Easy Baked Salmon with Rosemary

This Oven Baked Salmon with Rosemary is absolutely the best Easy Salmon Recipe for weekday dinners.  It's super healthy, tender, flaky, and rich in flavor but comes together with just a handful of simple ingredients including olive oil, rosemary, and lemon.  This fail-proof recipe is a family favorite that I've made for years and years.

Easy Baked Salmon with Rosemary

This Easy Baked Salmon with Rosemary is recipe is a mouthwatering easy salmon recipe that anyone can make.  Even if you don't cook a lot of fish at home, THIS recipe is one you can master.  It's super simple to make without a lot of fuss and focuses on ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.  It comes together in less than 15 minutes for a weekday dinner that everyone will love.  I'd venture to say that even those on the fence about fish in your family can grow to love this recipe.

This is actually my Dad's salmon recipe.  He's made it for as long as I can remember and it's one of my favorite things to eat.  He shared the recipe with me years ago and I posted it here, but just recently decided to give the photos the upgrade they deserved.

Served with a few simple sides like Roasted Potatoes and Lemon Parmesan Asparagus, you can have a delicious and super healthy dinner on the table in no time!

Why You'll Love This Easy Salmon Recipe...

• This Easy Salmon recipe is a super healthy family dinner idea that can be ready in 15 minutes.
• It uses pantry staples like dried rosemary and no fussy ingredients.
• It cooks in the oven, so you don't have to fuss with making anything on the stove.
• The fish comes out tender, flaky, and delicious every time.
• It's a total crowd-pleaser!

You seriously can't go wrong with adding this pescatarian meal to your dinner time routine.  This is a dish I make at least twice a month!

Ingredients:

• Salmon Fillets: Look for salmon fillets that are between 4-6 ounces that are fresh-looking.  If your salmon is frozen thaw it out overnight in your fridge.  To prep the salmon pat it dry with a paper towels. You'll need one fillet for each person you are serving.  I wrote the recipe for 4 servings.
• Olive Oil Spray: My Dad's trick for keeping the calories low on this recipe is to just a light spray of olive oil instead of a big drizzle.  Use a special olive oil mister or an olive oil spray designed for doing this.
• Rosemary: Rosemary is the perfect flavor compliment to salmon! The herb brings out the flavor and is the perfect addition to the fish.  You can use fresh or dried, but I make it usually with dried.
• Garlic Salt: I love a little bit of garlic salt on my fish!  The flavor really adds a lot of vibrance to the dish without a lot of fuss.  It's also a great way to get garlic flavor on a dish without messing with fresh garlic.  Just remember that garlic salt does contain salt, so you will need to use less regular salt.  You could also use garlic powder if you are sensitive to salt.
• Lemon: I like to serve my fish with a fresh lemon wedge that I squeeze on before serving.  Garnish with parsley.
• Salt & Pepper

Tips on Buying Salmon

• What to Look For: Salmon should have vibrant color with no brown spots and no fishy smell.
• Wild vs Farm Raised: Wild salmon is generally preferred, but don't let not finding it or being able to afford it keep you from eating salmon altogether.  I often make this recipe with farmed salmon.  Either salmon option is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids.  Wild-caught is generally more expensive but can have fewer additives. If you do buy farm-raised there are some brands that are more sustainable so you can look out for those.
• Types of Salmon: There are so many types of salmon you can buy.  The most familiar salmon is Atlantic Salmon which is always farm-raised.  Some types of wild salmon are King Salmon, Wild Sockeye, and Coho Salmon.  Some of those salmons are only available fresh in certain seasons.
• Fresh vs Frozen: Here's a little secret... unless you live near the ocean MOST fish you find in a traditional supermarket has been flash-frozen shortly after catching it.  The guys at the fish counter have usually thawed it out and put it on ice to serve you.  Unless it's labeled Fresh Never Frozen you are probably getting the same fish found in the frozen section.  Because of that, I like to stock my freezer with frozen fish and thaw it whenever I'm ready to eat it.  If you do have access to fresh never frozen fish and can afford it, buy away, but frozen is a great option for convenient weekday meals.

Directions:

Here's how to make my Baked Salmon with Rosemary.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray.  For easy clean up you can also line your baking dish with foil and then spray it with cooking spray.
3. Spray a small amount of olive oil on the fish.
4. Salt and pepper both sides of your fish.  Fresh cracked black pepper is a lovely choice.
5. Lightly sprinkle garlic salt on the fish.
6. Add a generous amount of rosemary to the top of the fish.  See the photo below.
7. Bake in the oven for 8-12 minutes or until the fish begins to flake.

Tips for Perfectly Cooked Salmon

1. Salmon takes about 10 minutes to cook per inch of thickness.  Your piece of salmon could take a slightly different time to cook so watch it carefully.
2. Salmon is done when it turns red to pink.  It should be more opaque and less translucent.  It will gently flake with a fork.
3. I like to leave my salmon slightly undercooked, but do that at your own risk.

Variations

I love this Easy Salmon Recipe as written, but here are some fun ways to mix it up.

• Use Different Herbs: Salmon with Rosemary is just one way to make this recipe!  You can use so many different types of fresh herbs or dried herbs including my Homemade Blackening Seasoning, Italian Spice Mix, or Homemade Herbs de Provence.  You could even bring a more Mexican flavor to the fish my Mexican Spice Mix.  Individual herbs like basil, oregano or dill are also great. This Everglades Seasoning is one of my favorite store-bought fish seasonings.
• Use Butter: I use this as a go-to weekday meal, so I like to keep it light and healthy BUT adding a few small pads of butter or brushing the fish with melted butter on top is delicious. You could also make a homemade garlic butter to put on top.
• Lemon: Add fresh lemon juice to the fish before cooking and leave a slice of lemon on top of the fish while baking.

FAQ:

How long does salmon need to cook in the oven?

Salmon needs to cook for about 10 minutes for each inch of thickness.  A thinner piece of fish should take between 8-10 minutes.  An average piece will take around 10-12.  A thicker piece could take 12 plus minutes.

What temperature should salmon be cooked at?

The USDA recommends cooking fish to an internal temperature of 145 degrees, but that can taste overdone to me.  At your own risk, I like to use 125-130 degrees.

Can you make this ahead of time?

Yes! I will often prepare the fish and leave the baking dish in the refrigerator until time for dinner.  Just make sure to pull it out of the fridge in enough time for the glass to warm up so it doesn't break when putting it in the oven.

How do you store leftovers?

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.  The fish tastes best fresh, but you can reheat it in the microwave or oven.

What to Serve with Salmon:

This easy Salmon with Rosemary is such a versatile and weekday dinner idea.  I like to pair it with roasted vegetables so it all can cook in the oven at the same time for a fuss free dinner.  A microwave baked potato, rice and/or bagged salad also works.

There are so many side dishes to serve with it, the possibilities are endless.  Here are a few ideas!

• Roasted Baby Red Potatoes
• Lemon Parmesan Asparagus
• Roasted Broccoli
• Simple Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Easy Roasted Green Beans with Garlic
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash
• Lemon Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

More Easy Baked Salmon Recipes to Love:

• Easy Lemon Pesto Salmon
• Everything But the Bagel Salmon
• Teriyaki Salmon Bowl
• Baked Salmon with Kale Salad
• Baked Lemon Salmon with Greek Yogurt Dill Sauce
• Salmon Foil Packets with Rainbow Veggies
• Balsamic-Glazed Salmon
• Salmon, Asparagus, and Tomato in Foil
• Pistachio Crusted Salmon

If you make this Easy Salmon with Rosemary recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and a star rating ★ below. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!

Easy Baked Salmon with Rosemary

Julie Wunder

This Oven Baked Salmon with Rosemary is absolutely the best Easy Salmon Recipe for weekday dinners.  It's super healthy, tender, flaky, and rich in flavor but comes together with just a handful of simple ingredients including olive oil, rosemary, and lemon.  This fail-proof recipe is a family favorite that I've made for years and years.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 242 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 4 salmon fillets, 4-6 ounces each
• olive oil spray
• ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• salt and pepper
• Extra: Lemon

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Spray a baking pan with cooking spray.  For easy clean up you can also line your baking dish with foil and then spray it with cooking spray.
• Spray a small amount of olive oil on the fish.
• Salt and pepper both sides of your fish. Lightly sprinkle garlic salt on the fish. Add a generous amount of rosemary to the top of the fish. 
• Bake in the oven for 8-12 minutes or until the salmon begins to flake.

Notes

Salmon is done when it turns opaque and flakes with a fork.

Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to three days.

Nutrition

Calories: 242kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 34gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 220mgPotassium: 834mgFiber: 1gVitamin A: 70IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Baked Salmon Recipe, Easy Salmon Recipe, Salmon with Rosemary

Tried this recipe?Mention @Julie_Wunder or tag #RunninginaSkirt!

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