This easy Parmesan Herb Baked Salmon recipe is flaky and tender with incredible flavor – perfect for company or busy weeknights.
Parmesan-Herb Baked Salmon
I love salmon. It’s my favorite fish to make at home – not just because it’s healthy and loaded with omega-3s, but I also love the taste and how versatile it is. If you want an easy, healthy baked salmon recipe that you can season ahead and pop in the oven, this Parmesan-Herb Salmon is it! I make and eat salmon once or twice a week, and although I have a lot of chicken dishes, I have so many salmon recipes on my rotation, like Salmon Rice Bowls, Baked Salmon, and Sweet and Spicy Glazed Salmon.
I have a ton of herbs in my garden, so I chopped them up and minced them with a little mayonnaise (trust me!) and Parmesan and baked this beautiful piece of salmon. Mayo is the secret to the moistest salmon every, as I do in this Parmesan Salmon recipe. If you never tried it, it’s a must!
What herbs go well with salmon?
Just about any herbs go well with salmon. For this herb-crusted salmon recipe, I used fresh dill, parsley, basil, and chives. Thyme, rosemary, and tarragon would also be good. To make the topping, combine the herbs with minced garlic, grated parmesan cheese, and light mayo.
How to bake Parmesan-Herb Salmon
- Place the salmon skin-side down on a lined baking sheet, and cover it with another piece of parchment paper or foil.
- Partially bake the salmon for 8 minutes at 425°F and then remove it from the oven.
- Top the fish with the parmesan-herb mixture and return the uncovered tray to the oven for about 15 to 18 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. The salmon is done when its internal temperature is 135F, the top has browned, and the filet easily flakes with a fork.
How long does salmon last in the fridge?
Cooked salmon will last three to four days in the refrigerator and can be reheated in the microwave or eaten cold. It would be great on top of a salad as leftovers.
What to Serve with Baked Salmon
This parmesan-crusted salmon pairs well with so many sides. Below are some ideas:
Vegetables: Zucchini Casserole, Roasted Green Beans with Caramelized Onions
Salads: Watermelon, Arugula, and Feta Salad, Warm Salad with Artichokes and Roasted Peppers
Carbs: Instant Pot Risotto with Prosciutto, Peas, and Herbs, Grilled Vegetable Orzo Pasta
More Salmon Recipes You’ll Love:
- Basil-Parmesan Crusted Salmon
- Salmon Salad with Beets, Arugula, Pistachios, and Pomegranates
- Chili-Lime Air Fryer Salmon
- Spice-Rubbed Grilled Salmon with Black Beans and Corn
- Salmon Avocado Salmon
Parmesan-Herb Baked Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 whole wild salmon filet with skin, 1 1/2 inches thick (2 lbs)
- 1/4 cup light mayo
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easiest cleanup.
- Combine mayo, Parmesan, garlic and herbs in a small bowl.
- Place salmon, skin side down, onto lined baking sheet. Cover salmon with another piece of parchment or foil. Partially bake salmon for 8 minutes.
- Remove from oven and remove top piece of parchment paper.
- Spread the top with the Parmesan herb mixture.
- Return to oven uncovered and bake until the top has browned, and the salmon flakes easily with a fork.
- The salmon should register 135º F when checked with an internal thermometer probe, about 15 to 18 minutes if the fish is 1 1/2 inches thick, less or more depending on the thickness.
Loved this!!! Thank you for sharing healthy recipes!
Delicious, simple and quick to prepare! I like the crunch on the top!
I made this last night and it was delicious! Five stars for the flavor, but the cooking method needs improvement. First, there is absolutely no need to pre-cook the salmon before adding the topping. Just add it right away, put the salmon in the oven and start checking the temp after 15 minutes until it reaches 135F. Also, this needed salt and some lemon. I would recommend squeezing some lemon juice and sprinkling the filet with salt and pepper before topping with the parm-mayo mix. Also, to make the topping brown like in the picture, switch the oven to broil for the last 2 minutes of cooking.
Thanks for this delicious salmon recipe.
Really good – I am adding to my salmon dinner rotation!
Made this in the air fryer with trout from Costco. 5 stars—we like this better than salmon due to its mild taste. Will make the next dinner with capers and lemon. Excellent and quick to prepare. Another great recipe.
Based on comments I changed the cooking process a bit and used the Air Fryer.
My daughter loved it and I thought it was OK. And I say only OK as I realize now I’m not a basil fan, so that’s on me. I dried the fillet and put the topping on right away. Cooked in the AF FOR 8 min at 400, let it sit and it was perfectly cooked and golden on top. I had cold left over with salad the next day and enjoyed that much more than when it was warm. I would make it again but perhaps less basil
Easy and tasty. Quick meal with minimal prep.
I have used this coating on chicken. I love the coating.
Love the spread/topping. Feel like I could have skipped the first 8 min bake. The spread didn’t really get a chance to brown in the second bake (only did 10 min) and the fish was an overcooked and thus a bit dry. But overall I liked the flavors and simplicity of the recipe!! Will try it again.
Absolutely my favorite salmon recipe!! Moist – tender and flavorful!!!
Thank You
I have made this recipe (exactly as written) several times and it remains in my rotation…such a great, quick, easy and delicious salmon recipe! Love this!!
This was amazing! I’ve been looking for a tasty salmon recipe for years and I’ve finally found it!
Glad you enjoyed it!
We make this regularly and love it every time!
Fantastic!! Just did a small fillet for my hubby and I. Simply made less of the “spread”. Easy week night dinner with an even a quicker cleanup.
Very good!
Made this for dinner last night in my air fryer and it was good! Made one serving.
Excellent, a big hit today. Left off added salt as Parmesan has enough.
This is an amazing recipe! Made it just as written, so easy and turns out restaurant quality! Served for a dinner for friends and received rave reviews from all! Can’t wait to make this again! Thanks Gina! So easy and so very good!!
Can I use Greek yogurt instead kf mayo?
Yes, that’s what I do and it comes out. Great it’s in my toaster oven right now.
This was fantastic-made exactly according to directions-fish was super moist just awesome!
This was fantastic-cooked exactly as stated-fish was super moist & just delicious
This salmon is amazing and so quick and easy. I’ve told many of my salmon loving friends to try it. Everyone who did will be making it again.
One of my family’s favorites!!
For the third time this week we’re trying a new to us Skinnytaste recipe, and this DID NOT disappoint! Absolutely delicious! And once again, going into the rotation at our house! We also plan to make this for a family vacation to the Outer Banks this summer on one of our nights where we have to make the meal plan. This is sure to be a crowd pleaser!
I am SO happy to hear that!!!
I have made this with light mayo and also with fat free greek yogurt. They are both delicious and the yogurt is 0 WW points!
I loved this! Putting it on my menu next week too!
This recipe provided amazing flavor to the salmon. We grilled our salmon skin side up for 3 minutes, flipped it over and added the herb mixture cooking until we got it to 125°F. It was amazing
This is great! I had a smaller piece of fish so used half the topping ingredients and it needed less time to cook–did 8 then 8 more and it was plenty done..Probably could have gone 6 and 6 as my piece not really too thick-like another reviewer I carefully broiled top last minute, and I did squeeze some lemon on this. A favorite Salmon recipe.
Amazing!
As far as salmon recipes go, this is one of the best, in my opinion. Real easy to make. Cleanup is easy. Also goes well on a Caesar salad.
I made this out of a 1.5lb salmon and paired it with roasted green beans and carrots w/ caramelized onions from your suggestions. It was a hit, and I’ll definitely follow the same recipe for other fish, just to experiment and use up my herbs. Thank you!
Love this recipe! Quick and simple enough for a weekday meal but elevated and elegant enough for a dinner party. Thank you Gina!
Easy, tasty and healthy, will definitely make again.
Best salmon EVER! Better than a restaurant. Thank you, Gina!
any substitute for mayo?
Plain Greek Yogurt
Low fat plain yogurt or Greek yogurt is a good alternative.
Is there a substitute for the Mayo ? I do not like mayo
The parmesan-herb topping was fantastic. Salmon needs a little salt though.
Simple to make and delicious! My husband said it was restaurant quality! Will make again 😋
Very good. Very flavorful, even if you’re not using fresh herbs. Would make again.
Fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111 Big hit. I will always make this recipe. making it tonight 😉
I made this for dinner. Everyone loved it! Really easy to make. Will definitely make this again!
Another AMAZING recipe Gina!! Easy, quick and delicious! I used the wild salmon steaks from Costco, and it was 16 mins total cooking time. This will become a staple in our house! Thank you!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed it!
So easy AND so good!
ST warm romaine salad was my side and it was delish also.
Thanks Gina for all you do!
Wonderful!!
Wonderful!! Husband, 14 year old, and 11 year old cleaned their plates (RARE!!)! I put a little salt on the salmon before popping it in the oven the first time. I had to adjust the cook time for the second round because my salmon filets were a little more thin than the original recipe, and I turned the broiler on for a very quick 2 minutes to brown up the Mayo/parm/herbs. It was delicious (and pretty!) and everyone agreed it should be a regular on the “how should we cook the salmon tonight” circuit. I served it with sautéed green beans and rice. 10/10
Perfect! Glad everyone enjoyed it!
This was one of the easiest and tastiest salmon recipes. I used tarragon, oregano and thyme as that’s what I had in my garden..
So yummy, will make this for company.
So easy!!
I love your recipes! Could you please include the potassium amount for each recipe? My husband has kidney disease and I need healthy recipes with low potassium information included. Thank you!
Sodium was mentioned above in the nutrition information
SO good! Made this and was a hit for the whole family, especially my salmon-loving husband!
This was delicious, will definitely make again!
This was delicious! So simple to put together too. I had all the herbs except dill so I subbed in a couple of teaspoons of dried. Came out perfect and so flavorful. My husband and 11 yr old loves it and requested that I make it again.
Perfect!
Can this be done in the air fryer?
How would this be cold? I’m thinking of making it for Yom Kippur and would need o make it the day before. Thanks so much. I love all your recipes!
Marcia
Cold is delicious! Had some cold on salad today as Gina recommended and loved it.
I’d like to try this, but don’t have any fresh herbs. What measurements would you advise if I substitute dried herbs?
Fresh to dried ratio is 3 to 1. This recipe calls for 2 tablespoon fresh which is the same as 6 teaspoons. Divide that by 3 and you get 2 teaspoons of each dried herb.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for that info, Kathe. I was trying to figure this out and there was my answer. Appreciate the explanation!
Hi….I just found this online. It’s a little easier to understand for me. I hope it’s helpful to you as well.
“A good rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon dried herbs. Some herbs season better than others in their dried form – dill, thyme, and sage among them. Others are better only used when fresh: Parsley, I’m looking at you!”
Does anyone have an idea to sub the Mayo? Maybe use cream cheese? My husband absolutely despises mayo and I could use a TBS and he’d taste it.
My hubby hates Mayo, too. I bet Greek yogurt or sour cream would work well as a substitute.
Can this be made and frozen for future meal?
What would be a good fish to sub for instead of salmon? Could I do this with cod?
Sure!