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Get dinner on the table in under 30-minutes and with less than 5 ingredients with an easy family friendly dinner recipe – bold, bright and citrusy Baked Lemon Pepper Salmon!
Scroll down for the Baked Lemon Pepper Salmon recipe or PIN IT for later!
In all my years working in recipe development and professional meal planning, one of the top requests has always been easy recipes with minimal ingredients and prep.
Which I totally get. After a long week day, spending hours in the kitchen – with dinner prep, cooking and cleaning – is the last thing most people want to do.
And even though I LOVE to roll up my sleeves and spend hours in the kitchen cooking and baking, I too have those days where I don’t even want to step foot in the kitchen.
That’s why I am constantly trying, testing and revisiting tried and true classics that can be made in 30-minutes or less. Things like our favorite Southwestern Quinoa Skillet Dinner, Beef and Broccoli Bowls and Sausage, Apple and Kale Salad.
Salmon is one of my favorite go to proteins for a busy night because it is so versatile and cooks up very quickly.
Not only that, salmon is such a nutrient dense food, rich Omega-3 fatty acids, B Vitamins and antioxidants.
And while it can be a more expensive protein than say chicken, I usually stock up on it during sales or on my Costco runs (Costco usually has really good quality salmon at an affordable price).
Then when paired with simple sides like steamed vegetables and rice or quinoa, salmon can be a regular part of everyone’s meal plans, even if you are trying to stick to more budget friendly dinners.
Since we eat salmon at least once a week, we have so many salmon recipes that we love and rotate through, like our Everything Salmon, Soy Ginger Salmon and today’s recipe for Lemon Pepper Salmon.
This Lemon Pepper Salmon recipe is simple with only four ingredients, but doesn’t lack on bright, citrusy flavor! It also comes together quickly and is a great recipe for any beginner or experienced home cooks looking to add more salmon to their weekly meal plan!
Do you eat salmon regularly? What is your go to recipe? Please share in the comments below!
Helpful Cooking Tips and Information:
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN SALMON IS FINISHED Cooking?
Salmon is thoroughly cooked when the salmon flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 145-degrees Fahrenheit.
CAN SALMON BE COOKED FROM FROZEN?
While I think any meat or fish cooks the most evenly and yields the best texture and flavor when completely thawed in the refrigerator, salmon can be cooked from frozen.
To cook salmon completely from frozen, place 2-3 (6-ounce) frozen salmon fillets (if skin is still attached, skin side down) in an 8-inch square baking dish. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 425-degree Fahrenheit oven for 15-20 minutes, or until you can pierce salmon easily with a knife.
Remove foil and continue cooking salmon as directed in recipe below, until salmon is cooked through to 145-degrees Fahrenheit.
If salmon is only partially frozen, simply add an additional 5-10 minutes to the cooking time listed in the recipe directions, cooking just until salmon is cooked through to 145-degrees Fahrenheit.
How long can salmon be frozen?
Raw or cooked salmon can be stored in the freezer for 2-3 months.
To freeze salmon, wrap individual salmon fillets in foil and place in a freezer safe baggie. Alternatively, you can use a FoodSaver to vacuum seal individual portions of salmon.
WHAT GOES WELL WITH SALMON?
To keep this meal easy, I usually serve this Lemon Pepper Salmon with brown rice or quinoa and steamed broccoli or asparagus.
If I have a little bit more time, I like to serve this salmon recipe with Green Bean Salad with Cranberries, Walnuts and Feta (as shown in the picture below), Fresh Broccoli Salad or Spinach Berry Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing.
If you like this salmon recipe, then you’ll love these other recipes:
Oven Baked Salmon with Lemon Caper Sauce – Looking for a satisfying and healthy dinner recipe to add to your weekly meal plan? This Oven Baked Salmon with Lemon Caper Sauce is extremely easy, making it a favorite 30-minute meal perfect for busy weeknights!
Soy Ginger Salmon – This Soy Ginger Salmon is an easy dinner recipe that comes together in well under 30 minutes for a delicious weeknight meal!
Everything Salmon – This easy Everything Salmon recipe, pan seared salmon topped with homemade “everything bagel” seasoning, is our go to recipe for salmon!
Pan Seared Salmon with Garlic Butter Sauce – Pan seared salmon, cooked to perfection, topped with a velvety garlic butter sauce.
Baked Lemon Pepper Salmon
Get dinner on the table in under 30-minutes and with less
than 5 ingredients with easy family friendly dinner recipe – bold, bright and citrusy Lemon Pepper Salmon!
Ingredients
- 4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning
- 2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Fresh lemon slices, optional for serving
Instructions
- *Do not preheat oven.* Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Place salmon fillets on baking sheet. Pour lemon juice over salmon fillets.
- Season each salmon fillet generously with approximately ½ a tablespoon of lemon pepper seasoning.
- Cut butter in to small cubes and place 2-3 cubes of butter on top of each salmon fillet.
- Place salmon in cold oven. Turn on oven to 400 degrees F. Bake salmon for 20-22 minutes (depending on how thick salmon filets are and desired doneness) or until salmon easily flakes with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
- Serve with fresh lemon slices, if desired.
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