Go Back Email Link
–+ servings
Four pieces of seasoned, baked salmon fillets arranged in a row, showcasing visible spices and a golden, oven-cooked surface.

The BEST Baked Salmon Recipe (made in just 8 minutes!)

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 13 minutes
This baked salmon recipe is my go-to for tender, perfectly flaky salmon every time. It’s quick enough for a weeknight but still feels special enough for guests. Check the notes section for my favorite seasoning blends so you can switch things up whenever you make it.

Ingredients

Favorite salmon seasoning

  • ½ teaspoon EACH: sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, coconut sugar, and oregano.

Instructions 

  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the salmon on a baking sheet, skin-side down, leaving a little room between each piece. Drizzle each salmon fillet with ½ teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
    4 6-ounce salmon fillets, 2 teaspoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper
    Four raw salmon fillets for baked salmon are placed on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, as a hand pours oil over the fillets from a small glass bowl.
  • If using the seasonings, sprinkle them on top of the salmon.
    ½ teaspoon EACH: sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, coconut sugar, and oregano.
    Raw salmon fillets are being seasoned with a blend of spices and powdered seasoning, prepared on a baking sheet for delicious baked salmon.
  • 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.
    Four seasoned baked salmon fillets are arranged in a row on a parchment-lined baking sheet, ready for cooking.

Notes

Optional seasoning to try
  • Lemon Thyme: 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, zest from 1 lemon, 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, ½ teaspoon each: garlic powder and coconut sugar, and zest from 1 lime.
 
When is the salmon done?
That depends on who you ask! The FDA recommends cooking non-sushi-grade fish to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit, which is considered well done (and can be quite dry). I prefer salmon cooked to medium — around 125 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit — which is how most good restaurants serve it. At this temperature, the salmon is tender, flaky, and perfectly moist.
Keep in mind that the internal temperature will continue to rise by about 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit after it comes out of the oven. So if you pull it out a little early, it’ll finish cooking as it rests. The longer it bakes, the drier it becomes — so err on the side of slightly under rather than over.
 
In a 400-degree oven, salmon needs to bake for about 4 minutes per ½ inch of thickness.
  • ½ inch fillet - 4 minutes
  • 1 inch fillet - 8 minutes
  • 1 ½ inch fillet 12 minutes
Serving: 1 piece of salmon, Calories: 259kcal, Protein: 34g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 94mg, Sodium: 366mg, Potassium: 834mg, Vitamin A: 68IU, Calcium: 21mg, Iron: 1mg