Description
This Oven Baked Salmon recipe features a whole 2-pound skin-on salmon fillet seasoned with a savory blend of garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, and brown sugar, then baked to perfection with melted butter or olive oil. It’s a simple, flavorful, and foolproof method to achieve moist, flaky salmon with minimal cleanup.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 (2-pound) whole salmon fillet skin-on preferred
- 3 tablespoons melted butter OR olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep the oven and salmon: Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lay a large piece of aluminum foil on a rimmed baking sheet. Place the salmon fillet skin side down and pink side up onto the foil. Crimp the edges of the foil up and around the salmon, creating a shallow ‘boat’ to hold juices during baking.
- Season the salmon: In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with the minced garlic. Brush half of this garlic butter mixture evenly over the salmon. In another bowl, combine the brown sugar, Italian seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Sprinkle this seasoning mix evenly over the salmon. Drizzle the remaining garlic butter over the top.
- Bake the salmon: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Optionally, baste the salmon with its own juices halfway through cooking to keep it moist. After baking, remove the salmon from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving. This resting period helps the juices redistribute, resulting in tender, flaky fish.
Notes
- Use a whole skin-on salmon fillet for easier cooking and more consistent results. Alternatively, use 4 cut fillets and reduce baking time to 15 minutes.
- If fresh garlic is unavailable, substitute with an additional 1 teaspoon dried garlic powder.
- Italian seasoning enhances flavor but can be replaced with dried oregano or rosemary if preferred.
- Let the melted butter sit for 5 minutes to cool slightly and thicken before brushing onto the salmon for better application.
- Using aluminum foil simplifies cleanup and keeps garlic butter from evaporating off the baking sheet.
- For best results, use a food thermometer to check internal temperature: 125°F gives a very succulent salmon, while USDA recommends a minimum of 145°F. Remove salmon from oven once desired temperature is reached, and let it rest to continue cooking in residual heat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
