6-Ingredient Roasted Salmon Fillets

Roasted Salmon Fillets with potatoes

The Spruce  

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 4 servings

This simple 6-ingredient recipe for roasted salmon fillets is a quick and easy way to prepare a nice dinner. Serve this dish with something cooling, like a cucumber salad, and some roasted potatoes or scalloped potatoes. For dessert, a fruit pie would be a wonderful choice. And to drink, white wine or sparkling water would be good.

Before you coat the salmon with the oil and seasonings, make sure you remove the pin bones. Those tiny bones can be felt with your fingers. Pull them out with a clean set of tweezers and discard them.

You can also use salmon steaks in this easy recipe. If you choose to do that, roll the thin "arms" of the steaks into the body of the fish so they don't overcook. To do this, cut the skin off of the outside of one of the thin pieces. Tuck it against the main body of the salmon, then tuck the thin piece that still has the skin attached to the skinned piece. Tie with some kitchen string or hold with a toothpick. When the fish is cooked, you can remove the string or toothpick and the fish will stay in the pretty round shape.

Ingredients

  • 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, 1 inch thick

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon chili powder

  • 1/3 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Roasted Salmon Fillets Recipe ingredients
    The Spruce 
  2. Preheat the oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet or baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

    Foil over pan
    The Spruce
  3. Place the fillets on the prepared pan. Brush the salmon with the olive oil and sprinkle with the seasonings.

    Salmon Fillet on foil-covered baking pan
    The Spruce 
  4. Roast the fish for 8 to 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the fish sit in the closed oven for 3 to 5 minutes longer. Aim for an internal temperature of 125 to 130 F (measured with a meat thermometer) in order to prevent overcooking and drying out the salmon. 

    Roasted Salmon Fillet
     The Spruce
  5. Allow the fillets to rest, covered, for 5 minutes, before serving.

    Roasted Salmon Fillets with potatoes
     The Spruce

Tip

  • While the USDA recommends 145 F, remember that the fish will continue to cook after removing from the oven. You are likely to get overdone fish if it is left in the oven until it reaches 145 F. Salmon can be served medium rare, as long as the exterior is cooked. The center of the fillet can still be a bit translucent, but it should flake along the muscle fibers.

Recipe Variation

  • Instead of brushing the salmon with olive oil, try brushing it with these different combinations before adding your dry seasonings: teriyaki sauce, minced garlic and ginger in lemon juice and olive oil, French dressing, or a mixture of honey mustard and olive oil.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
387 Calories
25g Fat
1g Carbs
38g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 387
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g 32%
Saturated Fat 5g 23%
Cholesterol 107mg 36%
Sodium 426mg 19%
Total Carbohydrate 1g 0%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 38g
Vitamin C 6mg 32%
Calcium 34mg 3%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 695mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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