Hello friends ~ I hope everyone’s hanging in there! I did a poll on IG about what content you’d like to see during this time, and got quite a few votes for more cooking posts. If you haven’t already, check out the Extra (Ap)Petite archives (this white chicken chili is a reader favorite and uses mostly pantry ingredients) and I have a couple more to share that are both delicious and easy – and kid friendly! For babies / younger toddlers, scroll to the bottom to see how I season the fish differently.
Today’s post is inspired by a dish my good friend made for us once, and I couldn’t believe how quickly she whipped everything together. The fish stays very tender through baking and is sweet, savory, and garlicky – yum! I asked for the recipe between mouthfulls and it’s been in our regular rotation since! I just make a few modifications to reduce the sweetness, and added some acidity with vinegar. I prefer to use fresh salmon, but if you’re buying groceries now for later, you can freeze uncooked salmon and just put it in the refrigerator 1 day prior to slowly thaw.
EXTRA (AP)PETITE: EASY & DELISH SOY GARLIC SALMON
Ingredients
- 1 lb salmon filet
- 2 Tablespoons light soy sauce. We get ours from the Asian grocery.
- 2 Tablespoons real maple syrup. Try honey or brown sugar if you don’t have maple syrup.
- 2 to 4 cloves garlic minced, depending on how much you like garlic
- Black pepper
- Optional: 2 teaspoons rice vinegar in the marinade for a little acidity or apple cider vinegar
- Optional: garlic powder grated ginger, red pepper flakes, sesame oil (I drizzle this on top of the fish on my serving plate)
Instructions
Mix marinade. In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic, light soy sauce, maple syrup, and optional rice vinegar and grated ginger.
Put the fish in an oven-safe dish / pan and add a good amount of pepper (and optional garlic powder) all over the filet. If your fish has skin, just leave it on and bake it skin side down (the skin will come off easily after cooking). Line your dish with foil or parchment paper to make this an easy-cleanup meal.
Pour marinade mixture over the salmon. Cover and refrigerate for up to 30 minutes (fish is delicate so I wouldn’t marinade for longer). Start cooking your rice while salmon is marinading.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes for small, thinner pieces of salmon or 20-25 minutes for thicker, larger pieces. Before baking I try to spoon as much of the marinade and garlic back on top of the salmon filet. Check your salmon and it’s done when the center of the filet flakes easily with a fork. For our approximately 1lb piece that was thicker than 1 inch, it needed about 20 minutes.
Serve with roasted veggies and rice or noodles! I love this with rice to soak up any extra sauce.
To think of this simply, it’s just a 1 to 1 soy to maple syrup ratio, plus a generous helping of garlic and a dash of vinegar.
I also like to roast some veggies as sides while the oven is going! With firmer or root veggies like potatoes, carrots or squash, I’ll turn the oven temp up higher and put them in first while the salmon is marinading. Otherwise for veggies like zucchini or asparagus, the baking time is about the same.
I roasted my asparagus in a separate dish (then combined them for serving) since I wasn’t sure how long they’d take to cook, but it was approximately the same amount of time as my salmon.
modifications for little ones
My friend’s 2 year old gobbles this salmon up alongside his parents, but if you want to cut back on sodium and sweetness for babies / younger kids, I usually just set aside a small salmon piece for Nori and season it lightly. She hasn’t taken a liking to these flavors on her salmon yet, so I’ll drizzle her filet with olive oil then simply add a little salt (omit for infants), pepper, garlic powder, and a squeeze of lemon juice when serving.
Tender Tip: When baking fish or veggies for babies or younger toddlers, I like to wrap them in a parchment paper or foil packet sealed with your fingertips. Making a sealed packet helps the inner contents “steam” within the packet and be extra tender, versus drying out in the oven.
Nori’s dinner (she’s 19 months old): salmon, potato cubes, sweet potato, some of our asparagus with the soy garlic sauce, and kiwi for dessert on her Beaba suction dining set.
I cut russet potatoes into cubes (toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, dried herbs, garlic powder) and I simply bake the sweet potato whole with the skin on wrapped in foil. Bake both together at a higher temp like 400 degrees – potato cubes took about 30 minutes while the whole sweet potato took about 40 minutes to be fork-tender. The skin on the foil wrapped sweet potato peels off easily afterwards!
Leftovers
I’ll be posting in the near future about a tasty way to reinvent leftovers like this (I usually can’t stand eating leftover fish!) – in the meantime, keep an eye out for large sheets of roasted seaweed(any brand) the next time you’re able to go out for groceries or place an Amazon order!
Let me know what recipes you guys have been cooking lately! (I could use the meal planning inspo!)
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FAQs
What is the best temperature to bake salmon? 400°F (205°C) is ideal as it allows the fish to gain colour and the skin to become crispy. If you prefer a milder method, you can bake it at 350°F (175°C) for 20-25 minutes or until done. The salmon baked at 425°F (215°C) produces tender, creamy fillets that cook quickly.
What sauce goes well with salmon? ›
Of course there are plenty of familiar favourites that pair well with salmon; garlic butter sauce, teriyaki or hollandaise to name just a few (the latter being more for your inner masterchef). For now though, let's dive right on in with a classic hollandaise recipe followed by our take on teriyaki.
What is good with salmon for dinner? ›
Sides for salmon
- Puy lentil salad with soy beans, sugar snap peas & broccoli. A star rating of 4.9 out of 5. ...
- Easy quinoa salad. A star rating of 4.6 out of 5. ...
- Perfect mashed potatoes. ...
- Broccoli salad. ...
- Smacked cucumber pickles. ...
- Pasta primavera. ...
- Quinoa, squash & broccoli salad. ...
- Roasted asparagus & pea salad.
Wrap your salmon in a parchment packet with aromatics, citrus, veggies, and a drizzle of olive oil. The steam trapped in the packet will infuse the fish with flavor and cook it gently, making it tender and juicy. Bonus: The parchment packets only take about 15 minutes at 425°F and the cleanup is minimal.
Should you cover salmon when baking? ›
Baked salmon is best when cooked at 425°F in the oven.
Even thicker fillets don't take long. We recommend baking the salmon uncovered. Simply rub the fillets with a little oil, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, then place them in the roasting pan skin-side down before popping them in the oven.
What to season salmon with? ›
Salmon does not need much seasoning to be flavorful. You can season it with just salt and black pepper or with a combination of lemon juice, fresh herbs, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, butter, minced garlic, and any other flavors you desire. 3. Dry the salmon to ensure crispy skin.
Why put mayo on salmon? ›
Humble mayonnaise, at its essence, is “just protein and fat,” says associate food editor Kendra Vaculin. “It promotes quick browning, works like a nonstick coating to help release fish from the sheet pan, and helps seasonings penetrate better.”
What is the best vegetable to eat with salmon? ›
Pair salmon with one of these delicious veggie side dishes. Vegetables that go with salmon, like zucchini, broccoli, cucumber and spinach, are perfect sides especially for summer.
What should I put on top of my salmon? ›
A creamy but slightly tangy sauce works really well with salmon, and it's why sour cream-dill sauce over salmon is such a classic. Try mixing in curry powder, Sriracha, or scallions into yogurt or crème fraîche for an easy, elegant salmon topper.
What does Gordon Ramsay serve with salmon? ›
Gordon Ramsay's Fit Food: Grilled Salmon, Garlic Mushrooms & Lentil Salad.
Put a spoon full of sauce onto a clean empty plate on one side. Then lightly place your spoon over a dollop of sauce. Lightly pressing down, glide the spoon in a “swoosh” motion to cover the plate. Place your cooked salmon on top of the base “swoosh” and lightly garnish the plate with your seasonings.
What is a dinner portion of salmon? ›
What Does a Serving Size for Salmon Look Like? Key takeaways: A typical serving size for salmon is between 3 oz to 4 oz for adults. The FDA and Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating at least 8 oz of fish per week, which is around two or more servings of salmon or other fish.
What not to do when cooking salmon? ›
No matter which method you choose, these tips from the Bon Appétit test kitchen will ease you through the process swimmingly.
- Taking Off the Skin. First of all—skin is tasty! ...
- Dramatically Overcooking. ...
- Not Knowing When It's Done. ...
- Only Searing Salmon. ...
- Poaching Salmon in Water. ...
- Buying Poor-Quality Fish.
For smaller, crispy, skin-on Salmon; a crispy pan sear is recommended. For bigger fillets, and succulent, skin-off King Salmon; the best method would be cooking in an oven.
Is it better to cook salmon in foil or not? ›
Cooking salmon in foil just makes things easier. It creates a buttery, fresh, evenly cooked fish without having to be as precise. Moisture is preserved while flavor is exploded! Your fish won't have any char marks either!
Is 400 degrees too hot for salmon? ›
Bake salmon at 400 degrees F for 11 to 14 minutes for 6-ounce fillets or 15 to 18 minutes for a single side, until it registers 135 degrees F on an instant read thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the salmon.
How long should salmon be in at 350? ›
The ideal temperature to bake salmon is at 350°. At that temperature, a large piece of salmon should take about 25 minutes to bake in the oven.
What temp does salmon taste best? ›
Salmon Temperature – 125°F
Salmon – like all fish – has almost no collagen, which means it will start to lose moisture more quickly than beef. While the FDA recommends cooking fish to 145°F, for a flakier, more moist and tender salmon filet, many chefs find that it's best enjoyed when cooked to medium – 125°F.
How do you not overcook salmon in the oven? ›
Use a “barrier”: This tip will come in handy when you're baking fillets. Olive oil, butter, or even a sauce can serve as a protective barrier between the salmon and the heat, allowing it to cook without losing too much moisture. Herbs, vegetables, and lemon slices can also be used to to fillets as they cook.
