With this Herb and Panko Crusted Salmon, you have a quickly prepared weeknight family meal, or a meal that is so elegant that it is worthy of a special occasion. A flavoursome, herbed breadcrumb crust is pressed onto the top of the salmon, then baked in the oven until the crumbs are tantalisingly crisp and golden. To complement the salmon, we serve it with an easily prepared Spicy Mayonnaise. Dinner doesn’t come much easier!
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- Salmon fillets are ideal for busy nights; you can have them ready to enjoy in 30 minutes.
- We use a few simple ingredients to create the crispy crust.
- Salmon is an elegant dish, ideal to serve for special occasions.
- This is an easy meal to serve when entertaining. Just increase the ingredients if necessary.
- It is naturally dairy and nut-free and is easily adapted to gluten-free by using the appropriate breadcrumbs.
- Cooking the salmon in the oven leaves your hands free to prepare a side dish.
Recipe Inspiration: Salmon fillets are extremely versatile; they can be poached, pan fried, baked, steamed, barbecued or air fried. I enjoy trying new ways of cooking the salmon, and this has become one of our favourites. We LOVE the crunchy topping!
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Salmon fillets – we use skinless fillets. The perfect meal when time is short and you want to serve a nourishing meal. The only action I take before I start preparation is to trim the thin fatty end so the salmon cooks evenly. You can cook this portion separately if you wish.
- Panko breadcrumbs – these light, flaky breadcrumbs become golden and crispy when baked. Use gluten-free breadcrumbs if necessary.
- Dried oregano - I have used dried oregano in the breadcrumb crust. It is a popular addition to Mediterranean dishes.
- Italian/flat leaf parsley – adds clean, fresh flavour and is more vibrant than the curly variety.
- Lemon zest – the essential oils in the skin of the lemon add a bright note. Be sure to remove the zest before juicing the lemon.
- Lemon juice – the acidity of lemon juice naturally enhances the flavour of fish. We add freshly squeezed juice to the crumb crust and the Spicy Mayonnaise.
- Extra virgin olive oil – our preference is this olive oil from the first pressing. Use the best olive oil that you have.
- Garlic – for the best result, we use fresh garlic.
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – these two seasonings enhance the other flavours.
- Mayonnaise – for convenience, we have used a good quality, egg-based commercial mayonnaise as the base for our sauce.
- Sweet Chilli Sauce – we add our homemade Sweet Chilli Sauce to the mayonnaise, but you can use a commercial variety.
- Tabasco Sauce – we have used the original version of this hot sauce to boost the spice level.
Variations:
Dried oregano – you could use finely chopped fresh dill.
Tabasco Sauce – check the spice level of the sauce. Add Tabasco if you would like to increase the heat or omit it if you prefer a gentler flavour. Many people find Tabasco very spicy.
How To Make Herb and Panko Crusted Salmon:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Prepare the crumb topping:
In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the herb and breadcrumb topping.
2 – Top the salmon:
Place the salmon fillets on a lined sheet pan. Top with the crumb, gently pressing down so it adheres. Bake in your preheated oven.
3 – Prepare the spicy mayonnaise:
Add the ingredients for the spicy mayonnaise to a small bowl and mix to combine. Check that the seasoning is to your liking.
4 – Serve and enjoy:
Depending on the thickness of your salmon fillets, they will take about 15-20 minutes to cook.
Serve with the spicy mayonnaise and side dishes of your choice.
Hint: it is important to bring the fish to room temperature so that it cooks evenly. I recommend that it be removed from the fridge about 10-15 minutes before you start to cook.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs
We recommend assembling the salmon just prior to baking. You could prepare the crumb a few hours in advance, however, and top the salmon when you're ready to cook.
Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Ideally, the cooked fish should be refrigerated as soon as possible after it has been cooled down. If the fish has been at room temperature for 2 hours, it should be discarded. This recipe is not suitable for freezing.
Break up the salmon and add pieces to a salad, scrambled eggs, fried rice or use as a sandwich filling. Simply add to a good mayonnaise along with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Season to your taste.
Top Tip:
A perfectly cooked salmon fillet is tender and succulent, and to achieve this it is important to not overcook the fish. For accuracy, I strongly recommend using a thermometer to determine when cooked.
Serving Suggestions:
Salmon fillets are an extremely versatile ingredient, they can be served for breakfast/brunch, lunch or dinner. They are perfect when entertaining as each piece of salmon is an individual portion. Simply increase the amounts as necessary.
Our Herb and Panko Crusted Salmon is a family favourite meal. It can be enjoyed:
- As part of your festive celebrations, such as Easter or Christmas.
- Served with easily made Butter Bean Mash or a Potato Salad with Peas and Mint.
- With our easily made Yoghurt Sauce, that we serve with our Mediterranean Side of Salmon, is also delicious with the Herb Crusted Salmon.
I am certain that you will love this Herb Crusted Salmon; it is another easy recipe that gives you maximum reward for minimum effort. I look forward to hearing how you enjoy it.
Alex xx
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Herb and Panko Crusted Salmon
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
For the Salmon:
- 4 skinless salmon fillets - approximately 175 g (6 oz) each - trimmed weight See Note 1
- 70 g (2.5 oz) panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley - finely chopped See Note 2
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest - finely grated
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice - freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic - finely grated
- ½ teaspoon cooking sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Spicy Mayonnaise:
- 3 tablespoon mayonnaise - I prefer whole egg
- 1 ½ tablespoon sweet chilli sauce See Note 3
- ¼ teaspoon Tabasco Sauce – or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice - freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Remove the salmon from the fridge 10-15 minutes before baking. If necessary, remove the thin, fatty end of the salmon fillet. Your fillet will cook more evenly. If you like to eat this part, you can cook it on the tray separately.
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C (355 F).Line a large sheet pan with non-stick baking paper.
- Combine the ingredients for the herb crust in a small bowl. Evenly divide the crust between the salmon fillets, pressing it on firmly.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes. My salmon fillets were 4 cm (1.5 inches) thick. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your fillets.If using a thermometer, the USDA recommends that salmon be cooked to 63 degrees C (145 F). It is essential that you don’t cook it any higher or the fish will become dry. In fact, it will continue cooking a little after removing it from the oven so take it out a little earlier and allow it to rest for a few minutes to finish cooking.Another way to test for doneness is to insert the tip of a knife into the thickest part of the fillet and gently twist. If the flesh flakes easily the salmon is ready. If the flesh still looks translucent and doesn’t flake easily, you will need to cook it a little longer.
- Whilst the salmon is cooking, combine the ingredients for the Spicy Mayonnaise. Check that the sauce is seasoned to your taste.Serve with the Herb Crusted Salmon, along with some fresh lemon if you wish.
Notes
- Salmon: we use skinless fillets. If necessary, remove the thin, fatty end of the salmon fillet. Your fillet will cook more evenly. If you like to eat this part, you can cook it on the tray separately.
- Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons). For readers located elsewhere in the world, please use 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon for each listed tablespoon.
- Sweet Chilli Sauce: we use our homemade Sweet Chilli Sauce recipe, but store bought is absolutely fine.
- Storage: you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Ideally, you should refrigerate the fish as soon as possible after it has been cooked and has cooled down. However, if the fish has been at room temperature for 2 hours, it should be discarded. Before eating the refrigerated fish, I recommend that you have it at room temperature for about 15 minutes to remove the chill.
- Freezing: this recipe is not suitable for freezing.
- Leftovers: add pieces to a salad, scrambled eggs, fried rice or use as a sandwich filling. Flake some into a good mayonnaise along with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Season to your taste.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Jo Patterson says
I made this and could not believe how easy it was. It was absolutely delicious. Thank you for another great recipe. I would definitely recommend this.
Alexandra Cook says
Thank you so much, Jo!
I am so thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Alex xo