This lemon dill baked salmon is my family’s favorite recipe for cooking salmon. Thanks to our easy baking method, the salmon stays soft and moist, practically melting in your mouth.
My mom makes the best baked salmon! Her secret is adding some liquid to the baking dish and covering it. This gently poaches the salmon in the oven (you could even call it oven-poached salmon).
This lemon dill recipe uses her foolproof method, and I’m so excited for you to try it!
Key Ingredients
- Salmon: Any salmon fillet will work for this recipe. However, I especially love those with a higher fat content, like sockeye, king, and coho. When baked, these types of salmon stay soft and moist.
- Lemon: My mom always places a slice of lemon underneath her salmon fillets, and I do the same. It adds a lovely lemon aroma and flavor to the dish.
- Dill: Dill and salmon are such a classic pairing (I’m always game for a dill salmon recipe). I use fresh dill whenever possible, but you can substitute dried. I’ve shared tips for this below the recipe.
- White wine: My mom sticks with water (which is totally fine), but I love adding a little extra flavor with dry white wine. Use something light and dry, like sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, or unoaked chardonnay. I also use white wine for this skillet poached salmon.
How to Make Lemon Dill Baked Salmon
Of all the salmon recipes on Inspired Taste, this is the one we’ve made the most. It’s super easy to make, and everyone loves it.
Grab a baking dish and add a layer of fresh dill and lemon slices. Season your salmon with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then place the fillets down on top of the lemon and dill. You can leave the skin on for this recipe (it acts as an extra barrier, protecting the fish from overcooking).
Pour wine or water into the baking dish and cover it with foil. Bake the salmon in a 325°F oven until it flakes easily with a fork. For 1-inch salmon fillets, expect 10 to 15 minutes. The steamy environment from our poaching liquid keeps the salmon super moist in the middle. I love it!
What to Serve with Lemon Dill Salmon
This salmon recipe is incredibly versatile and pairs well with a variety of side dishes. I love serving it with cauliflower rice. Adam prefers classic mashed potatoes, while my son enjoys simple buttered noodles.
Veggies are always a great idea! Try roasted asparagus with a touch of garlic, sautéed zucchini, or my quick and easy sautéed cabbage.
If you’re looking for a salad, the salmon works wonderfully with a Caesar salad, this lemon orzo pasta salad, or a simple green salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Finally, salmon and cucumber is a classic pairing. Try our tangy cucumber salad or this avocado salad with cucumber.
Lemon Dill Baked Salmon
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
I love this lemon dill salmon recipe! The trick to perfectly baked salmon is gently baking it in a bit of liquid, like wine, stock, or water. Cover the dish and bake until just cooked through. You can call this recipe oven poached salmon. It’s practically foolproof. If your salmon is thick, expect the cooking time to be a few minutes longer than what we share below.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 ½ pounds salmon fillets, 1-inch thick, preferably wild-caught
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 lemon, cut into slices
4 sprigs of fresh dill, plus more for serving
1/2 cup dry white wine or water
Directions
1Preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C). Set aside a baking dish large enough to fit the salmon fillets in one layer.
2Lightly oil and season both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper. (Optionally, cut the salmon into four 6-ounce fillets.)
3Arrange lemon slices and dill on the bottom of the baking dish, then place the salmon skin-side down on top.
4Add wine to the baking dish, and then cover with aluminum foil.
5Bake the salmon until the fish flakes easily with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillets. Check the salmon after 10 minutes to see its progress. The best way to prevent overcooking is to check the temperature of the salmon using an internal thermometer. The thickest part of the salmon should read 125°F.
6Take the salmon out of the oven, untuck the foil to cover the dish loosely, and set aside on the counter for 5 minutes. The salmon will continue to cook during this time.
7Serve scattered with chopped fresh dill on top.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Dried dill: Use 1 tablespoon dried dill. Add half of the lemon slices at the bottom of the dish, and sprinkle the rest over the top of the salmon.
- Wine: Use a light, dry wine like sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, or unoaked chardonnay. Or substitute water.
- White stuff on cooked salmon: The white stuff around cooked salmon is called albumin. It’s perfectly fine to eat, but since it isn’t the prettiest thing to look at, I quickly scrape it away and spoon a bit of the cooking liquid from the bottom of the dish on top.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
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Awesome dish for newbie like me. It’s so simple and can’t go wrong – made this twice for my family. Thank you 😊
this was simply delicious and so easy. Just wonderful!!
I love this salmon, so easy and so delicious! Thank you!
I want to serve this cold tonight after cooking it this afternoon. Do I leave it in the wine juices or will it go mushy?
Hi Jess, You can leave it in the juices.
Came out pretty good. Took about a half hour at 350. I added some lemon zest as well, and a squirt of lemon at the end with the fresh dill.
I’m a bit confused. It feels like the salmon should go skin size up so it gets maximum exposure to the dill and lemon, and all the good fats stay inside the salmon. That, or put the dill and lemon on top of the salmon. Can you explain?
You can flip the salmon if you prefer. With our recipe, we find the dill and lemon perfumes the salmon just fine.
The skin won’t absorb nearly as much seasoning as the flesh side.
Delicious recipe! I made this for the first time a couple of months ago and I’ve made it at least three times since. Simple and flavourful, thank you!
This recipe is delicious! Thank you for this!