Roasted Salmon Stuffed With Herbs is infused with delicate herbs, lemon and wine to create a delicious main dish. Succulent, healthy and ready in 20 minutes.
This roasted salmon recipe is on my regular meal rotation, especially in summer and fall when herbs are growing outside my patio door. I also make this dish regularly at room temperature as part of a buffet for family events because it’s pretty and so easy.
The recipe is adapted from two similar recipes by Ina Garten and Leanne Rabinowitz of Maplehern Cooking School in midtown Toronto. I love that it only has a few ingredients. The wine adds a mild flavor and extra moistness. You can replace it with vegetable broth if you prefer or leave it out altogether. For the herb mixture, I always use parsley and green onions plus one other herb such as dill, chives or basil.
If you’re looking to pair the salmon with a great side, try Fresh Vegetable Pasta, Instant Pot Pumpkin Risotto , Pesto and Vegetable Orzo or Party Salad with Grilled Vegetables and Quinoa.
Tips for Roasted Salmon Stuffed With Herbs
- Make a full meal in one pan by adding Roasted Bok Choy and Broccoli. Place the salmon and all the veggies in a single layer on a large pan and roast everything at 425F for 10 minutes. You can leave out the wine for this option if you prefer.
- How to choose salmon: It should be moist and not fishy smelling and have no brown or dry spots. Try to get pieces that are the same thickness so they cook at the same rate. Apparently Wild Alaskan salmon is the healthiest salmon available. I prefer Atlantic salmon to Pacific salmon because it’s fattier (but the good kind) which makes it juicier. I also much prefer salmon fillets to salmon steaks and I like the thicker belly portion better than the flatter tail portion. It’s all a matter of taste, though, and what’s available where you live.
- Cooking Temperature: Salmon is best cooked to a medium or medium rare temperature. It should be warm pink in the center, just past the translucent stage and not white or pale pink (which means it will be dry). Ina Garten suggests under-cooking the salmon a bit, then covering it with foil for 10 minutes to finish cooking. I prefer not to do that with this recipe because the herbs lose their vibrant color and turn a murky green (although the method is amazing for moistness).
Tailor To Your Taste
- Instead of salmon, try trout, halibut or sea bass.
- Use any combination of herbs you like – parsley, green onions, dill, chervil, basil, chives, cilantro.
- In a pinch, one or more fresh herbs can be substituted with defrosted frozen cubes of herbs.
- Garnish options: Basil mayonnaise (or other herbs); a drizzle of Spicy Sweet Thai Sauce (my fave); a drizzle of Balsamic Reduction; a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil; and/or a squeeze of lemon.
Make Ahead
- To serve cold or at room temperature, make the full recipe up to a day ahead. When salmon cools down, refrigerate it, well covered. Sprinkle additional chopped herbs on top before serving along with lemon wedges and preferred garnish.
Roasted Salmon Stuffed With Herbs Recipe (20 minutes)
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets, skin on or off (6-8 ounces each)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (about 1/4 large lemon)
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup combination of minced herbs ( I use parsley, green onions or chives plus e.g. dill, basil, chervil or cilantro)
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (cooking wine is fine too)
- Garnish Options: Note 1
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. Line a pan with foil sprayed with oil (for easier clean up).
- PREPARE SALMON FILLETS: Lay salmon on pan. Make slits crosswise on each fillet as deep as possible without cutting into the skin - about 1/4 inch above the skin or bottom of salmon is good. Reserve a tablespoon of herbs for garnish. Stuff the rest of herbs into the slits and sprinkle a bit more on top of salmon. Drizzle salmon with oil, squeeze the lemon over the fish and season generously with salt and pepper. You can let the salmon sit and marinate for 15 minutes if you have time.
- ROAST SALMON TO PERFECTION: Add wine to the pan around the salmon. Roast for 10-12 minutes or just until salmon is easy to flake and is warm pink in the middle for moist medium to medium-rare (not white pale pink as this will be dry). Rule of thumb is 10 minutes per inch of thickness, but slightly less might be needed because of slits in salmon.
- SERVE: If salmon has skin on bottom, to remove it, slip spatula between skin and flesh. Lift and transfer to plate. Sprinkle reserved herbs on top and serve with lemon wedges and garnish option.
Notes
- Garnish options
- Basil mayonnaise (combine 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, lemon zest or a squeeze of lemon juice and finely chopped basil); Other herbs like dill can be substituted;
- Drizzle of Spicy Sweet Thai Sauce (my fave);
- Drizzle of Balsamic Reduction;
- Drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil;
- Lemon wedges
- Make Ahead: To serve cold or at room temperature, make the full recipe up to a day ahead. When salmon cools down, refrigerate it, well covered. Sprinkle additional chopped herbs on top before serving along with lemon wedges and preferred garnish.
Other easy salmon recipes you might like:
Maple Balsamic Pecan-Crusted Salmon (also 20 minutes) get the recipe
Citrus-Maple Glazed Salmon (25 minutes) get the recipe
Lemon Panko-crusted Salmon (25 minutes) get the recipe
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