Tips for cooking salmon in the oven
Whether you are hosting a weekend gathering or a small weeknight dinner, high-protein salmon provides numerous health benefits and is easy to bake in the oven.
From prepping this nutrient-rich fish to ensuring the right cooking temperature, there are several key considerations when creating a perfectly cooked meal. Here are our top tips to bake salmon in either a gas or electric range.
Choose the right cut of salmon to bake
When determining how to bake salmon with your favorite recipe, it’s important to first choose the best cut. Wild caught salmon means it was captured in its natural environment while farm-raised salmon was harvested in controlled conditions. Whichever you choose, select a piece that is vibrant in color and free from any discolorations to ensure the best flavor. While salmon steaks are ideal for broiling, grilling and pan-searing, salmon fillets are the best choice for baking. Keep in mind about six ounces of skinless fish is the typical serving size per person (add one more ounce if cooking with skin on). Here’s a look at the various fillets:
Top loin: Often called the “tenderloin” for its high quality, this cut is also the heartiest.
Belly: With its high fat content, the melt-in-your-mouth cut also provides the most Omega 3s.
Loin: The bright fillet is best known for its equal balance of fat-to-flesh.
Second cut: This is the most popular choice for its moist and tender qualities.
Tail: The tapered tail meat offers the thinnest cut.
Frozen salmon vs. fresh salmon
While there is nothing quite like fresh salmon, having frozen salmon stocked in your freezer will save you a trip to the market. Choose a cut that has a bright color, looks moist and not dry.
Fresh salmon can stay in your refrigerator for up to two days. If the label says “previously frozen,” it means after the salmon was caught, it was flash-frozen to lock in nutrients and ensure freshness. Frozen salmon can also be thawed before cooking to remove excess moisture.
Prepping salmon for baking
Most pin bones have been removed from fillets, making prep easier and faster, but it’s always a good idea to double check for any that were missed. To do this, place the salmon over an inverted mixing bowl (like one from KitchenAid’s 3 Piece Plastic Mixing Set) skin side down, which will reveal any small bones protruding from the fleshy side-up portion of the fish.
Remove the bones with a pair of kitchen pliers or tweezers. Whether you choose a roasting pan like our favorite porcelain enamel roaster by Tramontina or a baking dish is up to you, but line with a lightly oiled foil.
Aluminum foil seals in moisture so the salmon retains its natural juices and the oil will prevent it from sticking. Salmon should always be prepped for baking by seasoning well with salt and pepper. Your favorite seafood rub or dash of FreshJax Seasoned Sea Salts for some extra spice may also be added to enhance flavor.
Should you bake salmon with skin on or skin off
Baking salmon with the skin on or skin off is your preference. While searing salmon in a cast iron pan like Lodge’s pre-seasoned skillet produces a crisp skin, baked salmon produces a moist skin.
If you prefer skinless fillets, removing the skin before or after cooking is easy. When removing prior to baking, take a sharp knife and insert into the fish above the skin and slide along slowly taking care not to cut the flesh until the skin has been entirely removed.
If you prefer to remove after baking skin side down, take a spatula and glide it between the skin and fleshy part of the salmon to remove the skin in one piece.
Cooking time and temperatures for baking salmon
A common mistake when it comes to baking salmon in the oven is overcooking. If you don’t keep an eye on the clock, the salmon will become dried out, losing its flavor.
We recommend cooking the salmon on the middle oven rack to ensure it bakes evenly without burning. Set your oven to 450 degrees and place the fish in a baking dish skin side down.
Salmon typically takes about 10-15 minutes to bake until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees at the thickest part. It is thoroughly baked when the salmon turns pale pink.
If you prefer an extra juicy fish, the seasoned salmon can also be wrapped in aluminum foil (better known as “en papillote”) and filled with your favorite vegetables. To create using this method, take a large sheet of aluminum foil, fold in half lengthwise, unfold and place on your baking dish.
The salmon and vegetables are then added to one side of the foil before folding over the other. Seal off the foil bag by crimping the aluminum foil together. The salmon will stay moist if no steam escapes while baking.
When fully cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool for five minutes. Cut open the foil bag with scissors, removing the flaky salmon and vegetables with a spatula before discarding the foil.
Kellie Speed is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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