Looking for a good baked salmon recipe? Baked Salmon Pesto is a four ingredient meal that’s ready in twenty minutes. Plus, use homemade or store-bought pesto for this salmon pesto recipe.
A recent survey of readers confirmed that salmon is a staple protein in many people’s weekly dinner rotation. It’s easy to understand why. It’s healthy, easy to make and widely available. This easy Baked Salmon Pesto is a regular during the weeknights because it’s a four ingredient meal that takes less than 30 minutes. I got your attention, didn’t I?
Salmon Nutrition
Salmon is prized for its health benefits and while farmed salmon is good, wild Coho, Sockeye or Atlantic salmon is even better. The highlight reel of salmon’s nutritional benefits include:
Omega-3 fatty acids (decreasing blood pressure, lowering inflammation, reducing cancer risk).
Selenium (good for your bone health and reducing thyroid disease).
Potassium (reduces blood pressure and your risk for stroke).
B Vitamins and folic acid (All B Vitamins work together providing optimal functioning of the brain and nervous system).
See this article for even more health benefits.
Salmon Pesto Recipe – A Four Ingredient Meal
This pesto salmon bake couldn’t be simpler to make. Start by slicing your salmon fillet into individual portions. (Ok,you don’t HAVE to do this, but slicing it BEFORE baking, gives you lovely even cuts. If you slice it AFTER it bakes, the salmon will flake — not the end of the world, but if you’re a food blogger appearance matters…) Then spoon your favorite pesto sauce over the fillets.
On this site I actually have 3 pesto recipes and any of them would be perfect for your salmon with pesto sauce but this traditional pesto recipe and this pesto with walnuts also have options for freezing individual portions so that you’ve always got a stash of pesto at the ready.
When you want a good baked salmon seasoning, pesto is one of my favorites — it’s bright and herbal and puts a punctuation mark on any baked salmon recipe, however, if you’re not going to use the cheese and breadcrumb topping, I’d recommend baking the salmon first and then spooning the fresh pesto sauce over the cooked fish, otherwise the pesto will develop a crusty and unsightly pond scum color — and that’s not what we’re going for here.
That said, you really want the crunchy topping... It’s golden and flavorful, adding another dimension to this simple dish. Because there’s parmigiano reggiano in the pesto AND the pesto, I could have easily called this dish Salmon Parmesan.
I bake the salmon at a lower temperature than you might expect — only 325°– to assure that the salmon isn’t over-cooked and to minimize the gooey white stuff that invariably oozes from the fish when it’s baked. The white stuff is called albumin and it’s harmless, but unsightly. Cooking at a lower temperature reduces the amount of albumin leaked, but the oven is hot enough to brown the the crumb topping. It’s a win-win.
This salmon pesto recipe can easily be doubled or tripled depending on the size of your crowded it would be great for company or even a festive Easter dinner, thanks to it’s scaleability.
More Salmon Recipes:
- Spiced Pan Seared Salmon
- Crunchy Salmon Cakes
- Hoisin Maple Asian Glazed Salmon
- Plank Grilled Salmon with Tomato Fennel Ragout
More Quick Dinner Recipes:
- Dry Rubbed Pork Tenderloin
- Tuna Melt Quesadillas
- Hogfish Adriatic
- Irish Banger Skillet
- Grilled Herb Crusted Lamb Kebabs
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Parmesan Pesto Baked Salmon - Only 4 Ingredients
Ingredients
- 4 6-ounce salmon fillets pin bones removed
- 6 tablespoons pesto
- 1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese grate with a microplane grater if possible.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°. Place a piece of parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet. Lay the salmon fillets on the baking sheet, not touching. Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons of pesto over each fillet and spread it with the back of a spoon or knife so that it's lightly coated with pesto.
- In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese until evenly distributed. Top each of the salmon fillets with a coating of the breadcrumb mixture.
- Cook the salmon for 12-15 minutes for medium. To get the crust a golden brown, turn the oven to broil and heat for 45 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes with the salmon about 5 inches away from the heating element. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
“Pin Baked Salmon Pesto” For Later!
Can I use cheddar cheese instead?
I wouldn’t recommend cheddar for this recipe.
Can I try something else but cheese. Just to decrease the Fat portion?
You can eliminate the cheese — perhaps some more breadcrumbs or nutritional yeast for flavor.
A meal the whole family loves! This is a rare occurrence so thanks for the recipe.
I’m so glad that you and your family enjoyed it, Caroline!
I made this tonight with a few minor tweaks. I mixed my pesto with mayonnaise and basil oil to make a pesto aioli. I smeared the aioli on the salmon and then topped it with the breadcrumb/parm mixture. I had to cook it 16 minutes for medium, and then I broiled it for 1 minute to crisp up the bread crumbs.
It came out excellent.
Thanks for the recipe.
My salmon had the skin on, and after I ate the salmon, the skin was left laying on my plate, looking pretty unappetizing, all limp and fatty. So, I threw the skin in a pan on high heat and crisped it, sprinkled on a little salt and dang that was good too.
Wow! I love your waste-not want not attitude with the skin!
I made this by the recipe and it was delicious. But I really don’t recommend using parchment paper under a broiler. The paper didn’t catch fire but it was pretty well burned.
Mine gets a bit dark as well, but if you’d prefer to use aluminum foil — or just spray a baking sheet with vegetable spray — that works too! (You just have more to clean at the end.)
This is Amazing!! It tastes like restaurant quality. Thanks for sharing
Do you bake the salmon with the skin on or off?
You could actually do either. I usually use a skin off fillet. If you use skin on, place the salmon, skin side down on the baking sheet to cook.
Yummo! So so good. Will definitely put this on regular rotation!
Could anyone recommend a sauce to go with it?
If you wanted to serve a bit more pesto on the side that would work, but I think another sauce might interfere with the flavor profile… If you’re serving with a vegetable, like green beans or spinach — dress them with a pat of butter, a little garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper — it would go perfectly with the salmon.
I made salmon pesto, but thought to add a little breadcrumbs and Parmesan.
I tried this tonight and it was a hit with my family! I added some sun-dried tomatoes which gave it a little sweetness! I will definitely be making this easy recipe again! LOVED IT! Thanks for sharing!
Glad you and your family enjoyed it, Melissa — the sun-drieds sound great!
Salmon Parmesan? I’m in! I love that pile of cheese on top!
This is my kind of dish right here, I absolutely love salmon, then you top it off with pesto, breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese? this is pure genius! Thank you for this recipe 🙂
So simple, yet so decadent!!! I will have to find a way to try these flavors on something plant-based! Yumm!
I have a nice Spring Pesto Roasted Tomato — you should try that one, Tina!
The colours in this dish are just beautiful! That coral salmon and the bright green pesto. So vibrant and bright, you just know they are going to taste fantastic!
I’m always looking for new ways to cook salmon. Thanks for this flavorful recipe!
I love pesto salmon and make it often. But that Parm on the top is a great addition! Yum!
Why did it never occur to me to put pesto on salmon? That’s genius, and I love that crunchy cheesy topping. Salmon definitely is a staple in our house, and I happen to have some extra basil I’m not sure what to do with. I think I have my answer 🙂
Hope you enjoy it, Ann!