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This citrus roasted salmon is the perfect way to take advantage of an abundance of citrus! It comes together in under 20 minutes and is perfect for a weeknight dinner but impressive enough for company.
To me, this salmon is the PERFECT solution for getting a quick, nutritious (hello, omega-3s!) meal on the dinner table. Salmon itself is incredibly nutrient-dense, but it can feel intimidating to cook. The best part of this meal, though, is that you can have this salmon on the table in just 20 minutes, with very little hands-on cooking necessary!
Ingredients for Easy Roasted Salmon
The ingredients list is fairly simple – you’ll need salmon (of course!), and some fresh flavor boosters. Here’s what you’ll need to grab for this easy, delicious roasted salmon:
- Salmon Filet – to start, you’ll need 1 (1-1.5 pound) whole salmon filet.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – in addition to the salmon, you’ll also need 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil – this really helps the salmon to crisp just a tad on the outside!
- Lemon Juice – 1 tablespoon of lemon juice will help to brighten up the salmon. When it comes to citrus juice, we think that fresh is best, so 1 tablespoon will equate to about a ½ of a lemon’s-worth of juice.
- Garlic – to add a hint of garlic, you’ll also need about 2 cloves of crushed garlic.
- Sea Salt + Black Pepper – a ½ teaspoon of coarse sea salt and a ¼ teaspoon of cracked black pepper are the only seasonings we need here!
- Lemon – in addition to the lemon used for juicing (above), you’ll also need to grab 1 lemon to thinly slice and lay overtop the salmon filet.
- Orange – 1 orange (or blood orange…that’s what we used!) will also be thinly sliced and lay overtop the filet.
- Fresh Parsley – you’ll finish off the salmon filet with a garnish of fresh parsley!
How to Bake Salmon
This recipe is really easy, y’all. It requires very little prep time and is done in just 20 minutes! Here’s how you’ll bring it together:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Prepare the salmon – place the salmon (skin side down) on a rimmed baking sheet (lined with parchment paper for easier cleanup!), then whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. Brush the salmon with the olive oil mixture and season with the salt and pepper, then lay the orange and lemon slices on top of the salmon.
- Bake – bake the salmon for 13-15 minutes, until it the thickest part flakes easily with a fork.
- Garnish +serve – garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve!
Tips for Perfectly Baked Salmon
Salmon is really easy to cook, but keeping these tips in mind will help you to end up with a really well-cooked, delicious filet every single time:
- Don’t overcook it – salmon is one of those proteins that goes from well-cooked to overcooked in no time, and overcooked salmon is not the most delicious thing in the world. Don’t let that scare you, though! We recommend pulling your salmon out at 13 minutes (instead of going for the full 15 minutes) to check for doneness – remember, you can always stick the salmon back in the oven for a few extra minutes, but you can’t do anything about overcooked salmon!
- Add simple, fresh flavor – part of what makes this recipe so special is the really simple flavor that we’ve added by way of real, fresh ingredients (think: citrus and fresh herbs.) If you’re looking to change this recipe up a little bit, we recommend that you still use fresh ingredients for your flavor!
What to Serve with Baked Salmon
When it comes to serving, we recommend letting this citrus roasted salmon be the star of the show. It would pair perfectly with a simple veggie-side, like this lemon sea salt arugula salad, our favorite winter veggie coleslaw, or simple roasted asparagus, and some roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, or rice.
FAQs
We bake salmon at 375°F. We’ve found that this temperature allows the salmon to fully cook through, maintain its flaky, tender texture, and even get a little bit of crisp on the outside…YUM!
13-15 minutes should do the trick. Since it’s pretty easy to overcook salmon (and fish in general), we do recommend checking your salmon at 13 minutes, though. You can always pop the sheet pan back into the oven for an extra couple of minutes, but you can’t undo an overcooked filet!
You can tell that salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork at the thickest part of the fish. If you put a fork in it and find that it is tough or difficult to pull apart, bake it for a few additional minutes.
Sure! If you’d prefer to use smaller (individually-portioned) salmon filets, that’s totally fine! The recipe instructions will stay the same.
How to Reheat Leftover Salmon
If you find yourself with leftovers of this citrus roasted salmon, you have two options: eat it cold or eat it hot. Leftover salmon can be enjoyed on a salad (chop up the salmon, add it over top greens with a drizzle of your favorite dressing), or reheated and enjoyed with leftover sides. The danger with reheating salmon is that it overcooks quickly and can become rubbery, so we recommend putting it in an oven-safe glass container, covering the container with foil, and reheating it at 275°F for 5-10 minutes, until just warm.
More Tasty Salmon Recipes
- Caribbean Blackened Salmon Bowls
- Herb Crusted Salmon and Potato Bake
- Cilantro Lime Salmon Bake with Tomato Avocado Salsa
- Dill and Garlic Baked Salmon
- Pan-Seared Peppered Salmon
- Yellow Curry Salmon Bowls
- BBQ Salmon Mango Kabobs
- Salmon with Sweet Cherry BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1, 1-1.5 pound whole salmon filet
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice about 1/2 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 lemon thinly sliced
- 1 orange or blood orange thinly sliced
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Place the salmon on a rimmed baking sheet, then whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. Brush the salmon with the olive oil mixture and season with salt and pepper. Lay the orange and lemon slices on top of the salmon.
- Bake the salmon for 13-15 minutes, until it flakes easily with a fork, then garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve!
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