If you’re in a pinch and need a seriously delicious entrée to serve up to family and guests, then this easy broiled salmon recipe with garlic, lemon, and a delicious sauce comes together in under 30 minutes. If you’re a huge salmon fan like me then absolutely check out my Sheet Pan Salmon Bowl Recipe or if you like simple recipes then my Easy Beef Stroganoff Recipe is a must make.
While it happens all year long, it seems during those holiday months a lot more guests are showing up last minute and sometimes unexpected. Our door is always open so we love to entertain and when I need something super delicious on the table to feed some folks, this easy broiled salmon recipe is my absolute go-to and if you make it, it’ll be yours as well.
Try serving this up with my simple Boiled Green Beans Recipe or my Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
Do You Keep the Skin on When Broiling Salmon
When it comes to cooking salmon, whether that’s broiling or another cooking method, I always prefer to cook it with the skin on. While you can absolutely eat the cooked skin, I believe it serves a bigger purpose. It will help season your fish as well as keep it moist since it will seal it all of the juices while broiling it.
Is It Better to Broil or Bake
There is definitely a difference between broiling or baking fish and whether or not one method is better than the other. Here are my thoughts:
- Baked Salmon – When baking it, the oven is hot on all sides cooking the salmon from every direction. Baking salmon takes longer than broiling and has a tendency to overcook making it dry.
- Broiled Salmon – Broiled is when it’s cooked directly from the heating element on top of the oven, roasting it until light brown. It cooks rather quickly, and the browning of the salmon helps intensify the delicious flavor.
What Is the Best Temperature to Broil At
A lot of ovens differ in broiling temperatures. Some have a low, medium or high function, while others can specify the exact temperature.
I believe that a medium setting or 500° is the perfect broiling temperature. It’s hot enough to brown up your salmon while cooking it through and without burning it in a short period of time.
Do You have to Flip the Salmon When Broiling
There is no need to flip the fish when broiling it in the oven. While it does cook from the heating elements directly above it on the top part of the oven, you are still heating up the oven and keeping it how which will further cook the entire salmon.
The best way to think of this is by cooking your fish on the grill with the grill door closed. It will cook from the bottom and the entire grill stays hot when the lid is closed.
How Long Do You Broil It For
An overcooked fish is a very sad fish so for me, I always like to slightly undercook the salmon so that when it’s ready to serve it’s at the perfect internal temperature. You can eat salmon anywhere from a medium to well done internal temperature, so I usually take it out of the oven when it’s medium or 140° internally.
With all this being said it takes about 7-8 minutes on 500° on the broil setting to cook a piece of salmon.
How to Cook It
1. Start by coating the fish in lemon juice, finely minced garlic, olive oil (or melted butter), salt and pepper.
2.: Simply place the salmon about 8-10” away from the top heating broiler element, which is on the top of the oven, and broil at 500° or medium for 8-10 minutes.
3. Remove the fish from the oven and let it rest for 3 to 4 minutes before serving.
How to Make the Sauce
There are quite a few sauces that you can serve up with salmon to make it delicious. The sauce that I made for this broiled salmon recipe would go fantastic with beef, pork, chicken or any other fish. It’s umami in flavor and a fantastic compliment to this broiled salmon.
- Start by mixing together equal parts (1/3) red wine, red wine vinegar, and soy sauce until combined.
- Heat the sauce up until it becomes hot.
- Whisk in cold unsalted butter over simmering low heat until it is incorporated.
- Finish with green onions and serve alongside the broiled salmon recipe.
This easy recipe is seriously one of the best and such a fantastic way to pull off a great meal in a short amount of time.
Chef Recipe Notes + Tips
How to Reheat: To reheat the broiled salmon simply place back in a pan, cover with foil and cook in the oven for 10 minutes at 350°. You can also cook it in the microwave for 1:30 or until hot.
Storing and Freezing: This will hold in the refrigerator covered up for up to 4 days. It will also freeze well covered for up to 3 months. Simply pull it out as you need it and let thaw in the refrigerator before using it.
If you feel like your salmon is starting to burn, simply remove it from the oven or drop it down a rack or two in your oven.
I personally prefer to broil salmon over baking it. However, I will sometimes bake it after pan-searing it to help cook it the rest of the way.
Just as an FYI, salmon skin will peel right off from the meat of the fish once it’s cooked.
You can use a cabernet sauvignon or a merlot for the red wine in the sauce. There will also be sauce leftover before heating it in the pan.
More Awesome Seafood Recipes
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Video
Easy Broiled Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pound side of fresh salmon
- juice of 1 lemon
- 3 finely minced cloves of garlic
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- ¼ cups sliced green onions
- sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler to 500° or medium.
- Place the salmon skin-side down on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper or foil.
- Evenly squeeze on the lemon juice all over the salmon. Rub the finely minced garlic all over the top of the salmon.
- Drizzle the olive oil covering the salmon then season with salt and pepper.
- Place on a rack that is about 8-10 inches from the top heating element and broil it for 8-10 minutes or until browned and cooked. Set aside and rest for 3-4 minutes before serving.
- In a medium-size bowl add in the red wine, red wine vinegar, and soy sauce and mix until combined. Save about 1/3 of the mixture for later use.
- Add the remaining 2/3 to a large saute pan and heat over medium heat until hot, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the heat to low and whisk in the butter until melted in.
- Add in green onions to the sauce and serve the salmon with the sauce.
Cat says
You say to reserve 1/3 of the wine/vinegar/soy sauce for later use, and then I couldn’t find what the later use was…. Ate it anyway– it apparently didn’t need it?
Chef Billy Parisi says
The later use is up to you, perhaps for another recipe or a different use.
Karen says
Great recipe!
What could I use in place of the soy sauce. A family member cannot have soy a all! Thank you!
Chef Billy Parisi says
coconut aminos
Bill says
Is there a substitute for red wine vinegar?
Chef Billy Parisi says
no unforunately
Katie says
Made this for the family and it was a hit!
Matt Taylor says
This is awesome Billy! I love salmon. Baked, Broiled, Grilled, Fried, etc. Cedar plank salmon is scrumptious too!
Betsy says
Delicious! Lots of great, deep flavor in this broiled salmon recipe! Believe it or not, my kids LOVE salmon and they love this recipe.
Demeter says
I love how detailed all of your tips to making this are! Even a beginner can nail this dish. Thanks!
wilhelmina says
This salmon is totally bringing the flavor! We loved it!