This baked salmon recipe is one of the tastiest and easiest weeknight meals you can make. Opt for farmed Atlantic salmon and brush each filet with oil to ensure a juicy result.

A simple kosher sugar and salt seasoning cooks easily into salmon. It’s smoky, sweet, salty and deliciously aromatic – plus its reddish hue brings a bit of color and life to the plate.

Learn how to make baked salmon. The best part? After just 10 minutes in the oven, your salmon is ready. Serve warm with vegetables and potatoes or save leftovers to eat cold over salad all week.

Ingredients for simple baked salmon

Besides the salmon, you’ll need just four ingredients for a simple mix of spices and olive oil. Baked salmon can work with any spice mix, of course. We love its sweet-smoky flavors.

• Kosher Salt: It helps keep the salmon tender and juicy while it cooks and enhances the flavors of the spice mix.
• brown sugar: Balance the salt to bring together all the flavors of the spice mix.
• Garlic powder: Not as strong as fresh garlic, garlic powder is a little sweeter and mixes nicely with the chili powder.
• Chili Powder: It brings some sweetness and smokiness to the spice frequency.
• Salmon fillets: You can use fillets without skin or fillets with skin – it depends on your preference.
• Olive oil: Cover the salmon to keep it juicy, moist and flavorful. If you don’t have pure olive oil, a neutral oil on high heat is best.

How to make baked salmon

The hardest part is waiting while it’s in the oven for 10 minutes. Here are the basic steps for baking a simple salmon dish:

• Step 1: Mix the spices. Mix the salt, sugar, garlic powder and chili powder.
• Step 2: Prepare fillets. Arrange the salmon fillets on a tray lined with baking paper. Brush with oil and sprinkle with the spice mixture.
• Step 3: Bake the salmon. Bake the salmon at 400°F until it flakes easily, about 10 to 12 minutes.

What type of salmon should you use for baked salmon?

We prefer farmed Atlantic salmon for a simple baked salmon recipe like this one. Its natural fat works well for basic baking, while wild salmon has a leanness that is more prone to drying out.

How long does the salmon cook?

A 5- to 6-ounce salmon fillet is about an inch thick. You should plan to bake the salmon at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes. For thinner or thicker fillets, you will need to adjust the cooking time.

Aim for a temperature of about 135°F. The fish will continue to cook and the temperature will rise to 145°F, the minimum internal temperature suggested by the US Department of Agriculture.