Easy Lemon Pesto Salmon

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

1. Squeeze lemon juice over the fish filets.
2. Drizzle both sides of the fillest with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Spread a thin layer of pesto on the filets and lay a slice of lemon on top.
4. 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

Julie Wunder

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.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 15 mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Servings 2

Calories 253 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 salmon fillets
• 4 teaspoons pesto
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 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

Calories: 253kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 35gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 169mgPotassium: 908mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 270IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 2mg

Keyword easy, healthy, lemon, pesto, salmon, seafood

Tried this recipe?Mention @Julie_Wunder or tag #RunninginaSkirt!

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