Best Baked Salmon.
Salmon coated with a rub of dark brown sugar, cumin, garlic powder and salt. Beyond simple to prep. Quick to cook. And incredible to eat. This salmon dinner is sweet, savory, garlicky and, well, just perfect. THIS is the salmon dish we make every single week. Sometimes twice a week. And every guest who has had dinner at our house (back when we used to be able to have people over) has had this one. And they all love it.
We are always looking for new ways to cook salmon. You to? We try lots of different recipes, always seeking out a new favorite. We’ve found many. But this Best Baked Salmon is our go-to. It’s an every day recipe that’s extra ordinary. In fact, it’s probably the dinner we make most often.
What’s in the rub for this Best Baked Salmon?
- dark brown sugar
- ground cumin
- garlic powder
- kosher salt
- That’s it!
On occasion we’ll add a dash of chili powder, but the above is the blend we use most often. I don’t even measure it anymore – you really can’t go wrong.
A few important notes about this Best Baked Salmon recipe:
- We use this for baking/roasting the salmon, but we also use the rub for grilling the fish. Both ways are amazing, so try them both, depending on the season.
- The leftover salmon is fabulous the next day overtop a salad. I typically reheat my salmon in the toaster, so it gets a bit crispy. It’s also great flaked up and made into salmon cakes/patties the next day.
- This recipe is kid friendly. My 3 year old eats more of this salmon than I do. At least 1/2 lb!
- As for what to serve with this salmon? Any roasted or grilled veggies, brown rice or a crusty loaf of bread with butter. Ohhh and don’t forget to serve the fish with lots of fresh lemon – always fresh lemon.
Fatty fish, like salmon, is ridiculously good for you and me. Why?
- Adults who eat seafood regularly have better memory and live longer than those who don’t
- Eating seafood while pregnant is good for your baby’s brain development and can even boost baby’s IQ
- Eating seafood 2-3 times a week reduces the risk of death from any health-related cause by 17 percent
- Studies show omega-3s can reduce the risk of heart disease, depression, dementia and arthritis
Learn more about the health benefits of seafood from my friends at the Seafood Nutrition Partnership.
Here’s how to make this simple and easy salmon recipe:
Best Baked Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 lbs salmon filet (center cut, if possible), skin on cut into 4 equal portions, room temperature (leave salmon out for about 20-30 minutes prior to cooking)
For serving
- 1 lemon or lime cut into wedges
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with tin foil.
- Combine brown sugar, cumin, garlic powder and salt in a small bowl. Pat salmon dry with a paper towel. Place salmon onto baking sheet. Coat salmon portions with rub on 3 sides (not the skin-on side).
- Place salmon in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on thickness. Time will vary, but a good rule of thumb is to cook the fish 8-10 minutes per inch of thickness. Salmon should flake easily with a fork in the thickest part of the filet. I typically broil the salmon for the last 1-2 minutes so it develops a nice crust.
- Serve salmon over brown rice with any roasted veggie you like. Also, serve with plenty of lemon wedges.
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