Pin Recipe This dish features moist, oven-baked salmon fillets flavored with fresh dill, lemon zest, and garlic. The salmon is coated in a simple olive oil marinade, then baked until perfectly flaky and tender. The bright notes of lemon and aromatic dill complement the rich fish, creating a healthy and elegant meal in under 30 minutes. Ideal for weeknight dinners, it pairs wonderfully with steamed vegetables or roasted potatoes.
There's something about the smell of salmon hitting a hot oven that makes everything else stop. I discovered this recipe during a phase where I was trying to prove to myself that healthy food could actually taste good, and this dish became my quiet triumph. The dill and lemon combination is so simple it almost feels like cheating, but that's exactly what makes it work. Now whenever I'm short on time but want to feel like I've actually cooked something, this is what lands on the table.
I made this for my sister during one of those weeks where she was convinced she'd forgotten how to enjoy food, and watching her eat three fillets without thinking about it was its own small victory. She asked for the recipe twice before leaving, which tells you everything. Since then, it's been my go-to when I want to cook something that tastes considered without looking like I spent all afternoon on it.
Ingredients
- Salmon fillets: Four pieces about 170 grams each with the skin on if you like, though skinless works just fine and cooks the same way.
- Olive oil: Two tablespoons acts as your flavor vehicle, carrying the dill and garlic right into the fish.
- Lemon: Both zest and juice matter here, hitting different notes so the brightness doesn't feel one-dimensional.
- Fresh dill: Two tablespoons chopped, or two teaspoons dried if that's what you have; fresh is livelier but dried won't let you down.
- Garlic: Two cloves minced small enough that they disappear into the oil rather than announcing themselves as chunks.
- Sea salt and black pepper: One teaspoon and half teaspoon respectively, though taste as you go since everyone's hand is different.
Instructions
- Heat your oven and prepare the stage:
- Get your oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease a dish. This takes two minutes and saves you from scrubbing later.
- Dry your salmon completely:
- Pat each fillet with paper towels until the surface feels almost dry to the touch. This small step lets the heat work more efficiently and helps the seasoning stick.
- Mix your flavor base:
- Combine olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, stirring until everything comes together. Taste it on a fingertip and adjust if something feels off.
- Coat each fillet generously:
- Spoon the mixture over each salmon piece, spreading it across the top so every bite has a chance at the good stuff. Don't be shy with it.
- Bake until it surrenders:
- Slide the sheet into the oven for 15 to 18 minutes, watching for the moment when the flesh just barely flakes with a fork and reaches 63°C (145°F) internally. This is where experience matters more than precision.
- Finish and serve:
- Transfer to plates while everything is still warm, add lemon wedges and extra dill if you have the energy, and eat it before it cools.
Pin Recipe My favorite moment with this recipe happened when someone I rarely cook for came by, took one bite, and asked if I'd been holding out on culinary talent all this time. I hadn't, but that's the thing about restraint in cooking—sometimes it reads as elegance. That question changed how I thought about putting food on a table.
Why This Works Every Time
Salmon has enough natural richness that it doesn't need butter or cream to feel indulgent, which is why a simple dill and lemon top-coat is all it asks for. The oven does the actual work while you stand there breathing in the smell, and the outcome is always the same: fish that's cooked through but still knows how to be tender. There's a reason this combination has shown up on dinner plates for decades.
Pairing and Serving
Steamed asparagus next to this tastes like they were meant to be together, the bitterness playing against the brightness of the lemon. Roasted potatoes work if you want something more filling, and a crisp green salad handles the role of making the meal feel balanced. Some nights I skip the sides entirely and just want the salmon and its aromatics, which the recipe absolutely allows.
Flexibility and Swaps
If dill isn't calling to you, parsley or chives step in without changing the spirit of the dish. The timing stays the same, the technique doesn't shift, and you still get that same sense of having cooked something worth eating. Salmon is forgiving enough to let you play without ruining the outcome.
- Fresh herbs are better than dried, but dried dill will deliver if that's what's in your cabinet.
- Lemon can be swapped for lime if you're in that mood, though the flavor tilts slightly different.
- A longer marinade deepens things, but this works beautifully at the last minute too.
Pin Recipe This recipe taught me that sometimes the most satisfying meals are the ones that don't demand much from you. Make it, eat it, remember it.
