How to make perfectly baked salmon in under 30 minutes. By gently baking the fish in a little liquid, it stays moist and tender. This quick and easy recipe never fails! Jump to the Baked Salmon Recipe with Lemon and Dill or watch the quick video below to see how we make it.
The inspiration for this recipe comes from my mother, who made and continues to make this all the time. It’s her go-to dish — especially when entertaining. And you know what? Everyone just loves it. Simple fresh fish with simple flavors. The salmon is baked on top of a bed of sliced lemons and fresh dill and it’s all done in under 30 minutes.
How to Make The Best Oven Baked Salmon
The trick to perfectly cooked salmon is to gently bake the fish in a little liquid — such as wine, stock, or water. Then cover the dish and bake until just cooked through. You could call this oven poached salmon. It’s practically no-fail.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: This easy Chickpea Salad with Lemon and Dill. Make this simple salad with fresh lemon, herbs, cucumbers, and tomatoes in under 15 minutes.
Start by layering sliced lemons and fresh herbs on the bottom of the dish. Add lightly seasoned salmon fillets on top, add a splash of liquid and then cover with foil. After about 20 minutes, the salmon will be perfectly cooked, moist, and delicious.
Note: Remember that cooking times will vary depending on the kind and thickness of salmon you are cooking. In the recipe below, we share how to tell if the fish is cooked. If your fish is quite thick, expect that the cooking time will be a few minutes longer than what we share below.
You may also like these easy fish recipes:
- Sour Cream Baked Salmon Recipe — We spread a mixture of sour cream, whole ground mustard and parmesan cheese on top of salmon. Then we slide it into the oven for about 15 minutes. So easy. The sour cream crust is so good against mild, flaky salmon.
- Sweet Citrus Cedar Plank Salmon Recipe — Grilling salmon on a cedar plank is genius. If you haven’t tried it, let me tell you, you need to.
- Easy 20 Minute Baked Trout Recipe — How to bake trout in the oven stuffed with lemon and herbs. So quick and easy!
Recipe updated, originally posted August 2009. Since posting this in 2009, we have tweaked the recipe to be more clear. – Adam and Joanne
Perfectly Baked Salmon Recipe with Lemon and Dill
- PREP
The trick to perfectly cooked salmon is to gently bake the fish in a little liquid — such as wine, stock, or water. Then cover the dish and bake until just cooked through. You could call this oven poached salmon. It’s practically no-fail. If your fish is quite thick, expect that the cooking time will be a few minutes longer than what we share below.
You Will Need
One 1 1/2-pound salmon fillet, or two 12-ounce fillets, preferably wild-caught
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 lemon, cut into slices
3 to 4 sprigs of fresh dill, plus more for serving
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon blanc (substitute: fish stock, chicken stock, or water)
Directions
Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil and season both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper.
Arrange lemon slices and fresh herbs on the bottom of a baking dish large enough to fit the salmon, and then place the salmon, skin-side down, onto the bed of lemon and herbs. Pour wine (or stock) into the baking dish, and then cover with aluminum foil.
Bake the salmon until the fish flakes and white bubbles of protein appear on the surface, 12 to 30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Check the salmon after 10 minutes to see it’s progress. Checking the temperature of the salmon using an internal thermometer is the best way to prevent overcooking. You want the thickest part of the salmon to read 135 degrees F. Take the salmon out of the oven and loosely cover with foil for 5 minutes (the fish will continue to cook during this time). Serve, scattered with chopped fresh herbs on top.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Side dish suggestions: Try our perfect mashed potatoes, this low-carb mashed cauliflower recipe or this 10 minute sautéed bok choy recipe.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA Supertracker recipe calculator to calculate approximate values.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste
This is my favorite way to prepare salmon now, I make this regularly. The salmon always comes out perfectly cooked, very moist and full of flavor.
Loved this simple and basic recipe with easy clear directions I keep forgetting bc I haven’t made it for awhile. I love to bake a big fish, and then eat it all week with all kinds of sides like you suggested, and others. It’s true it’s great hot or cold! Thanks!!
I absolutely love this recipe, the dill and lemon do such a great job of being aromatic and also adding flavor to the salmon. Thank you for sharing this! Can’t wait to make it again!
I made this recipe on Friday for my girlfriend and she went crazy for it! She’s still talking about it today, days later. The fish stock at the bottom and the tin tent really kept the juice in. The salmon was tender, and flavorful. The fresh dill and organic lemon and garlic really kicked it up a few notches. The trick of looking for the protein bubble really helped me to gauge when it was done too. I will def make this for her again! Thank you for a wonderfully simple and delicious recipe.
What protein bubble are you referring to?
Today is Friday and I will cook this salmon I let you know how was, from the picture look delicious, Regards Maria
I found your website by accident and have made several of your recipes and my most favorite one right now is the salmon. Thank you for sharing your recipes.
I am having a dinner party for 8 people and will get a whole salmon filet. My question is…can I serve it cold.?
Hi Anne, yes this salmon is delicious cold.