Easiest Baked Salmon Recipe + 5 Marinades!

This foolproof formula makes the perfect baked salmon every time – choose from yummy marinades like honey garlic, teriyaki and maple dijon!  

Ingredients and substitutions

• Salmon fillets – either farmed or wild salmon would work. Keep in mind that farmed salmon is higher in calories.

Teriyaki marinade

• Sesame oil – or another neutral cooking oil like grapeseed or olive oil.
• Low-sodium soy sauce – coconut aminos or tamari are the best substitutes here.
• Brown sugar – a combination of white sugar and molasses would also work.
• Garlic – fresh minced garlic will provide the best flavour but jarred minced garlic can also be used.
• Ginger – fresh minced ginger is best but ground ginger will work in a pinch.

Lemon garlic marinade

• Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like grapeseed or avocado oil.
• Lemon juice – freshly squeezed lemon juice is best but you can also use the bottled variety.
• Garlic – fresh minced garlic will provide the best flavour but jarred minced garlic can also be used.
• Parsley – try swapping out for fresh chervil or tarragon instead.
• Salt & pepper – to taste.

Chili lime marinade

• Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like grapeseed or avocado oil.
• Sweet chili sauce – a mix of hot sauce and honey will provide a similar flavour.
• Lime juice – freshly squeezed lime juice is best but you can also used the bottled variety.
• Salt & pepper – to taste.

Maple dijon marinade

• Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like grapeseed or avocado oil.
• Dijon mustard – stone-ground mustard or spicy brown mustard would be the best substitutes here.
• Maple syrup – honey or agave would also provide some sweetness to this marinade.
• Salt & pepper – to taste.

Mango salsa

• Mango – try using another fruit like pineapple or peach.
• Red pepper – any colour bell pepper would work here like yellow or orange.
• Red onion – you can use white or yellow onion but it will have a milder flavour.
• Lime juice – freshly squeezed lime juice is best but the bottled variety will work in a pinch.
• Cilantro – leave this out altogether if you don’t like cilantro.
• Salt & pepper – to taste.

How to make baked salmon

1. Preheat the oven.
2. Make the marinade.
3. Marinate the salmon.
4. Bake for 12 minutes.
5. Serve and enjoy!

What type of salmon to buy

You basically have two options when it comes to buying salmon: farmed and wild. Farmed salmon is usually a bit pinker in colour, and it can be fattier while containing more calories per serving than wild salmon. Wild salmon (also labelled sockeye salmon) eat a very different diet than farmed salmon so this type tends to be leaner, lower in calories and more nutritionally dense.

You can read more on the nutritional differences between wild vs farmed salmon here.

Try to choose wild sockeye salmon if your budget allows as this tends to be the better choice flavour-wise and you get more of the nutritional benefits of salmon. You can often find it frozen in bulk, which can help with the higher costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long to marinate salmon for

Salmon marinades can add a lot of flavour to the fish, especially when you’re baking it. I'm not a giant fan of fish or salmon personally, but these marinades cut the fishy flavour. You'll convert to a fish fan after trying them! The length of time it takes to marinate salmon depends on the marinade you’re using.

Marinades with acid: marinate the salmon for less than 30 minutes or it will start “cooking” the fish (anything with lemon juice or vinegar will do this).

Marinades without acid: you can marinate the salmon overnight in the refrigerator, but don’t leave it for longer than a day. Fish tend to start going “mushy” if left to marinate too long.

The best salmon marinade recipes

Below you will see the different salmon marinades pictured and labelled.  Each marinade is super simple and has 5 ingredients or less – and you should have most of the ingredients already on hand at home. The best part about marinating salmon is that it really only needs 15 minutes or so to capture the flavours.

Teriyaki marinade

Lemon garlic marinade

Sweet chili marinade

Honey dijon marinade

Mango salsa marinade

Storing and reheating

If you have any leftovers, gently reheat it the next day. Make sure you go low and slow – fish will dry out from aggressive re-heating. Sprinkle some water over top of the salmon, then place a wet paper towel on top and microwave on low for 1 minute or so. This is the best way to reheat!

You can also take your baked salmon and turn it into something else. Instead of eating the baked salmon the next day as is, why not take a fork, flake it apart and use it in a completely new dish? Try substituting if in place of meat or other fish in recipes:

• Make a salmon salad sandwich
• Add it to pasta
• Toss the salmon flakes into a salad and eat it cold (this way you avoid any fishy taste from overheating)

Freezing raw salmon

You can store frozen, raw salmon without losing much quality for 2 to 3 months in a freezer.   

Avoid thawing your salmon using heat. Instead, cover it and leave it in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. You can leave it in the refrigerator for up to two days before using it.

If you’re pressed for time, place the frozen salmon in a sealed bag and under cold running water until it thaws. (If you do this, you need to cook it the same day.) Before cooking, let it sit for about 15-20 minutes so that it comes closer to room temperature.

More easy marinade recipes

• Perfect Baked Chicken Breast + 6 Marinades
• 8 Best Ever Steak Marinades
• Best Ever Shrimp Marinade

Meal prep tools for this recipe

• Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on meal prepping this baked salmon.
• Use these Ziploc bag holders for easy marinating.
• Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months.