This healthy recipe for whole salmon stuffed with lemon is easy to follow.
It might seem hard to cook a whole salmon, but it’s actually very simple and the fish comes out juicy and tasty! If you know how to do it right, you can have a restaurant-quality salmon dinner at home. When you read this article, I’ll show you how to cook a whole salmon from beginning to end.
Purchasing the Salmon
The first step is buying a high-quality salmon. Look for wild-caught salmon like king sockeye or coho. Wild salmon has more omega-3s and a deeper, richer flavor than farmed salmon. Try to find a salmon that is about 2-4 pounds, as this size will be easier to cook and serve than a massive fish. When shopping, look for a salmon that has
- Clear, shiny eyes
- Bright red gills
- Firm, shiny flesh
- No strong fishy odor
Ideally, the salmon should be sushi-grade or sashimi-grade if you plan to eat it raw. Also, make sure the fish is cleaned and scaled
Prepping the Fish
Once home start prepping the salmon for cooking
- Rinse the fish under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Make sure to pat the inner cavity dry as well.
- Using a sharp knife, slice off any dangling bits like the fins and tail. Remove the head if still attached.
- Lay the fish on a large cutting board. Slice diagonally across the width of the fish on each side of the dorsal fin. Then, holding the fin with one hand, use the knife to slice the fillet portion off the backbone. Repeat on the other side so you have two fillets.
- Run your fingers along each fillet feeling for pinbones. Use fish tweezers or needle-nose pliers to remove any you find.
- Season the fillets liberally with salt and pepper. I also like to stuff the cavities with lemon slices, fresh herbs like dill and parsley, and garlic cloves for extra flavor.
Cooking Methods
There are a few ways to cook your salmon fillets:
Oven Baked
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Place fillets skin-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush with olive oil or melted butter.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until opaque and cooked through. Broil 2-3 minutes at the end to crisp the skin.
Grilled
- Prepare a hot grill. Oil the grates.
- Place fillets skin-side down. Grill for 4-5 minutes per side until opaque.
Pan-Seared
- Pat fillets dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat with 2 Tbsp olive oil.
- Sear fillets skin-side down for 3-4 minutes until browned. Flip and cook 2 minutes more.
- Transfer pan to oven and bake at 400°F for 4-6 minutes to finish cooking.
Serving the Salmon
Once cooked, your salmon is ready to serve! Here are some tasty ways to serve up your fish:
- Flake salmon over a salad with spinach, arugula, mixed greens, etc.
- Layer smoked salmon on bagels with cream cheese, tomatoes, and red onion.
- Toss hot salmon into pasta with peas, dill, lemon zest, olive oil, and parmesan.
- Make salmon poke bowls with avocado, mango, rice, sesame seeds, and poke sauce.
- Serve salmon with potatoes or rice and roasted veggies like asparagus, broccoli, or cauliflower.
- Make salmon cakes by mixing cooked salmon with breadcrumbs, eggs, and herbs then pan frying into patties.
TIPS FOR COOKING A WHOLE SALMON
To cook a whole salmon, you must first remove its scales and clean it (so it doesn’t have any guts). The ones at Costco didn’t even have their heads on, which was nice because I didn’t have to pay for the weight of the heads.
If the head is still on your salmon, make sure that the head and/or tail won’t touch the oven walls. If they are, you can wrap them in a few layers of foil to keep them from burning. This will also make your oven smell like fish for a long time. I promise you that stinky fish cookies are not good! If you want to remove the salmon’s head before roasting it, you can store it in the freezer and use it later to make seafood stock.
Seasoning the salmon is so important, we’re talking salt and pepper EVERYWHERE. First, I like to drizzle olive oil all over the fish, inside and out. Then I like to add salt and pepper all over it, again inside and out.
Next you stuff it with what fancy chefs call aromatics. Basically it’s herbs and citrus that enhance the flavor of the fish. I like using fresh parsley, dill, lemon, and garlic.
Once the the salmon is stuffed full with your fresh ingredients, you need to tie it up so they don’t fall out. I LOVE this chef’s twine. It is seriously the best I’ve used and has held up to hours of roasting a huge turkey. Plus it’s so cheap!
For the top skin to get nice and crispy, I like to roast the salmon first.
If you’re really worried about cooking the salmon too much, you can put foil over the cookie sheet to keep the moisture in and then take it off to broil the skin. But it really isn’t necessary because the skin helps keep the moisture in your salmon.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF SALMON
The health benefits of salmon are undeniable.
Some of the things that salmon is high in are essential amino acids, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin B6, Vitamin D, and Vitamin E. It is also high in calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, and phosphorus.
That’s like a whole treasure trove of goodness!
I’m not going to go into all the reasons why those foods are so good for you, but salmon is often called one of the healthiest foods in the world.
If you’re worried about mercury, the great news is that wild caught Alaskan salmon is actually some of the healthiest seafood you can get. They have very low levels of mercury, and are recommend as a Best Choice by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.
Gordon Ramsay Salmon baked with Herbs Caramelised Lemons YouTube
FAQ
What is the best cooking method for salmon?
Is it better to bake salmon at 350 or 400?
How long does it take to fully cook salmon?
What temperature should a whole salmon be cooked?
How do you cook a salmon fillet?
On a large piece of foil, layer lemon slices and fresh dill with the whole salmon fillet. Drizzle with garlic butter. Fold and seal foil into a tented pouch and bake. When done, open foil and place under broiler to brown the top. Salmon fillet is best when baked with the skin on for optimal flavor and to help it retain moisture.
What are the benefits of smoked salmon over raw salmon?
It actually has the same characteristics as raw salmon, being relatively low in calories, it is an excellent source of protein, good fat and several vitamins and minerals. The smoking process just adds an aroma.
How do you make a whole baked salmon?
Here’s what you need to make a whole baked salmon: Brine the salmon (optional): Simmer the brine ingredients in a saucepan until the salt dissolves. Cool the solution, then pour it in a container large enough to hold the salmon. Place the salmon in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.
How to cook salmon in a pan?
Brush the salmon in olive oil and generously season both sides with salt and pepper. Pan-frying salmon is one of the fastest and easiest methods to cook it. It makes for super crispy skin and tender flesh. Here’s how you do it. Start with a large nonstick skillet, which will ensure the delicate salmon skin doesn’t stick and tear in the pan.
How long do you cook salmon in the oven?
Gently tent the salmon with foil and bake for about 15 minutes or until almost fully cooked. Remove from oven and remove the top piece of foil. Place the baking rack about 6 inches from the top. Add the salmon back to the oven and broil for 3-5 minutes or just until the top is lightly browned.
How do you prepare salmon before baking?
Meal prep: Mix the olive oil mixture ahead and brush it on right before baking, or fully bake salmon in the oven and then portion into individual containers to simply reheat later.