Slow Roasted Salmon

My all-time favorite way to prepare salmon is this Slow Roasted Salmon recipe. It’s a fool proof way to make sure your salmon is tender and moist. Serve slow roasted salmon with chives and lemon, or opt for a sauce like Mojo Verde or Chimichurri!

If you adore salmon like I do, and also love one-pan dinners, try my Oven Baked Salmon with veggies, or my spa-worth Pesto Salmon recipe.

The Perfect Way to Cook Salmon

I adore salmon. It defrosts quickly, cooks quickly, and has so many positive health benefits — and to top it off, it’s so delicious!

When I make a meal for myself, I often wrap it in foil with some simple seasonings and bake it for 20 minutes. Dinner is ready in a hurry.

But when I have a whole salmon filet, or am cooking salmon for a crowd, I opt for this slow-roasted salmon recipe.

By cooking salmon at a lower temperature, it maintains moisture, resulting in tender salmon that flakes at the touch of your fork.

It arguable takes less work than traditional baking methods. Run the fish filet down with some olive oil, season it with salt, pepper, and paprika, and pop it in the oven.

If you get busy with other things, it won’t overcook!

I recommend cooking your salmon on the well side of medium, so it maintains a fresh pink flesh in the center.

However you serve this dish, it’s sure to a hit!

What You’ll Need

• Salmon Filet (any type will work – I used Wild Sockeye Salmon. See notes for cooking times based on thickness and fat content of your salmon! Farm salmon, and varieties like King salmon, have a higher fat content.)
• Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Paprika (or Spanish Pimentón De La Vera, smoked paprika)
• Lemon Juice (to squeeze onto fish after baking)
• Mojo Verde (optional, to serve! This is a bright Spanish green sauce made with cilantro, garlic, and olive oil)

How to Slow Roast Salmon

Step 1: Line a rimmed baking sheet or large baking dish with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 225º F (110º C). Allow salmon to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes prior to baking it.

Step 2: Place salmon fillet skin-side down on the baking pan, and rub salmon with olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika. If desired, place several lemon slices on top of the fish.

Step 3: Slow bake the salmon for 22-40 minutes, depending on thickness of filet and fat content of fish. Wild salmon has a lower fat content than farm-raised salmon. Some types of wild salmon, like King salmon, have a higher fat content. See cooking charts below!

Step 4: Serve Slow Baked Salmon with Mojo Verde or Argentinean Chimichurri Sauce!

How Long to Bake Salmon

Slow roasted salmon bakes at 225º F, which means it takes twice as long as broiling salmon.

The best way to know when your salmon is baked is using an instant read thermometer. Bake salmon to the desired doneness when a meat thermometer is placed into the thickest part of the fish.

Wild Salmon Internal Temperature: (sockeye or Coho salmon)

• Medium Rare Salmon: 110º F
• Medium Salmon: 120º F
• Medium Well Salmon: 125º F
• Well Done Salmon: 130º F

*Farmed salmon has more fat and a different collagen structure, so can be cooked to slightly higher temperatures without tasting dried out.

King salmon is an exception to wild salmon, as it has a naturally higher fat content. It can also be cooked slightly higher than other varieties, like sockeye or Coho.

Estimated Baking Times for Slow Roasted Salmon

These times are estimates for a 2 pound salmon filet. For the most accurate results, use the cooking temperatures above.

• Medium Rare Salmon: 22-25 minutes
• Medium Salmon: 25-28 minutes
• Medium Well Salmon: 28-32 minutes
• Well Done Salmon: 33-38 minutes

Increase cooking times for farmed Atlantic salmon or wild King salmon by 4-5 minutes.

FAQ & How to Store Leftover Salmon

How to Store Slow Roasted Salmon

Salmon will always be best served freshly baked. If there are leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

If you are cooking salmon for meal prep, slow roasting it is the best way to ensure it’s still moist the next day!

A great way to repurpose leftover slow roasted salmon is with these Zucchini Salmon Patties or these Sweet Potato Salmon Croquettes.

Can you Overcook Salmon?

Salmon easily overcooks, especially wild salmon filets. Slow roasting salmon is a great way to slow down the cooking speed, giving you more leeway. Using a meat thermometer also helps gauge how long to cook salmon to your perfect desired doneness.

Slow roasting salmon results in buttery salmon, perfect to enjoy as is, or dress up.

Is it better to bake salmon at high or low temperature?

Salmon can be baked anywhere between 180º F and 550º F. The lower the temperature, the longer it will take to cook the salmon, but the more tender the flesh of the fish will be.

Cooking salmon at higher temperatures works for a quick meal, but it’s much easier to dry out the fish.

If choosing to bake salmon at a higher temperature, I recommend making foil or parchment paper packets to protect it and seal in more moisture.

How to Serve Slow Roasted Salmon

Serve slow roasted salmon simply with chives and lemon juice, or dress it up by drizzling an herb sauce on top of the salmon!

We love:

• Lemon juice and chopped fresh dill
• Mojo Verde (Canarian Green Pepper Sauce)
• Chimichurri (Argentinean parsley and garlic sauce)
• Basil Walnut Pesto (or try this Pesto Salmon recipe)
• In a small bowl, add any fresh herbs, a chopped garlic clove, some olive oil and lemon juice, to make a quick herb salsa.

Side Dishes to Serve with Salmon

• Mexican Caesar Salad
• Baked Sweet Potatoes
• Strawberry Spinach Salad
• Air Fryer Asparagus

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