How do I bake Salamon?

Question

I bought a Package of 2 Salmon Filletts yesterday and I have no idea how to bake it. I also bought a bottle of Lemon and Herb Marinade for it.

I read somewhere to wrap them/tent them in foil to help keep in juices etc. So I plan on trying that, but for how long do I bake them for? How do I know when they are done?

Thanks for any input!

Also, on what Temp. do I set the oven?

Answer 1

It turns out there are numerous answers to your question and some depend on the degree of firmness you like. A general rule for fish cookery is 10 minutes per inch of thickness measured at the thickest point. This works when sauteing or baking at 350F. While this works well if you like your salmon "well done" I would use 7 or an internal temperature of 150F. If you wrap the fish you will get a flat pink color that is a bit bland. Butter or oil it and bake it openly will yield a more interesting color.

You can also tell by feel. If you make a fist with your hand and feel the firmness between thumb and finger when you squeeze tightly that is "well done"; fist closed but not squeezed will give you "medium rare" and a light squeeze medium. This technique works on most any protein from beef to fish.

A complete alternate which is my preferred technique for skin on salmon is to lightly sprinke the inside of a non-teflon skillet with coarse sea salt and heat it quite hot. Then put the salmon skin side down (don't do this without an exhaust fan- it smokes a bit). Turn the heat down to medium high and watch the sides as the cooking creeps up. I like to keep the top rare so I don't cover it but if you like it more well done cover it for awhile. Do not over cook! Since the skin side will cook more than the top don't go past my medium touch test.

Jacques Pepin recommends yet another method which uses a 240F oven for about 20 minutes per inch. He rubs the fish with oil and doesn't wrap or cover it. My touch test works with this one too.

In general with fish, they are really easy to cook almost any way. Most mistakes result from overcooking. I suggest you try for the doneness you like in a steak and you will be surprised. Gotta have really fresh fish for it to be any good however you cook it!

Answer 2

If the salmon is fresh, you'll want to peel the skin away from the salmon before you cook it. I think it's an unpleasant smell if you leave the skin on-but some people don't mind. Fresh lemon juice is always better for the purpose of "taming" wild fish smells, but bottled might work.

Just squeeze 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice over the fish in it's baking pan (foil isn't needed). I've never marinated salmon but I suppose this is when you'd brush on the marinade too. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. Keep and eye on it-take it out when the salmon is opaque.

Answer 3

I often cook salmon by putting it on foil in a pan, then lay paper thin slices of lemon on top along with parsley or dill. Sometimes, I slice onion very thin and put in a few onion slices. I wrap the foil tight and bake it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about twenty minutes. I open the packet and see if the fish flakes with a fork. If it does, it's done.

Another easy way to cook salmon is to take a frying pan that's a couple of inches deep, put in enough water to cover the fish along with some lemon slices. I bring the water to a gentle simmer...not boiling hard... and slip the fish into the water. This is poaching. You can cover the pan, or not. Stay close by because this only takes about 10 minutes, depending no how thick the fish is. The thicker the cut, the longer it takes. A very thin fillet could be done in 5 minutes. You'll know it's done when you can use a fork to flake it into chunks.

Answer 4

I always wrap ours in heavy foil,I put our salmon on foil, then I put some butter then some garlic powder or garlic salt,now put your lemon juicie ,does not matter if it's fresh or bottled,if I have some dill on hand,I put that on also salt and pepper if you like,wrap your foil up on your salmon,put on pan bake at 350 degrees,for about 30 minutes or so ,it all depends how thick you fillet is,the best,is check on it when you first start to bake it,when you hear it really sisal in the foil pretty good,then time it,to 15-20 minutes,you don't want to over cook salmon,it will get it dry,I usually take it out of the oven when I think it's about done,don't unwrap it right away,let it set,about 10 minutes,it will continue to cook in foil when you let it set,and it will lock the flavors in your salmon,and it won't over cook ether,has this helped you any,good luck and some good eating,

Answer 5

Salmon should never be overdone. It'll lose all the juices if it is. A great ( and simple!) recipe for Salmon that I like using ( and is always a hit at all the parties Ive thrown) is this...

2 lbs. Salmon Filets
1 cup Mayonnaise ( you can use the fat free mayo if you're health conscious)
lots of fresh thyme
salt and pepper

Slather both sides of the Salmon with the Mayo, generously sprinkle both sides with Thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Repeat with the other piece of Salmon and place one on top of the other. Bake in glass cookware for about 45 minutes at 350.

Soooo easy, yet sooo good and good for you!

Answer 6

heres what i do with salmon:

half pack of cream chese,
a cup or so of gralic herb bread crumbs,
small bunch of green onions fine sliced.
splash of milk. (add this last, enough to make it creamy, mixable, but not too wet.. you want a stuffing, not a sauce.)
a little pepper.
tablespoon of worschestershire sauce
one can of crab meat.
a teaspoon of minced garlic
1/4 cup soft butter.


melt the cream cheese in the mic for a aout 20 seconds.. you just want it soft so you can stir it.. add all other ingredients (sorry the amounts are pretty vague, i never measure anything. lol). milk last, just as much as you need. sometimes if i have to deforost the fish quick, ill throw a few spniach leaves ontop of the fish to keep the moisture in as much as possible.. (but not over the stuffing as you want it to bake up nice when you take off the foil)


slice salmon amost in half (like a hot dog bun whee is still barely attached. place your two peices in a glass baking dish.

add stuffing to the cut open center of the salmon so its nice and full. place them so the open side faces each other and add the leftover mixture in the center of the pan. cover with tinfoil, bake 15 minutes at 350*. removed tinfoil, bake 10 more minutes. enjoy!

Answer 7

try this: oven on 250 degrees, season your salmon, i would just use salt and pepper and some fresh lemon juice, never tried the marinade but it sounds good. place them in foil seal them up and place them on a cookie sheet and bake for about 15 to 30 minutes depending on the thickness of the filletts. you can also do this outside on the grill the same way. depending on the temp. range of your oven if after 30 min. there aren't done just keep adding 5 minutes to the time
and keep an eye out on them. sometimes it even requires you to turn the oven up to about 350 degrees.

Answer 8

Wrap in foil and bake at 450 for 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Or place under the broiler until they flake with a fork. don't overcook!

Answer 9

Average salmon fillet is about 11/4 to 13/4" for a center cut. Times: 4min per side turning 45deg every 2min for med/med rare 6min per side for med well/well done, turning the same. To ensure that you get good grill marks brush your fish with good oil and seasoning and place on a "HOT" grill. Don't not try to turn or pick up the salmon until its ready. It will tell you. The hotter the grill, the less it will sick. Hope this helps....................

Answer 10

Go to Kraftfoods.com or Allrecipes.com

Those are both good websites with lots of recipes for Salmon along with cooking instructions.