Tray Baked Salmon with Lemon and Parsley

Weeknights are hectic and call for quick and easy meals . As much as I love to cook, I am never the one to toil day after day for hours in the kitchen. Hence everyday meals are quite simple for us and we save the heavy duty and indulgent meals for the weekend. Hence tray baked meals are an absolute saviour. This Tray Baked Salmon with Lemon and Parsley is the perfect weeknight dinner for our family. It is simple , flavourful and salmon as a fish packs a nutritious punch. (100 g) portion of farmed salmon contains 41% of the recommended daily intake of protein and at least 20% of the recommended daily intake of vitamins B3, B5, B6, B12, vitamin D, vitamin E and selenium.

And if you are like me and find the flavour of salmon a bit too strong, this recipe is just for you. Garlic, lemon and parsley balance and complement that flavour perfectly.

Tips to make a perfectly baked salmon:

1. If using frozen salmon, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, wash and pat dry well with a kitchen towel before marinating
2. Cut the fillets in equal size so they bake evenly
3. When marinating poke some holes in the salmon using a toothpick so it absorbs flavours well
4. Wrap it in a foil and bake for a shorter time for deeper flavours and softer textures
5. You can swap lemon juice and rind with freshly squeezed orange juice and double the quantity of orange juice for an alternate recipe

Ingredients for Tray Baked Salmon:

1. 4 salmon fillets (approximately 150 grams each)
2. Olive oil – 3 tablespoons
3. Minced garlic- 4 teaspoons
4. Finely chopped parsley- 4 tablespoons + some extra to serve or 2 tablespoons dried parsley
5. Lemon juice- 1.5 tbsp
6. Lemon rind- 2 tbsp
7. Sea salt- 1 tsp or as per taste
8. Freshly cracked black pepper- 1/2 teaspoon

Method to prepare Tray Baked Salmon:

1. Wash and clean the salmon fillets and pat dry
2. In bowl mix olive oil, minced garlic, 4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, lemon juice and lemon rind
3. In a wide glass tray or zip lock bag place the fish fillets and pour over the prepared marinade and mix well; let it sit in the oven for at least 30 minutes or upto an hour or two
4. Preheat your oven to 205 degrees centigrade(400 degrees Fahrenheit) and line a wide and shallow baking tray with foil; brush oil on the foil and keep aside
5. Line the tray with marinated fish making sure not to crowd the fillets ( do not discard the marinade ) and bake for 10 minutes
6. Pull out of the oven after 10 minutes, flip over the fillets and pour over the remaining marinade evenly and bake for another 5-10 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on the oven
7. If you decide to foil bake the fish then wrap the fillets individually pouring over equal amounts of remaining marinade and bake until done. Foil baking should take lesser time so check after 10 minutes; perfectly baked salmon starts to look flaky and turns a whitish pink hue
8. Serve hot garnished with fresh parsley with a side of butter roasted veggies or rice

Other recipes with fish you might like:

Pan Fried Salmon in Mint, Coriander Sauce

Tomato Fish Curry and Childhood Memories

Crispy Oven-Baked Fish