Baked Wild Salmon with Fresh Rosemary and Garlic is my go-to recipe for dinner parties and weeknight meals. It’s easy to prepare and kids and adults love it. Add some freshly cooked rice or risotto and steamed veggies and/or a salad and you’ve got a complete meal!
Wild Salmon has Many Health Benefits
Besides being more flavorful and fresh-tasting than farm-raised varieties, wild salmon has a lot of health benefits because it contains vitamin B12, taurine, selenium, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D, and is high in protein.
Bake at Lower Temperature to Avoid Drying Out
My favorite way to make wild-caught salmon (like coho or sockeye) is to drizzle with olive oil and sea salt, then bake it at low temperature (about 320° F – 325° F) until just barely cooked through. This takes about 12 minutes for a 1 pound fillet. Wild salmon is lower in fat than farm-raised salmon (such as Atlantic or Norwegian) and seems to retain its moisture by baking at lower temperature rather than roasting or grilling.
Wild Salmon Keeps for 2-3 days in the Fridge
Make a little extra wild salmon so that you can use it the next few days to top salads or add to homemade sushi rolls. Store in a covered glass container in the refrigerator so that it will stay fresh. As long as the fish has been salted, it should stay fresh for up to 2-3 days depending on the temperature of your refrigerator. Use glass containers so your leftovers stay extra cold. Just check the salmon before you use it to make sure it still smells fresh (should not have strong fishy smell).
Try Different Toppings for Variety
This recipe tops the wild salmon with sautéed garlic, rosemary, maple syrup, and sea salt. Get creative and use different toppings the next time you make salmon.
- Try fresh basil pesto and spread on the wild salmon after it is baked.
- After baking, top with “scallion sesame butter” from The New Basics Cookbook which has toasted sesame seeds, sesame oil, unsalted butter, tamari or soy sauce, and scallion.
What other toppings have you tried?
Print
Baked Wild Salmon with Rosemary and Garlic
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Fish
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Salmon
- 1 lb. fillet wild-caught salmon (such as coho or sockeye)
- 1–2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- unrefined sea salt
Topping
- 2–3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped finely
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup (optional)
- a few pinches unrefined sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 320° F.
- Prepare topping ingredients first so it can be cooked while salmon is baking.
- Keep skin on salmon. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Place salmon fillet in glass or metal baking dish.
- Coat both sides of salmon with a thin layer of olive oil, then sprinkle both sides with sea salt (about a teaspoon).
- Bake until white albumin protein show on the outside of the fish, or until cooked almost through when flaked with a fork.
- Remove from the oven and cover with foil until topping is ready.
- While salmon is baking, prepare topping.
- Heat up olive oil in a heavy-bottomed, small skillet or saucepan until shimmery. Turn to low and add garlic, rosemary, and sea salt. When garlic softens, turn off heat and add maple syrup. Whisk to combine and pour over cooked salmon. Return to the oven, if desired, for a minute or two or serve as is.
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More healthy fish recipes from Cook Love Heal:
Grilled Halibut in Cedar Wraps
Crusted Halibut in Caper-White Wine Sauce
