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Healthy, delicious food doesn’t get any easier than this baked salmon with parsley pesto with heaps of sweet roasted garlic. This simple dish is great for any night of the week! It’s made in one dish and is short on fuss and long on flavor–so enjoy easy cleanup for a change!
Serve with cheesy cheddar broccoli casserole or Jamie Oliver’s ‘mothership’ salad for the perfect meal!
Quick Look: Baked Salmon with Parsley Pesto Recipe
- ⏲️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- ⏲️ Cook Time: 45 minutes
- ⏲️ Total Time: 1 hour
- 👨👩👧👦 Servings: 8
- 🌽 Cuisine & Heritage: American
- 🍽️ Calories: 225 calories per serving (more nutritional info in recipe card)
- 🥦 Dietary Info: Pescetarian, Dairy Free, and Gluten Free
- 🟢 Difficulty: Easy
- 🔥 Cooking Method: Oven Baked
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Mediterranean flavors from bright parsley pesto, lemon zest, and roasted garlic along with tender, flaky salmon.
- 🔑 Top Tip: Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temp of the salmon to ensure it’s cooked through.
- 🍷 Drink Pairings: I love pairing this salmon with a refreshing glass of white wine.
- ❄️ Storage: Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. You can freeze the cooked salmon alone (not the pesto) for up to 3 months.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Bright, Fresh Flavor without Fuss: The parsley pesto wakes up rich salmon with vivid herbs, lemon, and garlic, giving you a dish that feels sophisticated but comes together in a snap.
- Healthy Comfort Food: This nutrient-rich salmon is baked to flaky perfection, and is paired with a vibrant pesto that’s as nourishing as it is delicious.
- Weeknight Dinner Winner: Minimal prep, simple ingredients, and big flavor make this a go-to recipe for busy nights when you still want something impressive.
- Versatile with Sides: This salmon plays beautifully with salads, roasted veggies, or buttery potatoes; it’s elegant enough for guests yet easy enough for every day.
“I made this salmon recipe today for lunch and we all loved it. My son couldn’t have enough of it. He was asking more. I’m planning to make more. Thanks x”
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- 2-Pound Salmon Fillet: Any skinless salmon fillets will work in this dish; get the freshest ones you can. I used Atlantic salmon from my local big box store. I like to leave my fillet whole and intact. If you prefer to bake up individual salmon filets, place salmon fillets with their sides touching into the baking dish as though they were one large filet.
- Roasted Red Pepper: Use either a jarred or freshly fire roasted red pepper that you charred on your grill or over a gas burner. This adds a wonderful color and flavor that you’ll love!
- Fresh Parsley: You’ll need a small bunch of fresh parsley to make the easy pesto to go with the salmon. This fresh herb brings a wonderful flavor that gives this salmon a unique spin!
- Fennel Stalk with Fronds: I love adding a touch of fresh fennel to the pesto and fennel fronds to the dish later on. Its flavor perfectly complements the pesto and the salmon.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Pesto Salmon
Scroll down for the full printable recipe or stick around for the step-by-step breakdown with photos to walk you through every delicious detail.
1
Roast the Garlic and Onion
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Drizzle some olive oil (or avocado oil) in the center of the parchment.
- Trim the onion and cut it in half. Trim the base from the garlic heads. Place all cut side down into the olive oil. Drizzle a light streak of olive oil over the onion and the garlic heads and sprinkle with sea salt and some freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
- Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, using kitchen tongs to carefully turn the onions cut side up halfway during roasting. Leave the garlic cut side down for the duration of the roast.
2
Make the Pesto Sauce
- To make the pesto sauce, take a washed bunch of parsley (stems and all), and tuck it loosely into the barrel of the processor. Cut a nice sized stalk of fennel from the bulb and tear off a few lofty fronds and set aside. Reserve the bulb for later use. Cut the stalk into 1-inch chunks and add them to the food processor. Next add in some raw almonds, lemon zest, quality Balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of sea salt.
- Pulse several times to break up the fennel stalk before processing on high for 1 minute. The mixture should appear crumbly and dry as compared to traditional basil pesto. This is correct.
What Other Herbs Go with Salmon?
There are a handful of fresh herbs do not impart an unpleasant or bitter taste to cooked fish. My ‘short list’ for herbs which pair best with fish (salmon in this case) are parsley, fennel, tarragon, dill, sweet and purple basil, sage, rosemary, bay leaves, French thyme, and cilantro.
3
Assembling the Salmon
- Rinse the salmon under cold water then pat dry with paper towel. I try to dry the surface of the fish as much as I can in this step.
- Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the roasted red peppers and stir to combine.
- At the 30 to 40-minute mark, remove the baking dish from the oven and move the onion halves and the garlic heads to the sides. Boost the oven temperature to 450°F. Arrange the salmon fillet(s) in the center of the parchment and spread the diced roasted pepper mixture all over. It’s at this point that I squeeze a clove or three of the half-roasted garlic from its papery skin and shimmy it atop the fish in a few spots.
- Add a little salt and a little pepper to taste and pop the ensemble back into the hot oven for 15 minutes.
4
Checking the Salmon
- At the 15-minute mark, your salmon should appear pink and the garlic, onion, and roasted peppers roasting with it, very aromatic. Remove the baking dish from the oven and turn the broiler to high heat.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure your salmon is registering close to 145°F internal temperature in the thickest part of the fillet. The broil will get it the rest of the way there as long as you are close. If it’s still registering in the 130°s, place the fish back into the 375°F oven in 5-minute increments. I like my fillet to be between 140°F and 143°F right before I bronze it.
5
Bronzing the Salmon
- Squeeze a few more cloves of the garlic out and swirl them around in the juices around the fish. Add the reserved fennel fronds and begin to scatter the pesto all over the surface of the salmon.
- Place the salmon under the broiler, middle rack. Depending on your oven, allow the fish to go anywhere from 2 to 4 minutes, making sure it does not begin to dry out.
- Pull the salmon from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
When most of us think of pesto, we consider basil and olive oil as the two primary ingredients, generally accompanied by a handful of pine nuts and parmesan cheese. Today’s baked pesto salmon recipe requires parsley and fennel as the herbs of choice. What sets this fish apart is the uniqueness of the flavors, and the parsley is the perfect combination.
This easy vegan pesto doubles as a fabulous gremolata for sprinkling atop salads and fried tofu snacks. If you grow parsley at home, this little hack is a great way to use a small amount of it without a lot left over.
I prefer to add parsley pesto after baking the salmon but before it is broiled so its fresh, herbaceous flavor stays bright and doesn’t dull in the heat. The heat from the broiler heats the pesto through without burning it.
Absolutely! Salmon’s rich, buttery nature loves the clean, grassy freshness of parsley, which cuts through the richness and brings balance, especially when folded into a pesto with lemon and good olive oil.
Serving Suggestions
I usually serve the whole salmon fillet directly from the baking dish, or I will gently slide it onto a fancy platter if serving to company. Serve this healthy dinner recipe alongside buttered orzo and a healthy squeeze of fresh lemon juice, or white rice and green beans, and a glass of white wine.
Wondering what to pair this dish with? You’ll definitely want to try my sautéed beet greens with prosciutto and croutons, maple bacon Brussels sprouts, or creamed pearl onions as easy sides. Lite, seasonal, and a match in ‘deliciousness Heaven!’ Use any leftovers for salmon sliders with Kalamata Yogurt Sauce. These couple-bite handhelds are jazzy enough to serve at a poolside party or as a meat alternative game day snack!
Expert Tips
- Use a baking dish with room around the edges, and line it with parchment paper so the fish does not burn or end up sticking to the baking dish. I crumple the parchment several times, smoothing it out between. It ‘stays put’ now when I fit it into the baking dish.
- I recommend roasting your own bell pepper on your grill or over the flame of your gas range. (If I have time, this is exactly what I do!) If, however, time is tight, use a jarred one and chop it into very fine pieces.
Other Refreshing Dinner Recipes You’ll Love
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Smoked Salmon Brunch Frittata
Southern Classics
Fresh Corn & Tomato Salad
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Baked Salmon with Parsley Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 large roasted red bell pepper, rough chopped into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or avocado oil
- 2 pounds salmon fillet, left whole or trimmed into individual fillets
- 2 large garlic bulbs, base trimmed, bulb intact
- 1 large onion, peeled and halved
- 1 bunch parsley, fresh
- 1 stalk fennel, plus 5 or 6 fronds trimmed from bulb
- lemon zest, from 1 large lemon
- ¼ cup almonds, raw
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, good quality
- sea salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking dish, large enough to fit your piece of salmon with room on all sides, with parchment paper.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil atop the parchment. Place the garlic bulbs and the onion halves cut side down into the baking dish. Dust with a healthy pinch of sea salt and some black pepper. Bake 30 to 40 minutes using kitchen tongs halfway through to turn only the onion halves right side up. Leave the garlic cut side down for the duration of the roast.
- Chop the roasted red pepper and add to a small bowl. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and stir to combine. Set aside.
- In the barrel of a food processor, add the parsley (leaves and stems), the fennel stalk (chopped into 1-inch pieces to fit), lemon zest, almonds, Balsamic vinegar, and a few pinches of sea salt. Pulse to initially break up the fennel, then process on high for a full minute. The mixture should appear crumbly and dry as compared to traditional basil pesto. This is correct.
- Rinse the salmon under cold water then pat dry with paper towel. At the 30 to 40-minute mark, remove the baking dish from the oven and move the onion halves and the garlic heads to the sides. Raise the oven temperature to 450°F. Arrange the salmon fillet(s) in the center of the parchment and spread the diced roasted pepper mixture all over.
- Squeeze several cloves of the half-roasted garlic from its papery skin and shimmy it atop the fish in a few spots. Add some additional sea salt and black pepper to taste and replace to the hot oven for 15 minutes.
- Test the salmon in the thickest part of the fillet using an instant read thermometer. The salmon is cooked through at 145°F however I pull it at between 140°F and 143°F in preparation for the broiler which will get the fish to the 145°F in a matter of minutes while also bronzing the surface. If your fish is reading just under 145°F, pull it from the oven. If, however, the fish is still registering in the 130°s, place the fish back into the 450°F oven in 2-minute increments.
- Turn on your ovens broil element. Scatter the pesto atop the salmon and in any pools of liquid accumulating around the sides. Add the reserved fennel fronds in and around the ingredients. Place in the middle position beneath the broiler for 2 to 4 minutes only or the fish may become dry. Use the instant read again to test for doneness. You are looking for 145°F.
- Remove from the oven. Spoon any liquids that have accumulated in the bottom of the dish over the fish. Allow it to stand 5 full minutes before serving. Ensure each eater receives some of the roasted garlic and roasted onion.
Notes
- Use a baking dish with room around the edges, and line it with parchment paper so the fish does not burn or end up sticking to the baking dish. I crumple the parchment several times, smoothing it out between. It ‘stays put’ now when I fit it into the baking dish.
- I recommend roasting your own bell pepper on your grill or over the flame of your gas range. (If I have time, this is exactly what I do!) If, however, time is tight, use a jarred one and chop it into very fine pieces.
- Leftover salmon may be stored under refrigeration in an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid for up to 3-4 days. Enjoy cold in salads, baked into omelets, or swathed with a lovely Kalamata yogurt sauce in some chilled salmon sliders.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How this Recipe Came About…
This recipe came about simply by me trying to emulate an abbreviated version of a baked Alaskan salmon I had while vacationing in Vancouver.
Over my 10-day stay in what can only be described as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, I enjoyed this pesto salmon recipe three times. I kept returning to the restaurant where I’d experienced it on our first night in town because I just could not get enough of it.
The plate emerged from the kitchen with a couple of extra items aside from what I am offering herein today – tiny potatoes and blistered cherry tomatoes. They’d been scored on top and roasted right on the baking sheet with the fish.
The entire experience on all three occasions had me exiting the restaurant as though I’d just consumed a steak dinner; it was that hearty. Rather than a high-fat meat supper however, I was enjoying an entree with so much flavor that was also a healthy meal all the way around.
I used a mix of parsley and cilantro for the pesto and it worked great! It added a fresh, herby flavor that complemented the salmon well. It’s healthy, flavorful, and satisfying.
I made this salmon recipe today for lunch and we all loved it. My son couldn’t have enough of it. He was asking more. I’m planning to make more. Thanks x
The pesto with salmon is the best flavor combination! I served this with pasta to get all those extra juices and it was so good.
I made it, and it’s fantastic! I love the flavors of roasted bell pepper- it has this sweet smokiness. It blends well with everything making the salmon so flavorful.
This was sooo delicious! I never thought that a parsley pesto would taste so good. This is now on my weekly rotation!
Salmon is the best. Love it.
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This makes my mouth water!! It sounds divine! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for dinner party – hope to see you at this weeks party.