A Recipe for Salmon in the Oven

This is the best recipe for salmon in the oven. It's my go-to method whenever we cook salmon in our home and it turns out perfectly every single time. 

Salmon is one of the very few foods that I can count on one of my children eating on a very regular basis, so we typically eat it about once a week. I almost always opt for baking it in the oven because cooking in a pan on on the grill leaves too many variables for something to go wrong (I am notorious for ruining fish when cooking on the stove top and having it get stuck to the pan!). 

A Recipe for Salmon in the Oven:

Salmon is easiest to cook in the oven if you're new to cooking on your own. If you follow these easy and simple steps you'll be well on your way to cooking perfect salmon each and every time. I always line a sheet pan with tin foil and then spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Then I preheat the oven to 400º. 

Next I take the salmon out of the packaging and pat it dry with some paper towels to remove any of the fish juice (yes that is the most disgusting sentence I ever wrote). At this point you can season it in a lot of different combinations. I typically just squeeze some lemon juice on top, season with salt and pepper, and call it a day.

How Long to Cook Salmon in the Oven:

Salmon typically takes about 5 minutes per 1/2 inch of thickness to bake. You want your salmon to reach 145º internally before serving, as that is the recommended internal temperature by the USDA. It is very important to have a meat thermometer when cooking meat so that you easily know when your fish/meat is ready to serve. 

Kitchen Tools to Make Salmon:

To make salmon you will need, a sheet pan for the oven. I love these ones from Nordic Ware. You will also need as previously mentioned, a meat thermometer. You can also use a silicone baking mat instead of lining your pan with tinfoil if you like the ability to reuse and have less waste. 

Ways to flavor Salmon:

There are so many different ways you can season or marinate your salmon to give it extra flavor in the oven! Some of my favorites are:

• Lemon juice with salt and pepper
• Blacken seasoning sprinkled all over the top
• Marinated in the fridge in Italian dressing for 30 minutes before putting in the oven
• Spreading honey and teriyaki sauce on top before baking
• Spreading pesto on top before baking
• Spreading honey and garlic on top
• Sweet chili sauce spread on top

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