Easy Lemon Pesto Salmon recipe: A four Ingredient dinner that is simply baked in the oven for the perfect weekday meal! You'll love how my healthy Baked Salmon with Pesto and Lemon comes together in less than 20 minutes, and it's packed with flavor and nutrients.
Does anyone else want to cook more fast, fresh and healthy meals this year? I know I do! I'll be sharing some of my favorite quick meals starting with this crazy easy and DELISH salmon recipe. Expect a lot more goodies over the next few weeks to help you cook more at home this year.
I know how hard it can be to cook healthy food sometimes. You work long challenging days and you come home mentally and physically drained. You get home and feel like you just can't do one more thing! Next time that happens to you, remember this simple Easy Lemon Pesto Salmon recipe. It's simply the BEST Baked Salmon.
Why you'll love this Easy Lemon Pesto Salmon recipe...
I love this Baked Salmon recipe because it is made with four ingredients. FOUR.
Stop by the store and pick up salmon, your favorite prepared pesto, and lemon! The only other ingredient is olive oil, which you should already have on hand.
Even better if you just keep some of this stuff in your fridge and pantry. These are all items I keep in my pantry and freezer at all times, so I can throw this together for a quick meal.
The salmon only takes around 10 minutes to cook (depending on how thick your piece of fish is and how well done you want it.) You can literally go from kitchen to table in 15 minutes with this one.
Ingredients in Baked Salmon with Pesto and Lemon
- Salmon: You can use fresh or frozen salmon. Obviously, you will need to adjust the cooking time accordingly (about 20 minutes cook time for frozen filets).
- Pesto: Store-bought pesto works great for this recipe, but it's not hard to make your own! I have a great recipe for almond basil pesto that I know you will love.
- Lemon: Lemon is the perfect way to brighten the flavor of salmon and it helps balance out the briny flavors you often find with seafood.
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Lemon Pesto Salmon
- Squeeze lemon juice over the fish filets.
- Drizzle both sides of the fillest with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Spread a thin layer of pesto on the filets and lay a slice of lemon on top.
- Bake at 400F for 8-10 minutes or until salmon starts to flake with a fork.
It really doesn’t get any better than that for a weekday meal! Simple, fast, inexpensive, and healthy.
I eat mostly plant-based foods, but I am technically a pescatarian and enjoy a fish dish once or twice a week. This is one that's often on the menu. The hubs also appreciates the break from the meat-less meals every once in a while.
I hope you enjoy this super simple meal as much as we do!
Easy Lemon Pesto Salmon
My Lemon Pesto Salmon is another flashback Running in a Skirt post from August 2014! The picture wasn't terrible, but I wanted to make it brighter, style it better, and add some pinnable options to the post.
Thanks for coming along for the ride.
What temperature should salmon be cooked to?
The FDA recommends that salmon should reach an internal temperature of 145F.
How do you tell if baked salmon is done?
Salmon will change from red to pink as it cooks. After a few minutes of cooking, you can check the salmon with a meat thermometer or a fork to check for flaking.
What is a good side dish with salmon?
These are a few side dish ideas that would good great with your salmon!
- Garlic Parmesan Asparagus
- Oven Roasted Butternut Squash
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic
- Oven Roasted Baby Red Potatoes
- Healthy Baked Acorn Squash
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Carrots
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and a star rating ★ below. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!
Easy Lemon Pesto Salmon
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets
- 4 teaspoons pesto
- 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon olive oil
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat over to 400 degrees
- Cover a glass baking dish in foil and spray with cooking spray
- Cut lemon in half and slice two thin lemon slices out of the center of the lemon. Set the ends aside.
- Squeeze half of the rest of the non-sliced lemon over the fish. Save the other half for garnish.
- Drizzle both sides of each fillet with the olive oil
- Season both sides with a big pinch of salt & pepper
- Evenly spread a thin layer of pesto on the top side of each fillet of fish and lay a slice of lemon on top
- Put in oven for 8-10 minutes until fish barely starts to flake with fork.
Notes
- Use your favorite store-bought pesto or make your own!
- The FDA recommends that salmon should reach an internal temperature of 145F.
- Salmon will change from red to pink as it cooks. After a few minutes of cooking, you can check the salmon with a meat thermometer or a fork to check for flaking.
Nutrition
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Miz Helen says
Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday. We look forward to seeing you again real soon!
Miz Helen
JulieWunder says
Thanks so much! Glad you liked it!
Blane Sherer says
I eat salmon once a week quite regularly.
I also eat seafood an additional once or twice
a week. Kind a Kool seeing my earlier response
to you here back from 2014.
JulieWunder says
haha! Thanks for being so great at commenting! Salmon really is the best.
Patricia @Sweet and Strong says
Oh this sounds so good. I have been putting lemon, garlic, and dill or chili powder and maple syrup on my salmon but haven't thought of pesto. I love that salmon only needs a few ingredients to flavor it!
Heather @ Polyglot Jot says
Wow! This looks great--I eat fish every now and then too! I bet I could make some vegan pesto for this. This would be perfect for weeknight meal because its so quick!
Susie @ Suzlyfe says
Couldn't be easier or more delicous! We celebrate our pets birthdays, at least to tell them so. My mom always had our animals' bdays in our calendar growing up, so I've never known any differently!
JulieWunder says
I'll take any reason to celebrate. lol!
Runaway Bridal Planner says
4 ingredients, so easy!!
You definitely have a talent with food photography, I don't know if I ever told you that before. But seriously you do, and not everyone who blogs about food recipe's does!!!!
JulieWunder says
I've worked so hard to take pretty pictures, so that means a lot to me! Thank you so much!!!
Helly on the Run says
Yay!! Thanks so much for this!! Yes, I'm one of those who made a New Year's Resolution to cook more (and healthy) so this is easy and perfect for a beginner like me, lol!
JulieWunder says
Such a great resolution! Hope it is going well!
Emily says
You really re-styled it so beautifully Julie, and pesto on salmon sounds scrumptious!
JulieWunder says
That means a lot to me! Thanks so much Emily!
Amanda says
Yum! I'm always looking for new salmon recipes to cook for Jordan and I. I'm a fairly new salmon lover!
JulieWunder says
This one is really easy and good!
Jennifer Hopper says
Awesome!!!
Walter Wright says
Thanks=)
Jaime says
We totally celebrate Chloe's adoption birthday (she was older when we adopted her.) And I LOVE this recipe. I have all of the ingredients (including frozen homemade pesto!) I'll definitely try this next week!
Amy Ostwalt says
Perfect timing! I have a bunch of basil ready to pick and was in search of a good recipe with some fresh pesto!
Rita Castline says
Julie,
We celebrate our cats birthdays! Tomorrow is our Russian Blue Willow's sixth birthday! Adopted her from TAAG after she was pregnant and lost a litter. The original owners didnt want her anymore
Martha Jones says
Love your recipes. They are easy to follow with all your pictures. Glad to get these.
Stacie @ SimplySouthernStacie says
Happy birthday, Rhett! What a cutie! I love celebrating my pet's birthdays. Since I don't have kids yet, I think it's totally acceptable : )
Lynn Humphreys says
Love pesto! Sounds great. I eat a lot of salmon!
Happy Birthday, Hound Rhett!
JulieWunder says
I do too! My hubby went fishing in Alaska and I have a freezer of fish to get through!
Blane Sherer says
Happy Birthday to Rhett !
I will try your recipe.
JulieWunder says
Rhett says thanks! 🙂