Baked salmon
Tender, flaky salmon under a garlicky lemon butter, with almost nothing to wash up afterward.
- 25 min total
- 10 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $4.47 a serving
- 440 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: I’d make this on a weeknight. It’s on the table in 25 minutes.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 4 salmon fillets, about 6 oz each
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lemon, half juiced, half cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 440 calories, 35 g protein, 2 g carbs and 31 g fat, and costs about $4.47 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No lemons? Limes work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 425°F and line a with .
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
Parchment paper. Parchment paper is a nonstick, oven-safe paper for lining pans. Food lifts right off and cleanup is easy, but don’t swap in wax paper or put parchment under the broiler.
How you’ll know: It lies flat in the pan, and the food slides off when you lift it.
the salmon dry with paper towels and lay the fillets on the pan skin side down, a couple of inches apart. the tops with the salt and pepper.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Season. Seasoning means adding salt, pepper or spices to bring out a food’s flavor. A little at a few stages tastes better than a lot all at the end.
How you’ll know: When you taste it, it tastes bright and like itself, not flat and not salty.
Dolly’s tip: Dry fish takes the seasoning and browns. Wet fish just steams.the butter, garlic and lemon juice together in a small bowl.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Spoon the lemon butter over each fillet so the tops are well coated.
for 12 to 15 minutes, until the thickest part flakes easily with a fork and the center is just opaque.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Timer: 13 min
Dolly’s tip: Thin fillets are done closer to 10 minutes, thick ones closer to 15. Check the thickest one first.Food safety: Fish is done at 145°F, when the middle looks opaque and flakes apart easily with a fork.
Spoon the buttery juices from the pan back over the fish, scatter the dill on top and serve with the lemon wedges.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
