Whole Baked Salmon Filet Recipe
This whole baked salmon filet is flaky, tender and just prefect with the most complimentary flavors of garlic, herbs, lemon, and finished with salty capers. It is a super easy and fast dinner that's sure to impress your guests!
Servings: 4
Calories: 388kcal
Ingredients
- 2 lb whole salmon filet, skin on
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves pressed
- 1 lemon - zest only
- coarse salt
- black pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh minced dill weed
- 1 tbsp fresh minced parsley
- 2-3 tbsp capers liquids drained
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up and to prevent salmon skin from sticking to the baking sheet.
- Take salmon filet out of the package and pat it dry with a paper towel all around.
- Rub it with some olive oil on the flesh and the skin side and place it skin side down on the prepared baking sheet.
- Season salmon with salt and pepper all over the filet.
- Rub pressed garlic evenly all over the salmon and then spread lemon zest all over.
- Place into the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, depending on the thickness. Salmon is considered fully cooked at 145° internal temperature. (Personally, I prefer salmon at medium or medium-well temperature, which is around 125°-135°.)
- Take salmon out of the oven when ready and let it rest on the serving dish for a few minutes.
- Sprinkle fresh herbs and spread capers around the top and serve. You can also utilize the leftover lemon that was zested and serve some of the lemon wedges along with salmon.
Video
Notes
How Much Salmon Per Person? A whole salmon filet will usually weigh in right around 2 lbs., give or take a few ounces. When planning a dinner, I always aim for 1/2 lb. of salmon per person. So a 2-pound filet will yield 4 servings. You can always make more filling sides to go along with it and may be able to get 6 servings out of the whole filet. If you are feeding a larger crowd, it's better to get two whole filets.
How To Tell If Salmon Is Done:
- Internal temperature is always the best indicator. Use a Digital Instant Read Thermometer to check the temperature in the center of the thickest part. Salmon is considered done at 145° and it you want it medium to medium-well range, cook it to 125° – 135°. Obviously, the higher the temp the more done the fish will be.
- Press on the center. When the meat is cooked through, it will be firm to the touch with the slightest bit of give. If it still feels squishy, give it a few more minutes and check again.
- See if it flakes. You’ll notice white lines running throughout the fillet, which is the fat. If the fish separates easily along these lines, it’s ready to eat!
- Check the opacity. Raw fish is fairly translucent but becomes more opaque when cooked. The inside should still have a slight “shine” to the flesh, while the outside should look completely opaque.
Nutrition
Calories: 388kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 212mg | Potassium: 1128mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 189IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg