Easy Citrus Roasted Salmon

Name: Easy Citrus Roasted Salmon
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
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)

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.

Baked salmon filet covered with sliced orange and lemon slices sprinkled with parsley in a white casserole dish and a metal spatula. The casserole dish is on a linen covered surface alongside two translucent, teal plates, a green glass with ice water, and a small glass jar with olive oil.

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:

Citrus salmon ingredients on an epicurean cutting board on a grey and white marble surface.

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:

Hand holding an orange and slicing it with a chef's knife on a wooden cutting board.

Hand grating a clove of garlic on a microplane into a glass bowl with lemon juice and olive oil.

Whisked olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic in a glass bowl on a grey and white marble surface.

Hand brushing olive oil mixture onto a filet of salmon with a pink silicone brush. The salmon filet is sitting on a grey sheet pan.

Hand sprinkling salt and pepper on top of a salmon filet on a grey sheet pan.

Salmon filet covered with citrus slices on a grey sheet pan.

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 and Tricks

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 white rice.

Cooked salmon filet covered with sliced orange and lemon slices sprinkled with parsley on a grey sheet pan.

Frequently Asked Questions

What oven temperature do I use to bake salmon?

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!

How long does it take to bake salmon?

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!

How to tell when salmon is done?

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.

Can I use smaller salmon fillets?

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.

Sliced salmon filet topped with orange and lemon slices and a sprinkle of chopped parsley on translucent teal plates on a linen covered surface. There is a green glass with ice water and a glass bowl with sliced citrus on the table.

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