Baked Salmon Recipe with Mayonnaise
A simple yet delicious recipe for Baked Salmon with Mayonnaise. This 6-ingredient, 20-minute recipe is fresh, savory and perfect for weeknights.
Table of contents
Cooking with Salmon
Salmon is one of my top three favorite things to cook and eat because it’s quick-cooking, flavorful, and versatile. My usual weeknight go-to is this incredibly simple (just salt, pepper and salmon) and always perfect Pan-Seared Salmon. It’s a slam dunk every time.
Aside from pan-searing, salmon is also great grilled, roasted, simmered in a curry sauce, or formed into patties and fried—all of which can be found in this list of 15 healthy salmon recipes.
A few things to keep in mind when buying and cooking with salmon:
- Choose filets that are glossy and firm to the touch.
- Salmon filets should smell fresh and clean, and slightly briny or like the ocean. Fresh fish should never smell “fishy.”
- Salmon filets should have a bright contrast between the muscle and the fat.
- Check the recipe for notes on how thick the salmon filets should be—thickness dictates how long the cook time will be.
Do you love salmon?
If you love salmon as much as we do, make sure to try all of our dozens of other salmon recipes too!
WATCH: How to bake Salmon with mayo
Mayo Salmon Ingredients
- Whole wheat panko, an optional topping to add a bit of crunch.
- Skin-on salmon filets are ideal here. The skin keeps the salmon moist while cooking! Look for filets that are 1 to 1-½ inches thick.
- Mayonnaise, I prefer to use avocado oil or olive oil mayonnaise.
- Lemon, use the zest in the mayonnaise topping then cut the zested lemon into wedges and serve with the finished meal.
- Shallot, for a dose of onion/garlic flavor.
- Fresh dill also pairs really well with salmon and adds a lovely herby flavor.
How to Make Mayonnaise Salmon
- Toast the breadcrumbs in the oven for a few minutes until their golden brown.
- While the breadcrumbs toast, mix together the mayonnaise topping.
- Transfer the toasted breadcrumbs to a bowl and coat the baking sheet with nonstick spray.
- Pat the salmon dry, then arrange skin side-down on the baking sheet. Season the salmon with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Divide the mayo mixture between salmon filets and spread over top.
- Bake until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 125ºF (52ºC).
How Long to Cook Salmon at 350ºF
When salmon is baked at 350ºF (176ºC), it will take about 5 minutes per ½-inch thickness to cook. So, if at its thickest, the filet is 1 ½ inches, the bake time will be about 15 minutes.
The best way to check for doneness is to use an instant-read thermometer.
According to the FDA, salmon should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145ºF (63ºC).
However, many chefs and home cooks prefer their salmon to be more medium.
| Salmon Doneness | Temperature Range Low | Temperature Range Top |
| Done | 145ºF (63ºC) | |
| Medium | 125ºF (52ºC) | 130ºF (54ºC) |
| Medium-Rare | 120ºF (49ºC) | 125ºF (52ºC) |
Keep in mind, the internal temperature will increase as it rests.
If you don’t have a thermometer, you can check doneness of oven baked salmon by testing whether or not it flakes with a fork. It’s done when it just starts to flake.
What to Serve with Mayo Baked Salmon
Since the salmon is so flavorful, I prefer to keep the side dish simple. Steamed broccoli, sauteéd green beans or a simple green salad is perfect.
More Salmon Recipes
- This Salmon Baked in Foil is another great recipe to consider for cooking salmon in the oven.
- Two of our sheet pan meals that we love are this Roasted Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner with green beans and cherry tomaotes as well as this recipe for Sheet Pan Salmon Dinner with Moroccan Flavors.
- Recently we published this recipe for Maple Glazed Salmon on Healthy Seasonal Recipes. It is a great entertaining recipe and easy enough for a weeknight! Another maple sweetened version is this Maple Tahini Roasted Salmon! It is amazing.
- This Easy Skillet Salmon with Avocado Basil Mash is ready in minutes and so good any time of year.
- For those of you who love big salads, these Salmon Nicoise Salad are an all-time favorite!
Thanks for reading. If you make this recipe for Baked Salmon with Mayonnaise, please let me know by coming back to leave a star rating and review!
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Baked Salmon Recipe with Mayonnaise
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
An easy and delicious salmon recipe that can be made any night of the week.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons whole-wheat Panko
- 4 (6-ounce) skin-on salmon filets
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or olive oil mayonnaise
- 1 lemon, zested
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350ºF (176ºC) with rack set in middle position.
- Arrange breadcrumbs on baking sheet in an even layer; bake until toasted and golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
- Meanwhile, zest lemon then cut lemon into wedges. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, dill, shallot, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, ½ teaspoon pepper, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt.
- Coat baking sheet with nonstick spray. Arrange salmon, skin-side down, on sheet; pat dry with paper towels. Season salmon with ½ teaspoon each kosher salt and pepper.
- Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly over salmon.
- Roast salmon until it easily flakes with a fork and a thermometer inserted in the center registers 125ºF, 15–20 minutes.
- Sprinkle salmon with toasted breadcrumbs, serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
Thickness matters when it comes to bake time. Look for filets that have a thickness of at least 1 inch. If you have thinner filets, keep an eye on them as they cook. Every ½-inch of thickness equals 5 minutes baking time.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 filet
- Calories: 342
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 757mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
I didn’t quite have all of this, so I made some substitutes…DANG it tastes good! I’m sure it tastes even better if you have all the correct ingredients, but my similar substitutes seemed to come out justtt right.
Thank you for letting us know you liked it Kristin!
The fish came out so moist and flavorful with amazing hint of lemon zest!!! Thank you.
This was delicious!
Thank you for reporting back!
Thanks! Roasted garlic in mayo is delish and sometimes I make a smokey mayo by adding a little adobo sauce.
This is fabulous! I, for one, am not scared of mayonnaise. It is a really useful food, and I love how it’s used here.
Glad to hear it Mimi! Thanks for letting us know you liked the recipe. Have a good one.
I made this for my wife she loved it. I paired this with garlic pan fried asparagus.
Thank you for this recipe! For a large percentage of the current global population fish represents a readily available and above all affordable means of sustenance when compared to other food types. You find more facts about fish as a staple of the human diet here: https://ivypanda.com/essays/fish-as-a-staple-of-the-human-diet/
Ok not gonna lie, I was skeptical but this was sooo yummy! Thanks so much!
Yummmy
Thanks Julie! One word that says it all!
All the best flavors that go with salmon! This turned out so good and it was easy to prepare. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thanks for the comment and rating Emily! So glad you liked it!
This was amazing! Loved the fresh and bright flavors, and the crust on top was a great texture difference. Definitely a regular recipe in rotation now!
Thanks Kim! I’m always excited when I make it into someone’s rotation!
There is just nothing better than homemade salmon. And baking it is just next level!
Mahy- thanks for the comment and rating! I’m so glad you loved it!
We eat salmon each week so it’s great to find a different recipe that is so easy and delicious.
Amanda- I’m so glad I could give you a new spin on your weekly salmon! Thanks for the comment and rating!
It’s become one of our favourite midweek meals. So quick to make and extremely delicious! We use frozen dill though, but works great!
That sounds delicious! Thanks for the comment and rating!