Slow Roasted Salmon

5 from 1 vote

Learn how to slow roast salmon for the most tender and moist fish! This is my go-to preparation for salmon when we have guests, because I don't have to worry about over baking it. Serve it alone, or top it with a vibrant herb sauce.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 192kcal

Author: Michelle Miller

Ingredients

2 pound salmon filet *see notes on adjusting bake times based on fish
2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika optional
black pepper to taste
lemon juice to serve (lemon wedges or drizzle lemon juice on to serve)
Mojo Verde optional (Spanish green pepper sauce)

Instructions

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.
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.
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!
Serve Slow Baked Salmon with Mojo Verde or Argentinean Chimichurri Sauce!

Video

Notes

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.

Nutrition