This broiled salmon recipe rocks! It’s simple to prepare, flavorful, and nearly foolproof. Salmon’s natural (and healthy!) Omega-3 fatty acid content makes it a very forgiving fish; even if you let it go a little too long under the broiler, those Omega-3 oils will not only help repair and maintain your brain cells, but will keep your salmon moist and delicious. Although it’s fancy enough for date night, this Perfect Broiled Salmon can be prepped and on the table for dinner in about ten minutes, which makes for a great weeknight meal!
How to Perfectly Broil Salmon
Salmon is a rich and flavorful fish, so it needs no fussy sauce to really shine. A simple drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lemon will showcase the flavors perfectly. To make Perfect Broiled Salmon, follow these steps:
- Preheat your broiler and position it 6-8 inches from the top of your oven. Broiling the salmon cooks it hot and fast, creating a crisp crust and moist, tender inside.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and let your salmon come to room temperature. This will help create the best crust on your Perfectly Broiled Salmon and will make clean-up simple.
- Lightly brush salmon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. If you like, you can add other spices like garlic powder, cumin, Chinese five- spice powder, or dried chives. Adding different spices and pairing the salmon with different vegetables and starches is a way to create whole new meals.
- Broil your salmon for 7-10 minutes, aiming for 125 degrees Fahrenheit. The salmon will continue to cook once removed from the oven, so don’t be afraid to pull it. After resting for 3-5 minutes, the layers of salmon should separate easily with a fork and be opaque ( translucent). It’s normal to see accumulated bits of white oil droplets along the sides of the filet. even if it’s and then squeeze a touch of lemon on top. While the FDA states that salmon must be cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, I prefer slightly below that for Perfect Broiled Salmon.
What to serve with Perfect Broiled Salmon
The 7-10 minutes it takes to broil your Perfect Broiled Salmon is plenty of time to prepare a vegetable side like steamed broccoli or asparagus or sautéed spinach or bok choy. And if you chop a few vegetables ahead of time, you can have a beautiful stir-fry ready in under 10 minutes. If you like to have rice or noodles with your salmon, put your water on to boil ahead of time and then pop the starch in when you put the fish under the broiler.
Tonight, I made a stir-fry and some rice noodles to enjoy with our Perfect Broiled Salmon. Dinner was ready in 15 minutes start to finish and enjoyed by all. The light in my kitchen wasn’t ideal for a photo tonight, but it was so delicious that I had to share!
Tips and Tricks
For this recipe, I used farmed Atlantic salmon. If you are a beginner cook, it’s the most forgiving fish because it’s difficult to overcook it. Different types of salmon, such as wild caught Sockeye, will dry out more quickly.
Leftover salmon makes a lovely addition to a salad for tomorrow’s lunch. Serve it cold on a bed of greens with a lemon vinaigrette for a delicious, nutritious lunch.
