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    Home » Real Food » Seafood

    Easy Baked Salmon

    January 4, 2023 | By Kristen Chidsey | 37 Comments | *This post may include amazon links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Our Favorite Baked Salmon Recipe - juicy, flaky and super delicious. This salmon recipe is made with a simple sweet and savory spice rub and is baked to perfection! No marinating, no special ingredients, just a healthy, easy salmon recipe ready in less than 30 minutes.

    Made with a sweet and savory spice rub and baked to perfection, this recipe for Baked Salmon turns out juicy, flaky, and full of flavor!

    This recipe for Baked Salmon Recipe is one of the easiest seafood recipes to make! Ready in less than 30 minutes, this salmon recipe is the perfect healthy 30-minute meal suitable to enjoy any night of the week.

    Oven Baked Salmon on green plate topped with lime slices.

    Baked Salmon is an easy and healthy option for dinner any night of the week.

    There is no marinating, no special ingredients, just a simple recipe for salmon that is that produces outrageous results.

    The key to success in this recipe is the spice rub. It is a simple combination of savory spices, like paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne, mixed with brown sugar and lime zest that works together to create a sweet and savory glaze that flavors the salmon perfectly.

    Baked to the perfect temperature, the brown sugar caramelizes slightly on the outside of the fish and also melts into the salmon, giving the flesh a hint of sweetness to balance out the spice from the cayenne. It is absolutely delicious!

    The next time you need dinner in under 30 minutes rely on this Baked Salmon for a healthy meal that everyone will love! The flavors are impressive, the salmon bakes up to be juicy and flaky, and the lack of prep work is even better!

    Notes on Ingredients

    • Salmon: The recipe is for individual 6-ounce fillets but if you purchase a whole fillet, simply cut it into 5-6 ounce portions. You can use skin-on or skinless Salmon fillets. Skin-on fillets help to seal the moisture in the salmon. While edible to eat, I prefer slicing off the skin before serving or eating around the skin once served. If you do not want skin on your salmon, simply ask your fishmonger to remove the skin when you purchase the salmon and prepare the recipe as directed.
    • Spice Rub: The spice rub is made with salt, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, brown sugar, and lime zest.
    • Fresh Limes: I use the lime zest in the spice rub and the juice of the limes to squeeze over the salmon once baked. The lime adds a burst of freshness and acidity that really wakes up your taste buds.

    How to Bake Salmon

    The process for making this baked salmon is only 4 simple steps.

    • Prepare the salmon spice rub by mixing the spices and brown sugar together in a small bowl.
    Ingredients for Salmon Spice Rub in mixing bowl.
    • Pat the salmon fillets down with a paper towel before rubbing them with the spice rub. This will help the rub adhere to the salmon.
    • Sprinkle the rub evenly over the flesh side of the salmon fillet, using your hands to pat the rub into the fillet to adhere the rub to the fish. Be sure to coat both sides of the salmon if you are using skinless fillets.
    Salmon fillets being coated in spice rub.
    • Place the rubbed fillets onto a rimmed baking dish that has been lined with foil or parchment paper. This will help to keep the salmon from sticking to the pan, not to mention help keep clean-up to a minimum.
    Salmon on sheet pan with spice rub.
    • Bake the salmon until it reaches 140 degrees F.
    Baked spice rubbed salmon on baking sheet.
    • Remove the salmon from the oven, tent it with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. This will give the salmon time to reach 145 degrees F, which is the perfect final temperature for salmon.
    • Squeeze each salmon fillet with lime juice (use the limes you zested for the rub.) This will really help the flavors to pop and finishes the salmon with a nice citrus flavor.
    • Serve immediately for best results.
    Baked salmon fillet on blue plate topped with lime.

    Baked Salmon Video

    Learn better through video? Check out this quick video and watch exactly how this salmon is made.

    How to Tell When Salmon is Cooked

    Salmon is best served at 145 degrees Fahrenheit. It is flaky, moist, and tender at this temperature.

    Because ovens vary and the thickness of salmon fillets can vary, the BEST way to tell that Salmon is done is to use a digital thermometer. When the salmon reaches 140 degrees, remove it from the oven and then tent it with foil. The carryover heat will raise the temperature to 145 degrees in about 5 minutes.

    145 reading on digital thermometer for salmon.

    Side Dishes for Salmon

    You can pair this baked salmon with a variety of side dishes, but below are a few of my favorites.

    • Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice
    • Instant Pot Baked Sweet Potatoes
    • Roasted Asparagus
    • Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

    Need more inspiration for planning meals that your family will love? Sign up for my FREE Meal Plans and each week you will get a meal plan with a shopping list.

    If you enjoyed this recipe for Sweet and Spicy Baked Baked Salmon, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

    3 Salmon Fillets on green plate topped with limes.

    Sweet and Savory Baked Salmon

    This salmon recipe is made with a simple sweet and savory spice rub and is baked to perfection! No marinating, no special ingredients, just a healthy, easy salmon recipe ready in less than 30 minutes.
    5 from 27 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Tex Mex
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    25 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 273kcal
    Author: Kristen Chidsey

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
    • 1 lime zested & juiced
    • 4 salmon fillets skin-on (about 6 ounces each)
    • Olive oil
    Prevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil, and lightly brush the foil with oil.
    • In a shallow bowl, mix together brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, salt, garlic, cayenne pepper, and lime zest together.
    • Pat dry the salmon fillets and then pat the seasoning mixture onto the flesh side of each piece of salmon. Place the salmon, skin side down, on the prepared baking sheet.
    • Insert an oven-safe digital thermometer into the end of the thickest part of one of the salmon fillets, ensuring that the probe is not angled downward nor touching the pan. Place the pan in the oven and cook until the salmon reaches 140°F, about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon.
    • Once the salmon reaches 140 degrees, remove the pan from the oven, loosely cover with foil, and allow to rest until the temperature increases to 145°F.
    • Drizzle with fresh lime juice and then serve immediately.

    Notes

    Salmon: The recipe is for individual 6-ounce fillets but if you purchase a whole fillet, simply cut it into 5-6 ounce portions. You can use skin-on or skinless Salmon fillets. Skin-on fillets help to seal the moisture in the salmon. While edible to eat, I prefer slicing off the skin before serving or eating around the skin once served. If you do not want skin on your salmon, simply ask your fishmonger to remove the skin when you purchase the salmon and prepare the recipe as directed.
    Rub: The brown sugar helps to balance out the spice in the rub, making it pleasing to even sensitive palates. However, you can omit the cayenne pepper if desired. 
    Smoked Paprika: The smoked paprika gives the salmon a nice smokey finish. If you don't have it on hand, use regular paprika. 
    Leftovers: It is best to serve salmon immediately for the best flavor. However, you can store leftover salmon in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, safely. Reheat over low heat in a nonstick skillet until just warmed through. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 273kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 667mg | Potassium: 871mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 489IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg
    Liked this Recipe? Tag me Today!Snap a picture and tag #amindfullmom on Instagram - I would love to see!

    This recipe was originally shared in 2020 but updated in 2023.

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    Categorized Under: 30-Minute Meals, Allergy Friendly Recipes, Dairy-Free Recipes, Gluten Free, Main Courses, Popular Posts, Real Food, Seafood

    About Kristen Chidsey

    Hi, I am Kristen, creator of A Mind "Full" Mom. I believe that making a wholesome family meal does not need to be hard or expensive! I love nothing more than to share with you delicious solutions for your hungry family.

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    1. Laurie

      January 21, 2023 at 8:01 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely, positively out of this world. Tender, flavorful and delicious. Your best recipe yet. The rub is amazing. Using an oven safe thermometer is clearly the key. Carryover cooking happens quickly in salmon. I learned to loosely wrap it in foil, as your recipe instructs, and the moment it hits 145, take it off that hot pan, out of the foil and plate it. I cook it in my counter top toaster-convection oven, making it a super easy, fast meal that’s restaurant quality. Enjoyed it with your IP sweet potatoes and green beans.

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        January 22, 2023 at 7:53 am

        I am so happy to hear you enjoyed this salmon so much Laurie!! Thank you for sharing your review and I hope you this meal again and again.

        Reply
    2. Linda Mayhew

      January 21, 2023 at 6:06 pm

      5 stars
      OMG ( I have renamed this - Lick Your Plate Clean! )
      The Best Salmon I have Every Tasted! The Lime Makes the Rub. However the Biggest Tip I Learned was to Remove the Salmon at 140 degrees. So Tender and Moist. Love this Secret.

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        January 22, 2023 at 7:54 am

        LOL! Love it! So happy you enjoyed this recipe Linda! Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
        • Beth

          February 01, 2023 at 8:05 pm

          5 stars
          This is delicious!
          Watching the temperature kept it from drying out. Thank you for the recipe, and it's going on repeat here!

          Reply
          • Kristen Chidsey

            February 02, 2023 at 6:33 am

            I love when a recipe is a repeat! Thanks for sharing!

            Reply
    3. Dianna

      January 05, 2023 at 10:54 am

      5 stars
      I made this last night and it was delicious! I love your recipes ~ thank you.

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        January 05, 2023 at 3:30 pm

        Thank you for sharing, Dianna! So happy to hear you are enjoying my recipes

        Reply
    4. Bruce W. Wells

      January 04, 2023 at 11:59 am

      5 stars
      Kristen,
      I use Schwan's salmon frozen filets. The package says cook from frozen state. How would this work with your recipe? Can I safely thaw the salmon before cooking?

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        January 04, 2023 at 2:14 pm

        Hi Bruce! This recipe will work great with the frozen filets, but I would recommend thawing first. Per Schwan's site, TO THAW SLOWLY: Remove fish from vacuum wrap and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. TO THAW QUICKLY: Keep fish in vacuum wrap and thaw in cold running water for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

        Reply
    5. Paddy

      October 09, 2022 at 4:16 pm

      5 stars
      So delicious and flavourful.The ingredients compliment the salmon.

      Reply
    6. Susan

      April 04, 2022 at 10:55 pm

      Hey Kristen!
      I loved this salmon when I made it before. Do you think it would be Good on Tuna?

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        April 05, 2022 at 7:07 am

        Hi Susan! I think it would be delicious!

        Reply
    7. drollgirl

      January 30, 2022 at 10:02 pm

      Deeeeeeelicious! Second time making it! Big fan!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        January 31, 2022 at 6:45 am

        Wonderful! I absolutely love hearing you enjoy this Salmon recipe 🙂

        Reply
    8. susan

      November 09, 2021 at 6:54 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious!!! Everybody loved it....even the one who doesn't really like too sweet on his salmon. This was not--it was just right. ( And I didn't even see the call for lime zest & juice until after we ate but it was a hit like it was!) My husband tasted it and said "you should stop RIGHT now and write down exactly how you made this." (I'm not known for replication.) No need--I'm just printing it out now, and putting it at my fingertips. (old school gal). Thanks, Kristen!!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        November 10, 2021 at 6:07 am

        YAY! I love hearing you enjoyed Susan! I hope you all enjoy time and time again!

        Reply
    9. Justine

      October 06, 2021 at 2:06 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious! Hands down one of the best salmon recipes I've tried.

      Reply
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