Easy Lemon Herb Oven Baked Salmon Recipe

About this recipe

Flaky, flavorful, and on the table fast. This easy lemon herb baked salmon is fresh, healthy, and perfect served over rice. A simple weeknight dinner the whole family will love.

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Not only is salmon good for you, it is also a major component of the Mediterranean diet, often cited to be the best diet in the world. Read ahead to learn how to make the best oven baked salmon so that it is flaky and flavorful.

The best part about this baked salmon recipe is the lemon-garlic sauce which goes great with the rice and green beans. All of you that are looking to hit the gym, get a taste of this!

I know for some folks fish can be a pesky protein! It’s easy to over-cook or to get a great flavor. This oven baked salmon recipe is excellent for beginners, so this simple baked salmon recipe is a wonderful SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) goal toward mastering fish - we all start somewhere! Actually, this was making oven baked salmon was the first way I ever learned to cook fish, and it was my sister’s first time cooking fish too! Sadly, she forgot about it in the oven and over-cooked it, but now she’s a pro at cooking salmon! If you want to learn more about setting SMART goals and how they can motivate you to cook up new creations in the kitchen, then check out my free guide Make Cooking Fun!!

That being said, this Lemon-Herb Baked Salmon Recipe is an excellent way for you to break out of your comfort zone and have fish no longer be a pesky protein! Be sure to try out this recipe as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge, which you can get started for free by signing up to my email newsletter!

For a complete easy-to-follow demonstration to digest the concepts presented in this post, then don’t forget to watch the video at the bottom! It would mean a lot to me if you would please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already and be sure to press the bell button to be notified when all of my video recipes go live! Let’s get cooking!

Why You’ll Love This Oven Baked Salmon Recipe with Lemon and Herbs!

Simple and clean flavors: This salmon recipe is just so delicious in many ways! We’ve got a combination of fresh and dry herbs in addition to tangy lemon juice, rich olive oil, and aromatic garlic. Plus, salmon itself gives a great flavor!
Super easy to prep: This is a quick marinade, plus preparing the marinade should only take a couple of minutes.
Hands-off recipe: After the marinade is ready, you basically just toss the salmon in the oven and let the oven work its magic! Even the rice doesn’t require much babying. The green beans will be ready right before your eyes!
Nutritious: Everything about this salmon is so healthy! Salmon itself is full of incredible healthy fats to promote heart health and brain health, in addition to protein to keep you full and satisfied. The side dishes I present here also provide you with an overall balanced meal that’s excellent for the family.
Customizable: Check out different serving suggestions later on in the bottom of this post to craft your perfect meal and to keep things interesting!

Herb-crusted baked salmon fillet with green beans and mashed potatoes on a white plate

Pointers to Make Lemon and Herb Salmon Work for You!

Tender and Juicy

The technique used in this baked salmon recipe is so simple, it is perfect for beginner cooks. Simply add the marinated salmon with the marinade to the centre of a large foil. Then, fold each corner and tighten until you make a foil “boat”. This helps trap the steam and keep the salmon moist.

How Long Should I Bake The Salmon For?▼

Usually it depends on the thickness of the fillet and your doneness preference. We usually enjoy our salmon medium rare, but since this recipe is directed towards beginners, the numbers are for a well-done salmon.

For a 4-ounce salmon, the salmon should cook well in about 20-30 minutes in a 375 F oven. If you are still uncertain, you can check the salmon internal temperature at the centre of the fillet with an instant read thermometer. Canada Health recommends a minimum internal temperature for salmon of 70°C (158°F). Click here for more information.

What Should I Look For in a Salmon Fillet?▼

I prefer buying personal sized fillets to ensure each piece, when served looks just perfect, it makes serving so much easier. However, in case you are baking salmon for a big crowd, buying a large fillet (1-2 pounds) may be both cheaper and easier to prepare.

At the grocery store/fish market, ensure the colour of the salmon is vibrant and it does not smell excessively fishy. Also, depending on where you buy the fillet, you may need to de-bone the flesh.

In terms of variety, I almost exclusively go for wild-caught Pacific (also known as Coho) salmon. Avoid farmed salmon (Atlantic) as much as you can when baking salmon! Even though it is cheaper, it cannot match the latter in terms of flavour.

Herb-crusted baked salmon fillet with green beans and rice noodles on a white plate

Do I purchase salmon with the skin?▼

Yes, it is ideal to purchase skin-on salmon. This is because you’ll be cooking the fish on the pan skin-side down. The salmon skin is a crucial part because it creates a wall between the delicate salmon flesh and the pan, which will reduce the risk of the fish over cooking and drying out. Technically you could use a fillet without skin, but I think it’s better to cook the fish with the skin on!

That being said, you can remove the skin before or after cooking the fish. However, it’s best to remove the skin afterward because if you try to remove the skin on raw salmon, it can be quite messy! Additionally, as previously mentioned, you won’t have that barrier that can prevent over-cooking.

What About Eating the Skin For Lemon Herb Salmon?▼

Salmon skin is a touchy subject. You can for sure eat salmon skin as it is actually quite tasty and nutritious for you. However, the salmon skin being edible depends on how you cook the salmon. If you’re going to grill or pan-sear the salmon to get a crispy skin, then I recommend it. On the other hand, when you bake salmon (such as in this recipe), the skin is soft and rubbery, which is not good at all! For this case, you’ll want to separate the actual fillet from the skin once it’s finished baking, and then toss out the skin. You really won’t be missing anything!

What to Serve with Oven Baked Salmon with Lemon and Herbs?

You will see how to make simple steamed rice here in addition to some sautéed green beans. However, if you want to mix and match this meal to have your own healthy creation for dinner, then here are some other ideas!

Tools Needed to Make Salmon Bake in Foil

INGREDIENTS for Lemon and Herb Baked Salmon

Check out the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card by pressing the “Jump to Recipe” button or scrolling to the bottom of this post for full ingredient quantities and to save the recipe for later. You can also scale the recipe based on how many portions of fish you want to make - all ingredient quantities are automatically adjusted for you!

Ingredients for lemon herb baked salmon including fresh salmon fillet, green beans, parsley, rice, lemon, and seasonings arranged on countertop.

For the Salmon

Salmon: The best choice is a wild-caught salmon with the skin on. You’ll see how it’s got a vibrant color and trust me - it tastes so much better!
Garlic cloves: The minced garlic just melts into the sauce!
Olive oil: Healthy for you and key to bring out the Mediterranean flavors. Make sure to pick out a good quality olive oil and be wary of fake olive oil.
Spices: Dried oregano, dill and parsley make up a simple combination with bold flavours.
Whole lemon: The base of the marinade and provides tons of tanginess.
Salt and pepper: To taste.

For the Rice

Basmati rice
Water

For the Green Beans

Green beans
Garlic cloves
Salt and pepper

How to Make Lemon and Herb Baked Salmon

To Make the Salmon

Prepare the marinade by combining olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, lemon zest, parsley, dill, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Olive oil being poured into a glass bowl for lemon herb salmon marinade

Whisking olive oil and lemon juice marinade in a glass bowl with fresh herbs and seasonings visible.

Lemon herb marinade with olive oil and lemon juice in a glass bowl, ready for salmon.

Lemon herb marinade with olive oil, lemon juice, and herbs mixed in a glass bowl.

Chef chopping fresh herbs including parsley and dill on a wooden cutting board for salmon marinade.

Salmon fillet coated with herb marinade in a glass bowl, topped with fresh parsley and dill.

Herb marinade with chopped fresh dill and parsley mixed with olive oil and lemon in a glass bowl.

Whisking together herb marinade with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, parsley, and dill in a glass bowl.

Add salmon and coat with marinade.

Raw salmon fillet coated with herb marinade in a glass bowl, surrounded by chopped parsley and dill.

Hands mixing fresh herbs and lemon zest with salmon fillet in a glass bowl of marinade.

Marinate up to 15 minutes.

Salmon fillet coated with green herb marinade in a glass bowl covered with plastic wrap.

Heat oven to 375F.

Take a large aluminum foil and nestle a filet of salmon down the centre. Start from each ends, bring up edges fold and create a seal or a boat.

Hands folding aluminum foil edges around salmon fillet to create a sealed packet for baking.

Hands folding aluminum foil around salmon fillet to create a sealed packet for baking

Salmon fillet wrapped in aluminum foil folded into a boat shape, held in hand over dark surface.

Bake in oven for 8-12 mins or until pink, tender and flaky with a fork.

Salmon fillet wrapped in aluminum foil packet with edges folded to create a seal for baking.

Salmon fillet wrapped in foil packet on oven rack during baking

Baked salmon fillet in foil with herb topping and lemon, cooked until flaky and tender.

Baked salmon fillet in foil packet with herbs and lemon, served with green beans and rice on the side.

To Make the Green Beans

Bring a skillet to medium heat and add some olive oil, add beans, 1 clove garlic, salt and pepper and cook 5-10 mins until tender.

Green beans and minced garlic cooking in olive oil in a dark skillet over medium heat.

Cooked green beans with garlic in a white bowl on a granite countertop.

Green beans cooking in a skillet with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper

To Make the Rice

For more tips and trick on how to prepare the best white rice, check out my full recipe on steamed rice.

Add 2/3 Cup rice with 1 1/3 cups of water to a pot/saucepan and bring to boil.
Once the rice comes to boil, put lid on the pot/saucepan and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender.

Cooked white rice in a pot, fluffy and tender after simmering.

Then, plate everything together.

Plated lemon herb baked salmon with green beans and white rice, served on white dishes.

Serve hot, and enjoy!

Plated lemon herb baked salmon with green beans and rice on a white plate.

Plated lemon herb baked salmon with green beans and orange garnish, fork lifting a piece.

What to Do With Leftover Salmon?▼

This baked salmon recipe can be made in advance! Store the salmon in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I’d recommend that you keep it in the fridge for no longer than two days, however, as the salmon will dry out! I’d also recommend not storing the salmon with the rice, as the rice will absorb all the amazing flavours from the salmon and dry it out quicker.

To reheat your salmon, you can microwave it for about a minute or until warmed through.

What to Do With Extra marinade?▼

I actually had extra marinade when I was recently preparing this oven baked salmon recipe for the video! If you do have any extra, it’s really easy to freeze it! Simply transfer your marinade to an airtight container or ziploc, and freeze it for about 3 to 4 months. I wouldn’t keep your extra marinade in the fridge for longer than a day or two because the garlic in it can spoil.

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

Recipe by Anadi Misra