Baked Salmon with Lemon Pepper (Printable)

Moist, flaky salmon fillets with a zesty lemon pepper crust. Simple, healthy, and bursting with bright flavor.

# What You Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 4 salmon fillets, 6 ounces each, skin-on or skinless

→ Seasonings

02 - 1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
03 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
04 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
05 - ½ teaspoon onion powder

→ Citrus

06 - 1 large lemon, zested and juiced, with reserved slices for garnish

→ Fats & Oils

07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Herbs

08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly oil the surface.
02 - Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Arrange skin-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
03 - Drizzle olive oil evenly over all fillets.
04 - In a small bowl, combine lemon zest, black pepper, sea salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.
05 - Sprinkle the seasoning mixture evenly across the salmon surface.
06 - Drizzle fresh lemon juice over each fillet.
07 - Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until salmon flakes easily with a fork and is opaque throughout the center.
08 - Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon slices before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The lemon zest creates this incredible aromatic crust that seals in moisture while baking, something I discovered by happy accident when I was heavy-handed with the zester.
  • You can prep the entire dish in under 10 minutes, making it my go-to for those evenings when you want something that feels special but requires minimal effort.
02 -
  • Overcooking is the enemy of great salmon, so pull it from the oven when it reaches 145°F (63°C) or when its just barely opaque in the center, as it will continue cooking for a few minutes after removal.
  • The thickness of your fillets matters more than their weight when determining cooking time, with a general rule of about 4-6 minutes per half-inch of thickness.
03 -
  • Always bring salmon to room temperature for about 15 minutes before baking, as cold fish straight from the refrigerator will cook unevenly and often end up overdone on the outside while still raw in the center.
  • The visual cue that saved my salmon game was learning to look for the white protein (albumin) that begins to seep out, when you see just a small amount appearing, its often the perfect time to check for doneness.

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