Lemon Dijon Salmon
This salmon recipe complements the fattiness and richness of the fish itself with acidic lemon juice, olive oil, dijon mustard, garlic, and some simple spices. It comes together in just about twenty minutes and is great to hae with some simple rice and a salad. I’d recommend making my cucumber tomato feta salad, which is also absolutely delicious.
The recipe is so simple, all you have to do is combine the ingredients, brush them on the salmon, top it all off with some lemon slices, and then bake at 450ºF for just 10 minutes!
Because this recipe is incredibly simple, the most important part is the quality of the salmon. I always ensure that I am working with salmon that comes from a healthy environment, salmon that looks beautifully pink and doesn’t have weird splotching or dark spots.
It’s also a great sign when the salmon has beautiful marbling/striping. When possible, try to get fresh salmon, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with using frozen salmon that’s been defrosted.
I’d also recommend buying salmon with the skin on it because, even if you don’t eat the skin, the skin helps preserve the moisture of the fish itself during the baking process.
Anyways, it’s so easy, and so delicious.
Ingredients:
- 2 – 2 1/2 lb salmon fillet, or 8-10 pieces of salmon, 4-6 oz each
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped (or parsley, cilantro)
- 1 lemon
- flaky salt (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 450º F.
- Prepare your salmon. If you are using an entire salmon fillet, use a sharp knife to slice it into equal sections, about 4-6 oz. Honestly, it doesn’t particularly matter but it will affect the cooking time. 4 oz pieces of salmon will cook in 8-10 minutes, 6 oz pieces of salmon will cook in 10-12 minutes, and 8 oz pieces of salmon will take 12-14 minutes.
- If you’re not using a whole piece of salmon, and you have pre-sliced pieces, lay them out on a baking sheet. If they have skin, put the skin side down.
- In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the marinade: lemon juice, olive oil, dijon mustard, finely minced/crushed garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and dill.
- Use a brush or a spoon to brush the mixture evenly over each piece of salmon. Slice the lemon into thin slices and top each piece of salmon. If you want, sprinkle on some extra flaky salt.
- Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, then use a fork to test if the fish is flaky. If the fork goes in and the fish starts to pull apart, it’s ready. Enjoy!
Lemon Dijon Salmon
Ingredients
- 2 – 2 1/2 lb salmon or 8-10 pieces of 4-6 oz pieces of salmon
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic minced or crushed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 cup dill finely minced
- 1 lemon sliced
- flaky salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF.
- If using a whole fillet of salmon, use a sharp knife to slice into pieces of salmon between 4-6 oz. If using individual pieces, skip this step.
- Lay the pieces out on a parchment lined baking sheet. If they have skin, put the skin side down.
- Combined the ingredients for the marinade: lemon juice, olive oil, dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and dill.
- Use a brush to brush on the marinade equally over the pieces of salmon.
- Thinly slice the lemon and top each salmon piece with a slice. Optionally, sprinkle with extra flaky salt.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then test with a fork if the fish is flaky. If it is, the fish will start to come apart when poked. See above for more tips on cooking time based on the size of your fish pieces. Enjoy!
Notes
- Macros: 13.8 g fat, 1 g carbohydrates, 27 g protein
- See the blog post above for more details about choosing salmon, cooking the salmon, and more detailed instructions.