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+ servings
A perfectly cooked fillet of Baked Lemon Garlic Salmon topped with fresh lemon slices and herbs.

Baked Lemon Garlic Salmon

This recipe provides instructions for making a simple, flavorful baked salmon dish using lemon, garlic, olive oil, and herbs. It finishes under the broiler for a lightly browned top.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Mediterranean

Ingredients
  

For the Salmon
  • 2 pounds salmon fillet
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • 1 large lemon for slicing
  • Chopped parsley for garnish
For the Lemon Garlic Sauce
  • 2 large lemons for juice and zest
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 5 cloves garlic chopped
  • 2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Sheet pan
  • Foil
  • Small bowl or measuring cup

Method
 

  1. Position one oven rack in the center and one rack about 6 inches from the broiler. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a sheet pan longways with a large piece of foil, large enough to fold over the salmon. Brush the foil with extra virgin olive oil.
  2. Zest one of the lemons into a small bowl or measuring cup, then add the juice from both lemons. Add the extra virgin olive oil, garlic, oregano, paprika, and black pepper and whisk to combine.
  3. Pat the salmon dry and season well on both sides with salt. Place it on the foil, skin side down. Carefully pour the lemon garlic sauce on top, bending the foil upwards around the fish to contain the liquid. Use a spoon or a pastry brush to spread the sauce evenly across the surface of the fish. Slice half of the remaining lemon into rounds and the other half into wedges, and place the rounds on top of the salmon.
  4. Fold the loose end of the foil up and over the salmon, tenting it high enough so there’s an air pocket between the foil and the lemons on top of the salmon. Crimp the foil closed at the top and sides to encase the fish and trap the steam. If you didn’t leave quite a long enough piece of foil, simply tear off another sheet and crimp the two together.
  5. Bake in the hot oven until the salmon is almost cooked through at the thickest part, 15 to 20 minutes.
  6. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and open the foil, folding it out to reveal the top of the salmon. Turn your broiler to high and place the salmon under the broiler briefly, until the top is lightly browned and the salmon is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Watch closely as it broils to make sure it does not overcook and the lemons and garlic do not burn. Remove the salmon from the oven.
  7. Sprinkle the salmon with the parsley and serve with the lemon wedges on the side.

Notes

For testing doneness, the internal temperature should reach 145°F. If you prefer a less browned top, you can skip the broiling step and simply bake the salmon for the full time until cooked through.

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