Best Baked Salmon – Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

This really is the best baked salmon ever! A quick marinade ensures the flaky, tender salmon is super flavorful.

We are a family of salmon lovers, and this is our very favorite way to make and eat salmon! It is so easy and so, so good. Bonus instructions include how to cook the salmon in an air fryer.

Flavorful Marinade for Salmon

I’ve been making salmon using this flavor profile for years. It makes the juiciest, most flavorful baked salmon ever.

• soy sauce
• brown sugar
• garlic
• lemon pepper seasoning

If using skin-on salmon filets, place the salmon skin side up so that the marinade can infuse flavor into the salmon flesh.

A Note About Salmon: What Kind to Use

This recipe can be made with:

• individual salmon filets
• one large salmon filet

Individual salmon filets will vary in size and thickness. Usually individual salmon filets are sold in 4 to 6-ounce pieces. The filets can range in thickness from 1/2- to 1-inch thick, and it’s normal for a salmon filet to be thicker on one side and taper thinly outward.

I’ve included baking instructions in the recipe ⬇️ to accommodate for different sizes/thickness of salmon.

If using a large filet of salmon, either a) cut it into pieces of equal size before using in the recipe OR b) marinade the entire filet (in a dish that will accommodate the size), bake as one large filet, and cut into individual serving-size pieces after baking. 

Shortcut Tip for This Baked Salmon

In a perfect world, this salmon should marinate for at least 2 hours for optimal flavor.

However, I understand better than anyone that sometimes life gets in the way. Or you fail to plan ahead. Or you decide you want salmon at the last minute and IT HAS TO BE THIS LIFE CHANGING BEST BAKED SALMON.

I get it.

If you are short on time, take a look at the notes section of the recipe. It lays out a very simple plan for skipping the marinade time and instead brushing the marinade over the salmon *twice*. It doesn’t impart quite the same flavor punch as letting the salmon hang out in the marinade for a few hours, but it definitely works in a pinch.

Last Tip + Air Fryer Instructions

The most important advice I can give you when it comes to this best baked salmon is: DO NOT OVER BAKE.

Over baked salmon is dry and unappealing, so keep a close eye on the baking time (as it will differ, slightly, based on the thickness of the salmon). When baked correctly, the salmon will be melt-in-your-mouth buttery and tender.

This salmon does very well cooked in an air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F. Place the salmon filets in a single layer. Cook for 7 to 9 minutes (exact time will vary based on brand of air fryer and thickness of salmon).

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