Lemon Garlic Salmon baked to flaky and tender perfection is an easy way to get dinner on the table quickly with little fuss. Olive oil infused with fragrant garlic, fresh parsley, and paprika brushed over salmon makes this a sheet pan dinner everyone is sure to love.
Seasoned with garlic, paprika and parsley, then drizzled with fresh lemon juice this dish is flavorful and every bit delicious. Either baked in the oven or smoked on the grill, your salmon is sure to be juicy and tender.
Lemon Garlic Salmon pairs well with any of these favorite side dishes. Fresh green Mango Berry Salad, foolproof Mashed Potatoes, soft Dinner Rolls or perfectly sweet Corn on the Cob are a few favorites.
🥫 Ingredients
With a handful of simple ingredients, this Lemon Garlic Salmon comes together quickly and easily. Which makes this recipe perfect for a busy weeknight dinner or romantic night in.
- Salmon Filets
- Olive Oil
- Traeger Fin and Feather Rub or other favorite fish seasoning rub
- Minced Garlic
- Parsley
- Lemons
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare Salmon
Firstly, pre-heat the oven or grill you are using to cook your lemon garlic salmon to 500° F. Then line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easier cleanup.
Place your salmon, skin side down on your covered baking sheet. Afterwards, in a small bowl combine your olive oil, parsley and garlic.
When done use a basting brush to spread the mixture all over the salmon filets. Making sure to fully cover the sides and top so there are no dry spots. Then sprinkle Traeger Fin and Feather Rub, or any other favorite seasoning over the salmon
Once the salmon has been coated, squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the filet. Then with the rest of the lemon, slice it into rings. Place the lemon slices on top of or underneath the edges of the salmon for extra acidity and brightness.
We always suggest using freshly squeezed lemons. Fresh lemon juice has way more flavor than any of the pre-packaged bottles of juice. Plus it's nice to have extra wedges of lemon to serve with the lemon garlic salmon when ready to enjoy!
Bake
Place the baking sheet with salmon in the oven or on the grill to cook. If cooking the lemon garlic salmon on a Traeger grill consider using alder, apple, or cherry wood pellets. As well as being sure to close the lid to cover while cooking.
Then allow the salmon to cook for roughly 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the filets reaches 145° F. You will know the salmon is done when the fish filet appears opaque. The meat will also flake away easily when pulled apart with a fork.
Broil
Uncover the lemon garlic salmon and place pan on the second oven rack. Turn oven to broiler setting and allow it to broil for roughly 3 minutes. Or until the top and edges of your salmon are a beautiful golden brown. Enjoy and serve.
👩🏻🍳 Make it Your Own
Because salmon is a robust fish it can definitely handle taking on strong and delicious flavors like garlic and paprika. If however, you want to change things there are many flavor variations that go well with a salmon's mild flavor.
One easy switch you can make with this Lemon Garlic Salmon is simply switching the olive oil for butter instead. Another fun variation to try is to swap out the acidity of the lemons for limes and parsley for cilantro.
Swapping out your herbs and seasonings is another quick way to make this recipe uniquely yours. Parsley, chives, dill, rosemary, or bay leaves all go together nicely with salmon.
💭 Top Tips
Skin On or Off
If your filet still has its skin, leave it on while cooking. Be sure to place the skin so its skin side down on the pan. The skin will help protect the salmon from the heat. It will also help the salmon to hold on to its juices and cook more evenly.
Cover with Foil
If worried about loosing moisture while baking you can cover your the salmon with foil before placing in the oven. This will help trap in any excess moisture that evaporates while cooking.
Not only does this ensure a nice, juicy and tender bite, but it also helps with oil splatter while baking too. Lining the baking sheet with aluminum foil and then covering the salmon with more foil makes for quick and easy cleanup!
Broil for Crispness
If covering though, I would suggest after the salmon is cooked, removing the top foil. Then place the fish back into the oven and let broil for 3 minutes. This will give the lemon garlic salmon a nice golden brown crispiness at the end!
After removing foil go ahead and move the baking sheet to the second rack. Then change your oven setting to a broiler mode and allow to broil for roughly 3 minutes.
While not necessary, this extra step does give a nice golden brown finish to the top and edges. Giving each bite the perfect amount of crispness to offset the tender juicy flakiness of the fish itself.
📋 FAQ's
What is the best way to cook salmon?
Seasoned with garlic, paprika and parsley, then drizzled with fresh lemon juice this dish is flavorful and every bit delicious. Baked in the oven or smoked on the grill, your salmon is sure to be juicy and tender.
Should you cook salmon with the skin on or off?
If your filet still has its skin, leave it on while cooking. Be sure to place the skin so its skin side down on the pan. The skin will help protect the lemon garlic salmon from the heat, hold on to its juices and that it cooks evenly.
Should I cover salmon with foil when baking?
If worried about loosing moisture while baking you can cover your salmon with foil before placing it in the oven. This will help trap in any excess moisture that evaporates while cooking.
Not only does this ensure a nice, juicy tender fish but it may also help with oil splatter while baking as well. Lining the baking sheet with aluminum foil and then covering the salmon with more foil makes for quick and easy cleanup!
What is better fillet or the whole side of salmon?
You can definitely use pre-cut fillets or a whole side of salmon when it comes to making this Lemon Garlic Salmon. Either will do, it really just comes down to what you prefer. Just keep in mind the thicker the cut of meat the longer you will need to allow it to bake.
Lemon Garlic Salmon
Flaky and tender, oven baked salmon fillets brushed with garlic and herb infused olive oil is a sheet pan dinner everyone is sure to love.
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds of salmon
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Traeger fin and feather rub
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- ½ tablespoon parsley
- 1-2 lemons
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven or grill to 500° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Place the salmon on the baking sheet.
- In a bowl combine the olive oil, parsley and garlic. Brush the mixture over the salmon filets so there are no dry spots. Sprinkle the Traeger rub seasoning over the salmon.
- Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the filet. Top the filet with remaining lemon sliced in rings.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven or on the grill. Allow the salmon to cook in the oven roughly 15-20 minutes, until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the filet reaches 145° F.
- Uncover the salmon and back in the oven on the second rack. Turn oven to broiler setting and allow salmon to broil for about 3 minutes, or until the top and edges are a beautiful golden brown. Enjoy and serve.
Notes
- If your filet still has its skin, leave it on while cooking. Be sure to place the skin so its skin side down on the pan. The skin will help to protect the salmon from the heat and help it hold on to its juices and that it cooks evenly.
- Swap out the lemon for lime and add cilantro for another delicious variation.
- When done the fish filet should appear opaque and flake away easily when pulled apart with a fork.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 839Total Fat: 56gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 41gCholesterol: 214mgSodium: 210mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 76g