Herb Crusted Salmon

Name: Herb Crusted Salmon
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 23 min
Ingredients: 240 g Salmon fillets ((about 120g/4.25oz each)); 20 g Panko breadcrumbs; 1 tbsp Olive oil; 1 Lemon (zest only); 10 g Fresh parsley (finely chopped)

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This Herb Crusted Salmon is the perfect way to add some extra flavour to salmon fillets. An easy weeknight meal that is ready in under 30 minutes with just a couple of minutes prep and only 5 ingredients. Tender flakey salmon fillets topped with a crispy herb, lemon and breadcrumb topping.

A crusted salmon fillet on a plate with some cooked pak choi.

We would happily eat salmon every night of the week. It is delicious, nutritious and there is just SO much that you can do with it. But this salmon with a herb crust is just next level good.

So simple to make by just mixing together breadcrumbs, oil, herbs and lemon and putting it on top of a salmon fillet before baking. Easy to adapt with different herbs and add-ins. This crusted salmon is one of those meals that looks far more impressive than it actually is.

Looking for more salmon recipes that are a little bit different? Why not try our quick Air Fryer Salmon Bites, easy Salmon Curry, comforting Salmon Casserole or our vibrant Salmon Rice Bowls?

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Ingredients and substitutions
How to make herb crusted salmon - Step by step
What to serve with herb crusted salmon
Variations
Storage
Frequently Asked Questions
Extra tips
More seafood recipes
Recipe
Feedback

Ingredients and substitutions

All the ingredients needed to make this recipe, each with a text overlay label.

Salmon - You will need fresh salmon fillets to make herb crusted salmon. It is recommended to use wild-caught salmon, as it is more flavourful and healthier than farmed salmon. Aim for about 150-200g (5-7oz) of salmon per serving.
Breadcrumbs - We used panko breadcrumbs because they get really crispy. But any breadcrumbs will work.
Oil - Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil.
Lemon - The lemon really helps to enhance all the flavours and adds a lovely freshness to the salmon.
Herbs - We used parsley because it goes perfectly with salmon. But if you are wondering what herbs go with salmon, then really anything works. Dill and coriander are favourites of ours, but woody herbs like thyme also work.

A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

How to make herb crusted salmon - Step by step

Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.

Breadcrumbs and herbs in a bowl, shown before and after mixing.

One: In a bowl, add the breadcrumbs, oil, lemon zest and parsley (a). Mix well (b).

Two salmon fillets in a rectangular baking dish.

Two: Put the salmon fillets skin side down in a baking dish.

The salmon topped with the breadcrumb mixture.

Three: Divide the breadcrumb mixture between the salmon fillets, spreading it over the top of the fillets.

Cooked crusted salmon in the baking dish.

Four: Put into the oven and cook for 18-20 minutes.

What to serve with herb crusted salmon

There are so many different ways that you can serve this salmon with a herb crust. You could flake it up to put on a salad or in a sandwich, or even use it as a taco filling. We served it with Roasted Pak Choi for a light meal.

However, if we want it as a more filling meal, or we are serving it up to guests, then we add some sides to it. Cheesy Potato Bake is one of our favourites for total comfort food. Here are some of our favourite side dishes that go perfectly with this oven baked salmon:

To make this a whole meal, then why not roast some vegetable at the same time as the crusted salmon? Make sure that you are only adding quick cooking vegetables, as the salmon doesn't take long to cook.

We recommend asparagus, bell peppers, aubergine (eggplant), broccoli or courgette (zucchini).

Cooked breadcrumb crust on top of a cooked salmon fillet.

Variations

We love the simplicity of this herb crusted salmon recipe, and how it has so few ingredients. However, there are a few changes you can make.

To make the salmon topping extra crunchy, you can crush up some nuts and mix it in. We like hazelnuts or pistachios. We also like pine nuts and then swapping the parsley for basil and it's more of a pesto flavour.

Cheese makes everything better, right? For some extra crispiness and to make this a little more indulgent, then mix some finely grated Parmesan into the breadcrumb mixture.

Other additions to the herb and breadcrumb mix that work include diced jalapenos, wholegrain mustard, soy and ginger or a bit of BBQ seasoning.

We added this herb crust to individual salmon fillets, but this works just as well with a whole side of salmon. Perfect for a dinner party or even a holiday event like Thanksgiving or Christmas when you want something a little different. Follow our recipe for Honey Garlic Side of Salmon, but use this herb toppings instead.

This herb crust works on other fish as well and it would go really well on our Air Fryer Cod.

Storage

Store: To keep the cooked salmon in the fridge, wrap it tightly in foil or plastic wrap, or in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Freeze: To freeze the cooked salmon, slice or flake it and wrap it in plastic wrap or parchment paper and then put in freezer bags. Squeeze out as much air as possible and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Read detailed instructions on how to store cooked salmon.

Reheat: It is best to reheat it slowly though so we recommend reheating in the oven at 150°C/130°C(fan)/300°F/Gas 2 for 15 minutes. If the salmon is frozen, make sure it has been defrosted in the fridge - this might need to be done overnight. Once the salmon has thawed fully, reheat as mentioned above.

Two crust topped salmon fillets on a plate in front of a tea towel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is salmon healthy?

It is one of the best sources of long chain omega-3 fatty acids, which have been proven to reduce inflammation and lower blood pressure. Children who regularly consume foods rich in Omega-3 have been shown in studies to have increased concentration levels and improved learning abilities.
Salmon is an excellent source of high quality protein - a 100g (3.5oz) portion contains 25g of protein.
Read more about the health benefits of salmon.

How to tell that salmon is cooked

This salmon takes about 20 minutes to cook in the oven, however, salmon should reach 145°F/63°C. The best way to test the internal temperature is with a meat thermometer. If you don't have a thermometer, you can cut gently into the thickest part of the fish and check the colour. If it has turned from the raw red/orange colour to pink and if the meat starts to flake, then it is done. For a more visual cue, you want to look out for the salmon flesh to be a little opaque and a knife should easily slide through it.

Does this recipe work with another fish?

Yes, if salmon isn't your thing or another fish is on offer, then by all means switch it up. This recipe also works well on tuna steak, haddock and cod.

Extra tips

• This recipe can be doubled or tripled depending on how many people you are serving.
• Make sure your salmon fillets are of a similar thickness, so that they cook at an even rate.
• To make this herb crusted salmon extra indulgent, you can brush some melted butter onto the salmon fillets before adding the topping.
• You don't have to just use salmon. For an extra greens boost, you can chop some spinach or rocket (arugula) in with the herbs.

More seafood recipes

If you’ve tried this herb crusted salmon recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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