Baked Lemon Pepper Salmon
This mouthwatering salmon is laced with a slick, garlicky, lemon pepper glaze and then baked to tender perfection. The seafood is fresh and flavorful, and the whole meal comes together in about 15 minutes!
I’m a tad obsessed with this dish! I used wild-caught, Alaskan salmon – and the flash-frozen seafood was shipped straight to my door from Alaska. Literally from the boat to my table – no middleman. And this is sushi grade seafood, so it’s exceptionally fresh and flavorful. I’m truly blown away, and I’ll never select any other salmon variety.
I love this dish because it’s the ultimate sheet pan meal. I arranged asparagus alongside the salmon and both were ready to serve in just 12 minutes.
Other vegetables work, and great options include broccoli, fresh peas, green beans, snow peas, and zucchini.
Toss the vegetables with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place them on the pan next to the salmon. Add a starchy side dish (potatoes, rice, couscous, bread, or your favorite grain) and the meal is complete. And incredibly healthy!
You can make the topping as fiery as desired. I added a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes to my lemon pepper/oil mixture and it was the perfect amount of heat for this dish. You can add more/less to suit you and your family’s tastes.
If using frozen seafood, remember to thaw it overnight! The best way to thaw frozen salmon is in the refrigerator overnight. That said, we’ve all been there – we forgot to pull the fish from the freezer! If that happens, place the fish in a shallow dish and add cold water to cover. Change the water every few minutes and your seafood should be thawed in less than 30 minutes (timing will depend on the thickness of the filets).
Start checking the oven at 12 minutes! When you have a gorgeous piece of salmon (like I had here), don’t risk over-cooking it. Start checking the oven at 12 minutes. Timing will depend on the thickness of your filets and how you like your salmon cooked. Since I used sushi grade salmon, I could have eaten it raw!
Baked Lemon Pepper Salmon
Ingredients
- 4 salmon filets, about 6 ounces each, defrosted overnight if previously frozen
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for coating the pan
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more/less to taste
- 1 lemon, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a shallow baking dish or baking pan with a thin layer of olive oil.
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon pepper seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
- Arrange the salmon in/on the prepared pan. Spoon the olive oil mixture over top and spread out in an even layer. It’s ok if some drips down the sides.
- If desired, sprinkle a little more lemon pepper seasoning over top.
- Arrange the lemon slices on and around the salmon. If you’re adding vegetables, place them alongside the salmon (I tossed fresh asparagus with olive oil and seasoned with salt and black pepper).
- Bake for 12 to 18 minutes, until the salmon is cooked to your liking (timing will depend on the thickness of your filets). Start checking the salmon at 12 minutes.
- Serve the salmon with lemon wedges on the side.