How to make moist and tender baked salmon topped with a creamy sour cream crust in less than 30 minutes. This recipe is simple and delicious. Jump to the Sour Cream Baked Salmon Recipe or read on to see our tips for making it.
How to Bake Salmon Topped with Sour Cream
We love this salmon recipe! It’s flavorful, tender and takes less than 30 minutes, which makes it perfect for busy nights.
It’s also perfect for special occasions. Think about serving the salmon with a light salad, mashed potatoes, our mashed cauliflower or your favorite side.
We spread a mixture of sour cream, whole ground mustard and parmesan cheese on top of salmon. Then, we slide them into the oven for about 15 minutes. The recipe is easy, plus that sour cream crust is so good! For another simple salmon recipe, try our salmon with lemon and dill, salmon with garlic caper butter or this one-pan oven roasted salmon and green beans.
How Not to Overcook Baked Salmon
We’ve done it plenty of times in the past. It’s a complete letdown, but don’t worry we’ve got a couple of tricks to help us all out.
Here’s the first trick. You only want to cook salmon until it’s barely done in the center – you can tell when it’s ready by using a knife and peeking into the middle of the salmon. If it’s firm, but still has a small amount of uncooked salmon in the center take it out of the oven, and then loosely cover with aluminum foil. Let the salmon rest for 10 minutes. During this time, the center will cook just enough to be perfect.
Another trick is to use a thermometer. We take our salmon out when the center reaches 125 degrees F (51 degrees C). Then, remove, cover with foil and rest.
Finally, (and, yes we realize that this one is coming from a recipe website) – Don’t trust the recipe cooking time.
Let us explain. Ovens vary, it stinks, but it’s true. So, while our filets of salmon might take 10 minutes to bake, yours may take longer.
So, be mindful of how your salmon is cooking. It’s completely fine to check the salmon a little earlier than the recipe states. You’ll usually find us checking twice. To test for doneness, remove the salmon from the oven, close the oven door (to keep the heat in) then check the fish the same way we mentioned above. If the salmon needs more time, slide it back into the oven. If not, pat yourself on the back, you just prevented overcooked salmon.
Recipe updated, originally posted February 2013. Since posting this in 2013, we have tweaked the recipe to be more clear. – Adam and Joanne
Easy Sour Cream Baked Salmon
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This easy baked salmon recipe is perfect for a weekday, but could also fill in for a special occasion. The fish is smothered with a mixture of sour cream, mustard, and parmesan cheese. When baking the fish, be careful not to overcook. (There are lots of tricks above in the article for how not to overcook salmon). For moist salmon, bake until the salmon is barely done at the thickest part then remove from the oven cover with foil and let rest.
You Will Need
4 (6-ounce) salmon filets
1/2 cup whole fat sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Directions
1Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet or baking dish. (Instead of oiling the pan, you could also line with parchment paper).
2In a small bowl, combine sour cream, mustard, and the cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3Place salmon onto a baking sheet then spread two tablespoons of sour cream mixture on top of each salmon filet.
4Bake 10 to 15 minutes until barely done in the center at the thickest part of the salmon. The center should be firm, but with a small amount of uncooked salmon in the very center. Depending on how thick the salmon is, it may need a few minutes longer. (The internal temperature should be around 125 degrees F).
5Remove from oven then cover lightly with aluminum foil and let rest 5 to 10 minutes. During this time, the salmon will continue to cook.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- How to tell when salmon is cooked: Your best bet for checking if salmon is cooked, is a thermometer — we cook salmon to 125 degrees F, which means it will be soft, tender and slightly pink in the center. For a visual cue, look for the flesh to be somewhat opaque. Also, when inserting a knife into the salmon, it should slide through easily.
- 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 was delicious. My daughter bought enough salmon for four people. I cooked it all the first night and we had half of it the second night. It heated up beautifully in the oven. I made one addition to the topping. I added a spoonful of lemon zest which I keep n the freezer in measured amounts in parchment paper.
This was just so easy! I used country Dijon mustard and dry grated parmesan. Cooked about 12 servings in 14 minutes. Will freeze when they cool down a bit. I’ve done this one before – to heat it after freezing, add a bit of water to the container before putting it in the microwave covered – I use high but you can play around a bit if you are afraid it will dry out, but covered with a couple tablespoons of water per serving works great for me. It’s so convenient if I get a lot of salmon to pre-cook and freeze.