Easy Baked Salmon with Honey Garlic Butter

Name: Easy Baked Salmon with Honey Garlic Butter:
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1.5 pounds salmon filet; 1 lemon (zested, then sliced); 6 tablespoons butter (softened); 2 tablespoons honey; 3 cloves garlic minced; 2 teaspoons fresh minced parsley; Kosher salt

My Easy Baked Salmon recipe is our family’s go-to recipe! Topped with a simple honey garlic butter and lemon, this easy salmon recipe is sure to become your new go-to as well!

This best Baked Salmon recipe is on our menu almost weekly, and my kids absolutely love it. They love Grilled Salmon Kabobs and Salmon Patties too, but this garlic butter salmon is their favorite preparation. Your family will love it too, because I’m going to show you how to bake salmon perfectly every time!

Table of Contents

Easy Oven Baked Salmon
Ingredients For Baked Salmon
How To Make Easy Baked Salmon
FAQs
How To Choose the Best Kind of Salmon
Serving Suggestions
Variations
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Expert Tips
Easy Baked Salmon with Honey Garlic Butter: Recipe

Easy Oven Baked Salmon

Salmon is an easy fish to cook. It’s delicate, but also holds up well to different cooking methods, from baking, to broiling, to frying to grilling. For this easy salmon recipe we are making baked salmon – it’s the most preferred in our household, and coincidentally, the easiest!

You do have to be careful not to overcook the salmon. Overcooking results in a dry and stringy flesh that’s just not as pleasant to eat. I bake salmon at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. There seem to be varying schools of thought on this, utilizing various cooking temperatures and times, but this method has always yielded a moist and tender salmon for me, that’s light pink in color and never overcooked.

Salmon is healthy and delicious, full of protein and omega-3s. While this flavor combo happens to be one of my favorites, you can use other simple options such as fresh lemon with parsley or dill or just salt and pepper.

Ingredients For Baked Salmon

Salmon Filet – I prefer to get one large filet. It just tends to be easiest to cook and has the best flavor. You could also purchase pre-portioned salmon filets.
Lemon – Zest your lemon first for the butter, then slice it and lay the slices on top of the salmon.
Honey Garlic Butter – You need 6 tablespoons of room temperature butter, which is ¾ of a stick of butter, some honey, 3 garlic cloves, and some minced parsley.
Kosher Salt – for seasoning the salmon (optional and to taste).

How To Make Easy Baked Salmon

Prep the fish. Start by laying out a salmon filet on a foil covered baking sheet. Season with salt if desired – not too much as it can quickly overpower the fish. You can also add more after cooking if needed.
Make the honey garlic butter. Mix up the honey garlic butter by combining softened butter, minced garlic, minced parsley, honey and lemon zest. Slather that all up and down the fish and top with lemon slices.
Make a “boat” with the foil. Bring up the sides of the foil to form a sort of “pan” that will keep the yummy butter and juices right in there with the fish. You can spoon the melted butter over the fish once it’s cooked if you like or serve it on the side for dipping.
Bake salmon at 400℉. It doesn’t take too long to bake salmon – just about 15 minutes at 400 degrees, depending on the size and thickness. If you have a meat thermometer, it will come in handy here. I prefer to take it out of the oven at about 130-135℉. It will continue to rise in temperature during a 5 minute rest.

FAQs

What is the best temperature for baking salmon?

The best temperature for baking salmon is 400℉. The flesh cooks quickly so the higher temperature helps to retain the moisture inside to keep the salmon tender and juicy.

How do you know what salmon is done baking?

The ideal internal temperature for salmon to be about 135-145℉. Some people prefer their fish more medium (130-135℉), and some prefer their salmon to be well done (145-150℉). The USDA recommends to cook salmon and other types of fish to 145℉. It will be light pink in color and fork tender. Use a meat thermometer if you have one, stuck into the thickest part of the salmon.

Should you leave the skin on?

It’s really a matter of personal preference. I don’t like the texture of salmon skin, but my husband loves it. So I usually cook it with the skin on because it’s super easy to remove once baked. Plus the skin has a ton of nutrients, it’s just the texture that can be somewhat off-putting.

How To Choose the Best Kind of Salmon

There are generally two types of salmon available in my grocery store (and likely in yours, too) Wild Caught and Farm Raised. But what’s the difference?

Farm Raised Salmon:

Raised in aquatic farming types of operations, rather than in the wild.
Higher in fat, which gives it a milder flavor and makes it a little more forgiving if you overcook it a little.
Pale pink/orange in color.
Typically cheaper than other varieties of salmon.
Usually Atlantic Salmon.

Wild-Caught Salmon:

Like the name says, this type of salmon is caught fisherman style out in the big ol’ ocean.
Has a deeper, more red/orange color and is leaner, as more fat is used in the wild to help regulate body temperature. This also results in a richer, more fishier flavor.
Because it’s usually provided by small business fisherman operations, the price tends to be higher.
Five types of wild salmon: King salmon, Sockeye, Coho, Pink, and Chum.

We prefer the milder, farm raised salmon, but both are delicious and will taste great when you’re baking salmon.

Serving Suggestions

Salmon has a mild flavor and pairs well with rice as a side dish. We love it with Coconut Rice, Seasoned Rice, or just a scoop of steamed white or brown rice. It’s great with Roasted Purple Potatoes or Buttered Noodles, too.

Variations

I like to serve salmon with fresh lemon wedges on the side. A squeeze of lemon juice adds a burst of freshness.

Salmon can be prepared in a variety of ways, but we especially love it with this lemon garlic butter. If you’re looking for some different flavor options, these are a few of our favorites:

Lemon and Herbs – Sprinkle with salt, fresh herbs like dill, parsley, and thyme, and lemon slices.
Salmon with Dill Sauce – Simply seasoned salmon served with a creamy dill sauce on the side.
Honey Mustard Salmon – Instead of butter, this salmon is topped with a blend of dijon and whole grain mustard for a unique, slightly sweet flavor.
Teriyaki Salmon – Salmon topped with a sweet and savory teriyaki sauce. We love this in a lettuce wrap.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Storage: Place leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours of cooking. It will keep for 2-3 days.

Reheating: Place salmon in a microwave safe dish and heat for 30 second intervals until fully heated through.

Freezing: Fresh (uncooked – never frozen) salmon can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before cooking. Cooked salmon can be frozen for 4-6 months.

Piece of baked salmon covered with garlic butter and lemons

Buy the freshest fish you can find. Fish should smell like the ocean. If it’s got a “fishy” smell, throw it back.
Avoid any fish that any discoloration or is pale in color. Salmon should be bright and vibrant in color.
Cooking with the skin on locks in extra moisture.

More Delicious Salmon Recipes To Try

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