Oven-baked salmon is a quick meal to make that is incredibly healthy. That being said…as delicious as Salmon can be, it is important to mix up how you prepare it in order to give your tastebuds some variety.
Below we have taken our well-tested oven-roasted salmon recipe and paired it with seven different sauces and rubs that will help you kick your salmon up a notch.
Below the sauces and rubs that we have included are:
- Balsamic Vinger Sauce
- Chili Rub
- Honey Mustard Sauce
- Honey-Soy Glaze
- Miso Glaze
- Hosin Sauce
- Spice Rub
How Long Does it Take to Cook Salmon in an Oven?
Cooking salmon in an oven takes about 10-25 mins. The exact time is highly dependent on the temperature that the oven is set at, fillet thickness, and desired rarity. The Easy Oven recipe below is about 12 minutes of bake time in the oven.
When it comes to salmon, chefs recommend that salmon is cook to a rarity level of Medium Rare to Medium since at the levels the salmon ends up being flaky on the outside with a middle that melts in your mouth. Use a digital thermometer to determine internal temperature of your salmon:
- Medium Rare Salmon has a internal (middle) temperature of 110-125 degrees Fahrenheit
- Medium Salmon has a internal (middle) temperature of 125-130 degrees Fahrenheit
Can I use Salmon Fillets of Different Thickness?
Use fillets that are a similar size and thickness to help ensure that they all cook evenly.
Is Eating Rare Salmon Safe to Eat?
Raw salmon can have bacteria and parasite in it that can make you sick. Never eat raw salmon if it is not sushi-graded or cured.
Quick Time out: What is Sushi-grade Fish?
‘Sushi-grade’ fish is a technique of preparing fish so that it is safe to eat raw. When creating sushi-grade fish, the fish has to caught quickly, bled upon capture, gutted quickly afterwards, and frozen immediately.
According to the FDA, “freezing and storing fish at an ambient temperature of -4°F (-20°C) or below for 7 days (total time), or freezing at an ambient temperature of -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at an ambient temperature of -31°F (-35°C) or below for 15 hours, or freezing at an ambient temperature of -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at an ambient temperature of -4°F (-20°C) or below for 24 hours are sufficient to kill parasites.”
Note: FDA typically speaks in legalese. The TLDR version is that raw fish needs to be cleaned and throughly frozen immediately to maximize the chances of parasites and bacteria being killed.
Oven Roasted Salmon
Ingredients
Salmon Fillets
- 4 Salmon Fillets
Balsamic Vinegar Sauce
- 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Honey or packed brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Olive oil
Chili Rub
- 2 tbsp Brown Sugar (Make sure to pack the sugar down while measuring)
- 1 tbsp Chili Powder
- 1/2 cup Ground Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 lemon Lemon Zest
- 1 pinch Cinnamon
Honey Mustard Sauce
- 2 tbsp Honey
- 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Fresh Thyme (Chopped)
Honey-Soy Glaze
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce (Can also use Tamari sauce)
- 2 tbsp Honey (Can also use Mable Syrup)
- 1 tbsp Lime Juice
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
Miso Glaze
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar (Make sure to pack the sugar down while measuring)
- 2 tbsp Miso (Miso is a fermented soybean paste first made in Japan)
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Water
Hosin Sauce
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Hosin Sauce (A thick, fragrant sauce commonly used in Cantonese cuisine)
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Fresh Ginger (Grated)
- 1 Green Onion (Finely Chopped)
- 2 Cloves Garlic (Crushed)
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
Spice Rub
- 1 tbsp Fennel seeds (Coarsely ground)
- 1 tbsp Fresh Rosemary (Finely chopped)
- 1 orange Orange Zest
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 450°F
- Line a baking sheet with foil
- Place the salmon fillet skin side down on the baking sheet.
- Pour (or rub) each salmon fillets with your chosen sauce
- Bake for 10 – 12 minutes until the fish flakes with a fork.
Notes
Nutrition
There you have it. A simple, yet super tasty, recipe to bake your salmon. If you want to continue your deep dive into the art of cooking delicious fish, I highly suggest checking out the following articles:
- How to Sauté Fish Fillets (A Daily DIY Life recipe that provides a basic how-to cooking up some delicious stove top salmon (or any whitefish) fillets.
- Best Pans for Frying Fish (Daily DIY Life tested over 15 different pans and narrowed it down to the top 3 to cook fish).
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