Oven Roasted Salmon with Citrus Herb Salsa Verde

This easy oven roasted salmon is cooked low and not-so-slow in the oven, and topped with a bright, fresh salsa verde. Only 6 ingredients and ready in about 40 minutes!

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Salmon is having another moment. It had one years ago, when everyone discovered its health benefits. But those preparations were a little bland.

Now, we're all getting a little more creative, with simple, but flavorful recipes that make you want to eat it just because it tastes good. The beauty of this particular salmon is that it's oven roasted - no stovetop spatters - and your house doesn't get smelly.

I'm taken back to a beach resort in Mexico that used fresh orange juice and fresh herbs to showcase their seafood that was just caught that morning. Let's try to imagine that together when we eat this, shall we?

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• FAQs
• Tips
• Serving Suggestions
• Related Recipes
• Recipe

Ingredients

In order to showcase the flavor of the salmon itself, you'll only need 6 ingredients that complement it and let that flavor come through.

• Salmon: Choose a piece of salmon from the center of the side, so it's mostly the same width and thickness all the way through to ensure even baking.
• Oranges and lemons: We are using the juice and the zest for maximum citrus flavor!
• Fresh parsley and cilantro: Speaking of maximum flavor, let's chop the leaves AND the tender stems of these two herbs. Leaving the stems behind means leaving flavor behind and we don't want to do that! Also - less food waste. Always a good thing.
• Olive oil: It's going to be our cooking oil and the base of the salsa verde.

Instructions

Adapted from Bon Appétit

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. We're cooking it low and slow.

Using a Microplane grater, zest 2 oranges and one lemon.

Divide the zest in two and set aside.

Chop the herbs finely with a good chef's knife or try using a mezzaluna.

Squeeze the lemon juice and the juice from both oranges into a small bowl.

Add the olive oil, the herbs, and half of the citrus zest, along with a pinch of salt and whisk to combine.

Select a baking dish that fits the salmon filet but isn't too snug or too big. I used my Juliska Berry & Thread rectangular baker.

Rub the salmon filet all over with olive oil, season with salt. Pour enough olive oil into the baking dish to just cover the bottom. Lay the salmon skin side down in the dish. Top with the other half of the citrus zest.

Roast the salmon in the oven until it is opaque in the center and flakes easily with a fork, about 25 - 35 minutes.

Transfer the salmon to a serving plate, top with half of the citrus-herb salsa verde, and serve.

Place the remaining citrus salsa verde on the table so people can help themselves to more.

FAQs

• How do you roast salmon without drying it out? The key to roasting salmon without drying it out is gentle cooking. In general, that means lower heat and don't cook it too long.
• How do you know when salmon is done? Take a fork and press gently on the top of the filet. If the salmon flakes easily – separating along the lines that run across the filet – it's done! It should be just opaque in the center, and still appear glossy.(I'm really trying to avoid using the word 'moist' here, people...but there really should be some moisture there.)

Tips

• If you are using citrus juices in a recipe ALWAYS find a way to also use the zest! I am hard-pressed to think of an example where this wouldn't be true. It magnifies the citrus flavor and aroma. Such a waste to leave it behind.
• When using herbs like parsley and cilantro, use the tender stems as well as the leaves. What are the tender stems? The ones between the leaves and on the top part of the stalks. Same principle as using citrus zest: there is a lot of flavor and aroma. You can save the bottom part of the stems to use in stock.

Serving Suggestions

• Seafood and fennel go so well together, so try serving this with an Apple and Fennel Salad. A great no-cook side dish option!
• These Crispy Pan Fried Brussels Sprouts will cook on the stovetop, so dinner is done with little effort and no competing for oven space!

Related Recipes

• For a springtime treat, try Salmon with Radishes and Peas. Aside from tasting amazing, it's just beautiful to look at.
• During high summer, use up all those tiny tomatoes and make Oven Roasted Salmon with Tomatoes and Basil Yogurt Sauce.

Recipe