Baked Wild Salmon
Updated June 26, 2024
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 55 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- ¼ cup kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) or 2 tablespoons fine sea salt, plus more if needed
- 1½ pounds wild salmon, such as coho, king or sockeye, cut in fillets or kept whole
- Extra-virgin olive oil or unsalted butter, for greasing and cooking
- Black pepper
- Lemon wedges, plain Greek yogurt, flaky sea salt or a combination (optional), for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
278 calories; 13 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 37 grams protein; 437 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a sheet pan or baking dish that fits your salmon, use a fork to stir together the salt and 4 cups water until the salt has dissolved. Add the salmon skin side up. If the flesh isn’t submerged, add another cup of water and tablespoon salt; it’s OK if the skin isn’t submerged. Let sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of your meal.
- Step 2
Heat the oven to 275 degrees.
- Step 3
Drain and pat dry the salmon and pan. Line or grease the pan, then add the salmon skin side down. Drizzle with olive oil or dot with a few thin slices of butter. Season with black pepper.
- Step 4
Bake for 10 to 35 minutes depending on the size and type of your fish; the fish should be opaque at the edges but still slightly wet and translucent in the center (the salmon will continue to cook out of the oven). The thickest part should register between 115 and 120 degrees. Serve with a squeeze of lemon, dollop of Greek yogurt or sprinkle of flaky salt, or a combination, as you like.
Private Notes
Comments
Dear Ali Slagle, There is nothing we in the Northwest enjoy more than knowingly cooked wild salmon. As more people join us in eating this delicious fish, I hope everyone will learn that king and Chinook salmon are one and the same and the only food of our beloved native Puget Sound Orcas. Unlike people they don't substitute Coho or Sockeye. If this endangered species is to survive we need to leave the King and Chinook salmon for them. Thank you Jean
I baked a 560g fillet of fresh Sockeye following this recipe to the letter and the result was some of the best salmon I’ve had in a while. I left it in the brine for 20 min and after 20 minutes baking, the internal temperature was 120F. The flesh was very moist and it did not have an overly salty taste (I use salt sparingly). I will definitely use this method again along with a recipe for BBQ salmon based on a West Coast First Nations recipe that I have been using for nearly 50 years.
Agreed. Fresh salmon from the Northwest has lots of natural oil, so brining is not necessary or advisable. Just sprinkle the flesh side with a tsp of salt and small dose of pepper, or a rub, then rub with a thin coat of olive oil and it's ready. Never overcook. If concerned, when it seems nearly done, make a small insert with a fork and check. The indentation will quickly cover itself up. Remember, it will cook some more when taken out. So, be brave. Err on the side of slightly undercooking.
Delicious, succulent salmon.
I followed this exactly and used slivers of truffle butter in baking. Arguably the best salmon I've ever had. (Served with mustard vinaigrette --dijon mustard with chardonnay and black truffles--, and sprinklings of capers and snipped parsley.)
I find that even after 30 minutes in the brine soak at essentially room temp, the salmon takes a lot longer to cook at such a low oven temp.
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