This roasted salmon recipe uses a whole side of salmon cooked low and slow in the oven until meltingly tender, served with a creamy lemon dill sauce and fresh herbs. Slow-roasted salmon makes for an impressive presentation if you’re entertaining, and it tastes as good as it looks!
Easy Roasted Salmon with Lemon Dill Sauce
While baked salmon is great for a fast, flaky fish, there’s nothing quite like slow-roasted salmon. It’s super moist (even the very thin edges), and the texture is velvety and tender. This recipe has just 6 ingredients, not counting salt and pepper, making this an easy salmon dinner for entertaining. I brush a whole side of salmon with sour cream, mustard, fresh dill, and lemon, and then drizzle the extra sauce over the final dish. I may never cook salmon another way again! For more salmon recipes, try this Baked Salmon with Fresh Herbs and my juicy Air Fryer Salmon Bites.
Why This Slow-Roasted Salmon Method Works
I decided to try slow-roasted salmon to make it stand out from other salmon recipes, and I’m so glad I did. This technique is especially great for a special dinner. Plus, using the creamy lemon dill sauce twice in this recipe isn’t too fussy and has a big flavor payoff.
- Slow roasting locks in the flavor and moisture: The texture from slow roasting salmon is anything but dry. Cooking at a lower temperature gently renders the fats, and the results are very tender and moist.
- Easy to do: All you have to do is mix the sauce ingredients and brush some on the fish before popping it in the oven. Prepare the rest of your dinner while it bakes. I love this salmon with a side of air fryer asparagus or green beans.
- Impressive: A whole side of roasted salmon looks wonderful on a plate, perfect for serving guests.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below is everything you’ll need to make this simple slow-roasted salmon with the most mouthwatering Dijon, lemon, and dill sauce. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Salmon: Buy your salmon from a trusted fishmonger or market. I like to use wild-caught Pacific salmon as it’s leaner. You’ll need a two-pound whole salmon filet that’s at least 1 ¼ inches thick.
- Sour cream: I used light sour cream for a creamy sauce that’s still light.
- Dijon mustard adds a tangy flavor. If you love Dijon, add more to suit your tastes!
- Dill: Finely chop fresh dill. If you dislike dill, swap it with chives or tarragon.
- Capers: Chop some capers and use a tablespoon of brine for the creamy mustard sauce.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon zest and juice complement the mustard sauce.
How to Make Slow-Roasted Salmon
If you haven’t roasted salmon yet, it’s a must-try! The steps are almost identical to baking salmon. The only difference, really, is the cooking time and oven temperature. Check the recipe card at the bottom for printable instructions.
- Make the sauce. Combine sour cream, mustard, dill, capers, caper brine, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Zest half of the lemon into the bowl. Then, cut it in half, squeeze the juice from one half, and stir. The sauce should be thick but easy to drizzle. If it’s too thick, add water or more lemon juice, a splash at a time, until it thins out.
- Dress the salmon. Place the salmon, skin side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pat it dry with a paper towel. Then, spread the creamy dill sauce on the salmon in a thin layer.
- Roast the salmon. Slow roast at 275°F until it’s just barely cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
- Serve. Let the fish rest for five minutes. Drizzle with the remaining sauce and top with lots of fresh dill.
How to Tell When Salmon Is Done
I recommend cooking this salmon to an internal temperature of 135°F. At this point, it’s fully cooked and still soft for those who like less-cooked salmon. I tried a test doing medium-rare salmon (120°F), and it was a bit too underdone for me.
What to Serve With Roasted Salmon
This melt-in-your-mouth salmon goes well with so many sides. I serve it with a lemony hearts of palm salad, grilled fennel, or any of these easy sides.
Storage
More Salmon Recipes You’ll Love
Slow Roasted Salmon Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 2-pound whole wild salmon filet, with skin, at least 1 1/4 inches thick
- 1/3 cup light sour cream
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon drained capers, finely chopped, plus 1 tablespoon of brine
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275ºF. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easiest cleanup. Remove the salmon from the refrigerator to take some of the chill off.
- In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, 2 tablespoons of mustard, the dill, capers, caper brine, salt, and pepper. Zest half of the lemon into to the bowl, then cut it in half and squeeze in the juice from half. Mix to combine. The sauce should be thick but drizzle-able; if it’s too thick, add water a small splash at a time until it thins out (or more lemon juice if you like).
- Place the salmon, skin side down, onto lined baking sheet. Pat it dry with a paper towel. Spread a heaping spoonful (about 3 tablespoons) of the mustard sauce in a thin layer all over the salmon.
- Roast the salmon until it is just barely cooked through, still incredibly moist, and flakes easily with a fork when you remove it (135ºF when checked with an instant read thermometer), 35 to 50 minutes depending on the shape of your salmon.
- Let the salmon rest for 5 minutes, during which time it will come up another 5ºF.
- Drizzle the remaining sauce over the salmon or pass it on the side, garnish with the fresh dill sprigs, then serve.