: garlic powder and coconut sugar, and zest from 1 lime.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the salmon on a baking sheet, leaving a little room between each piece. Drizzle each salmon fillet with ½ teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. If using the optional seasonings, sprinkle them on top of the salmon now.
- Put the salmon in the oven and set a timer for 8 minutes. When the timer goes off, take the salmon out of the oven and let it rest for a few minutes. It will be very tender, the flesh will have turned opaque, and there will be only a few tiny spots of white showing. (see notes.)
Notes
The white stuff that you see when salmon cooks is protein that has coagulated and been pushed to the surface. Properly cooked salmon will only have a tiny bit of this.
It's recommended that non sushi grade fish be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. As the temperature will continue to rise after it's been removed from the oven, I like to take it out when it's 135-140 degrees. 8 minutes seems to be the exact time to get to this temperature.
In a 400 degree oven, salmon needs to bake for 4 minutes per ½ inch of thickness.
- ½ inch fillet – 4 minutes
- 1 inch fillet – 8 minutes
- 1 ½ inch fillet 12 minutes
Love baked salmon! All your recipes make me so hungry!
★★★★★
Awww thank you so much!
I made the salmon yesterday. I have a tendency to overcook things but your method yielded a mouthwatering filet!!
I used lime zest and chili pepper seasoning with a bit of cumin. I served it with roast broccoli . I let it rest and popped it back for 5 min since it was 1/2″ thicker than I realized. I can’t wait to try it again! Thank you
★★★★★
We usually cook the full Salmon fillet for 15 minutes at 425 deg F and then broil it for around 2 to 3 minutes. Have to try the 400 deg. F temp. How long do we have to cook the whole fillet to be well done?
I find that a full side of salmon typically takes 12-15 minutes, depending on how thick the piece is. 🙂
The oregano seemed overpowering in the overall flavor, I wouldn’t recommend this but I’ll keep looking
★★★
Delicious! I added confit garlic, cherry tomatoes and olive mix. Rubbed butter on top and mixed the Italian and lemon suggestions together. Absolutely heavenly!
★★★★★
Great flavor combos!!
Hi! How long would I cook a side of salmon…not individual pieces? Thanks.
It depends a bit on how thick the salmon is. I always set a timer for 12 minutes, but sometimes it can take up to 15 minutes. 🙂
EXCELLENT – I had half inch long salmon filet…. used melted butter, squeezed lemon and mayo in the butter. Garnished thinly sliced onion and lemon slices. Cooked 4 minutes, decided to add another minute. thank you for the timing on this. SPOT ON!!!!
The salmon turned out perfect. I tried the chili garlic and lime seasonings and it was fabulous!
★★★★★
The salmon turned out absolutely perfectly!! Super moist and delicious. I used the “personal favourite” rub and it was yummy – but I think next time I’ll make double the amount for the same amount of salmon as I really like lots of flavour. Thanks for this recipe!!
★★★★★
I love your recipe!
★★★★★
Can’t wait to try this and a few others on the site!
S/N – The roasted broccoli here is linked to the broccoli salad with blueberries in it. But you can still find the roasted broccoli with the search feature, which I’m eager to try! 😊
Thank you for letting us know about that error!
I miss-read this recipe and thought that it said to put the salmon in skin side up. I tried it, and added chilli spices to the skin and it turned out beautifully crisp!
★★★★★
That’s great to hear that it still turned out. Crispy salmon skin is delish!
It’s amazing that salmon cooks this fast and thanks for including all the seasonings to use.
You’re so welcome, Jere!
This salmon is SCRUMPTIOUS!! So amazing that it’s just 8 minutes of cooking!
★★★★★
Yes! So happy you like this recipe!
Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe. So tender. Loved it
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You are very welcome!
How gorgeous and incredibly healthy! I love that I can make this in such a short time with few ingredients. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
You’re so welcome, Jeannette!
I absolutely adore salmon and I love that this only takes eight minutes!
★★★★★
That is so wonderful to hear, Bintu!
We love salmon! The way it cooks up is so tender and so flavorful! Love it!
★★★★★
Hey Suzy! Thank you so much for coming back to let us know you love the recipe!
I love how easy this recipe is! Such a great quick and healthy meal!
★★★★★
Thanks, Hannah! So happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe!
A basic and simple recipe to bake some salmon. I love the guide for different thickness of fillets. That one is particularly useful. 🙂
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Thanks, Anita! I’m happy that you found the recipe useful!
I love making this recipe on the weekdays for my family. Such a great way to make sure we get those nutrients.
That’s wonderful to hear. Thanks, Kacey!
How flavorful and delicious is this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing
★★★★★
Thanks, Kushigalu! Really happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe!
This is scrumptious! Love that it’s done in just 8 minutes!
★★★★★
Thanks, Nart! Happy to hear you love it, too!
Oh my goodness – I love that these are baked and so quick to make. And the seasoning was mouthwateringly good!
★★★★★
That’s wonderful to hear. Thanks, Katerina!
This baked salmon is nice and easy and full of flavor. Salmon is so good for you too:)
You’re right … salmon is so good for you! Happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe!
I love how fork tender this is! My favorite flavor is rosemary!
★★★★★
So happy to hear that you liked the recipe, Suzy! I agree, rosemary with salmon is so yummy!
This salmon is amazing, and it is so easy to make!
★★★★★
Thanks, Biana! I’m so happy to hear that you found the recipe easy to make!
I can’t believe how yummy and simple this recipe is! 🙂
Yes! Simple is often best, isn’t it? Glad to hear that it turned out well for you!
What an easy way to prepare salmon. And I am loving all the different spice mix and flavors you are suggesting in the recipe. Gotta give them all a try. 🙂
★★★★★
Thanks, Anita!
This is delicious and so good for you too!
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Christie!
This is the best salmon that I’ve ever made. I had no idea that I could enjoy salmon this much. Thank you! BTW I served this with your roasted broccoli and it went together perfectly.
★★★★★
So happy to know that you love the recipe as much as we do!
I have begun to HATE salmon!! I hate dry salmon and have sadly been trying to choke it down. That is…until yesterday! I tried this recipe and it was, as explained in the description, perfect! Thank you for saving me from the brink of forever hating salmon!
★★★★★
That is the best news ever! So happy that you like salmon again!!