How Long To Bake Salmon

Whole Salmon

Season your salmon to taste with salt, pepper or any other preferred flavorings, and then preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Wrap the entire fish loosely with aluminum foil so the salmon will cook through evenly. Place the wrapped salmon onto a large roasting pan and bake for approximately 15 minutes per pound. If you have a 2 lb. salmon, bake it for 30 minutes. Do not overcook salmon. It needs to be just heated through or it may become tough and less flavorful.

Fillets

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and season the salmon fillets to taste. Place the salmon fillets into a nonstick glass baking dish and cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil. For a fancier presentation, you can wrap each individual fillet loosely with aluminum and place onto a baking sheet. Bake the salmon for 15 minutes per total pound of the fillets; for instance, if you have four 6 oz. fillets, plan on baking them for around 20 to 25 minutes.

Stuffed

If your salmon recipe calls for horizontally slicing the salmon and stuffing additional ingredients into the fish, the total baking time will be altered. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Add any stuffing ingredients into the salmon, then place the stuffed salmon onto a greased baking dish. Since stuffed salmon has been horizontally sliced, it's thinner and will bake through more quickly. Bake the salmon for approximately 15 minutes until just heated through.

Checking Doneness

Salmon does not pose the same health risks as undercooked meat, so do not bake it much longer than the recommended times. It needs to be just heated through. To ensure you don't bake salmon too long, pull it out of the oven to check it about two minutes before the recommended baking time is over. It's much better to stick it back into the oven to bake longer than to overcook it, which cannot be undone. Stick a fork directly into the top of a piece of salmon and turn it. If the salmon easily flakes onto your fork, it is done baking. If the fish is firm and feels like it would require a knife to cut through it, stick it back into the oven and bake for another two minutes. Continue baking and testing for doneness every two minutes. Let the salmon rest for about five minutes before serving.

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