Cooking Your Catch

Updated December 19th 2021

Easy Baked Salmon

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

(Servings 2)


Looking for a quick and easy way to prepare salmon? Try this easy foil-baked salmon recipe for flaky, juicy, and tender salmon fillets with minimal cleanup. It's served with a delectable sauce that's acidic, spicy, sweet, and salty all at the same time.

Ingredients

▢1 pound salmon (Note 1)

▢1/4 teaspoon table salt

▢1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

▢1/2 navel orange, sliced

▢1 teaspoon fresh dill

Sauce:

▢1/2 navel orange, juiced (about 3 tablespoons)

▢1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

▢1/4 cup brown sugar (Note 2)

▢1 tablespoon sriracha (Note 3)

▢5 cloves garlic, minced

▢1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

Instructions

To make the sauce, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan, reserving the other half of the orange for later. Stir everything together and cook for a few minutes over medium to medium-low heat. Take the pan off the heat and set it aside.

Prepare the salmon by lining a baking sheet with foil and greasing it. Place the salmon on top of the foil. Season the salmon with salt and pepper to taste. Cut the remaining half of the orange into slices and tuck them under the sides of the salmon. Fold up the sides of the foil to keep the liquid in, and pour half of the sauce over the salmon.

Bake uncovered at 400°F for 15 minutes, or until salmon is cooked through (internal temperature reaches 145°F). Serve the salmon topped with the leftover sauce and garnished with fresh dill.

NUTRITION

Makes 2 Servings

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Salmon. Ideally, select a salmon portion that has uniform thickness so that it cooks evenly. Skin-on is fine; to cook, place the salmon skin side down on the foil-lined baking sheet. If frozen, defrost in the refrigerator before using in this recipe, or run under cold tap water until thawed.

(2) Brown Sugar. This can be replaced by sugar substitutes like Swerve’s “brown sugar,” which has zero calories and zero carbs. Making this substitution would result in about 420 calories and 11 grams of net carbs per serving.

(3) Sriracha. I use the brand Huy Fong. You can substitute with another chili garlic sauce or your favorite hot sauce.

(4) Serving. Serve salmon with side dishes like sautéed asparagus, roasted mushrooms, steamed broccoli, or Asian cucumber salad.

(5) Other Cooking Methods. If you prefer not to use the oven, check out recipes for pan-seared salmon and pressure-cooked salmon.