Oven-Baked Salmon with Lemon and Pepper

Citrusy, fresh and delicious. This tasty Oven-Baked Salmon with Lemon and Pepper is filled with flavor. Coat the salmon in a homemade spicy marinade and dry rub using easy-to-find ingredients. Make it in less than 30 minutes and serve it as a main with potatoes, vegetables or salad.

About this Recipe

This gorgeous show-stopping salmon dish is a great addition to any dinner table. Not only does it look impressive but, it tastes just as good too! Plus, it is ready in less than 25 minutes. The salmon has citrusy flavors from the lemons, a kick from the chili flakes, cayenne pepper and paprika, as well as a subtle herby flavor from the parsley. It’s a true crowd-pleasing dish and comes out perfectly every time.

Salmon is a popular fish. It is firm, rich in Omega 3, protein and is considered healthy. It can also be cooked in lots of different ways such as searing, frying, broiling and more. For this recipe, I chose to cook the salmon in the oven as it yields delicious results, plus it is a fairly quick process and does not require too much oil.

Serve this oven-baked salmon on any day of the week for dinner with potatoes, broccoli or roast vegetables. It also makes a stunning main for Good Friday, Easter and other special occasions.

Oven-Baked Salmon with Lemon and Pepper Ingredients

• Salmon fillet: I like to use half of a whole salmon for this recipe but, you can also use salmon fillet pieces instead. Fresh or frozen salmon can be used for this recipe, if it is frozen then allow it to thaw before marinating.
• Olive oil: Use good quality olive oil for this recipe for the best results.
• Paprika: Regular or smoked paprika adds spicy notes to the fish.
• Chili flakes: Chili flakes add a lovely texture and taste to the fish. Feel free to alter the amount depending on your preference.
• Salt: to taste
• Black pepper: to taste
• Garlic cloves (grated): I love using grated garlic because it adds a delicious burst of garlic flavor to the salmon. However, if you don’t have garlic cloves to hand you can use garlic paste instead.
• Lemon (juice, zest and slices): Use fresh lemons for this recipe.
• A handful of chopped parsley: Parsley is a great herb that compliments lemon and spices. Use fresh parsley for the best results.

Dry Rub

• Salt: to taste  
• Cayenne: Feel free to adjust the amount according to personal taste.
• Paprika: you can also use regular or smoked paprika for the dry rub.
• Chili flakes: adjust the amount of chili flakes according to personal preference.

How to Make Oven-Baked Salmon with Lemon and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 180C/360F. First, mix the olive oil and spices together in a clean bowl and set aside. Get the spices for the dry rub and mix them together as well and set aside for later.

2. Add a salmon fillet, skin side down on foil paper. Line a baking tray with foil and lightly grease the foil with oil or butter.

Tip: Use a brush to add the marinade.

3. Add the olive oil mixture to the flesh of the salmon. Add some lemon slices as well and cook in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes. 

4. Sprinkle the dry rub on the fish and cook for a further 5 minutes. This step will add beautiful color to the salmon.

5. Once the salmon is ready, remove it from the oven and leave it to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve it for lunch or dinner with Mashed Potatoes, Cheesy Asparagus or Salad.

Tips and Tricks

• Salmon: Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel before using it for the recipe to remove excess moisture.
• Dry rub: For more flavor and color sprinkle the dry rub over the salmon halfway through cooking. If you don’t like spices alter the amount of spices or skip it altogether.
• Make-ahead salmon: You can make this recipe ahead by adding the olive oil and spice mixture to the fish and covering it with cling film. Once you are ready to cook, place the fish on a baking tray lined with foil, lightly grease the foil and bake the salmon in a preheated oven.
• Pepper: Feel free to adjust the amount of chili flakes, paprika and cayenne pepper in the recipe. Use a smaller amount if you prefer less heat and use more if you like your salmon spicy!

FAQs

What do you eat with salmon?

There are so many options when it comes to serving salmon:

• Roasted vegetables
• Baked sweet potatoes
• Mashed potatoes
• Pesto pasta
• Tomato Couscous
• Lebanese tabbouleh salad

Thanks for reading this recipe, comment below if you made this and let me know how it went! Follow @simshomekitchen on Instagram, take a photo, tag and hashtag it with @simshomekitchen. 

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Oven-Baked Salmon with Lemon and Pepper

Jen Sim

Citrusy, fresh and delicious. This tasty Oven-Baked Salmon with Lemon and Pepper is filled with flavor. It is made with a spicy marinade and dry rub which balances the lemon flavors perfectly. Make it in less than 30 minutes and serve it as a main with potatoes, vegetables or salad.

5 from 12 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Keyword: Lemon Salmon, Oven-Baked Salmon, salmon, Salmon fillet, Salmon recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Author: Jen Sim

Equipment

• ▢
  baking tray

Ingredients

• ▢ 1/2 a salmon fillet
• ▢ 3 tbsp of olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 tsp of paprika
• ▢ 1/4 tsp chili flakes
• ▢ ¼ tsp of oregano
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ Black pepper to taste
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves grated
• ▢ 1 lemon juice, zest and slices
• ▢ 1/2 a handful of chopped parsley
• ▢ Dry rub
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ ¼ tsp of cayenne
• ▢ ¼ tsp of chili flakes

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180C/360F. Add olive oil, paprika, chili flakes, oregano, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt to taste and black pepper to taste to a bowl and stir until well combined.
• To make the dry rub add a pinch of salt cayenne pepper, chili flakes and paprika to a bowl and stir. (optional)
• Then, add a salmon fillet skin side down onto a lightly greased oven tray lined with foil. Add the chili and lemon mixture to the flesh of the salmon. Place 3 or 4 lemon slices on top of the salmon fillet. Cook the fillet in the oven for 10 minutes then sprinkle the dry rub on top to give the salmon fillet a beautiful color.
• Cook salmon for another 5-7 minutes, rest for 5 minutes and serve.

Notes

Pepper: Feel free to adjust the amount of chili flakes, paprika and cayenne pepper in the recipe. Use a smaller amount if you prefer less heat and use more if you like your salmon spicy!

Dry rub: For more flavor and color sprinkle the dry rub over the salmon halfway through cooking. If you don’t like spices alter the amount of spices or skip it altogether.