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Lemon, Garlic & Herb Baked Whole30 Salmon Recipe {Video}

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This baked Whole30 salmon recipe is covered with a delicious lemon, garlic and herb crust that helps seal in the juices. This fish is light and flaky and it only takes 10 minutes to bake. Seriously! Only 10 minutes! I love how it gets a light crust on the outside but stays nice and moist on the inside. I feel like I work at a fancy restaurant when I make this.

This is crazy-easy to bake in the oven – it only takes about 12 minutes! It ends up with a nice crust on the outside and is tender on the inside. I love the easy sauce and it pulls together in a few minutes.  My favorite way to make it is using the broiler and that results in an extra-crunchy crust, juicier insides and it cooks even faster than the normal method. It’s kind of a chef’s secret way to get restaurant-quality salmon with no extra work and actually in less time.
Lemon, Garlic and Herb Baked Whole30 Salmon Recipe

I don’t know about you, but fish used to scare me. I live in the middle of the country where it’s hard to find good, fresh fish – especially wild-caught fish. I love to order fish in restaurants, but for a long time, I was scared to cook it at home. It’s so easy to overcook it and confusing picking it out. But I get so sick of chicken and beef and fish is so healthy for you – especially salmon.

So I came up with this recipe so I would have a good go-to recipe for cooking fish. This is a really good meal to make and impress your guests. Since it cooks so quickly, I just wait until my guests arrive and then throw it in my pre-heated oven. They are always impressed and it’s so easy.

If you show this to your family or guests, they will be impressed. They might start looking for take-out containers. But YOU’LL know how easy and fast this recipe really is. So, if you’re scared of fish like I used to be, this is a good recipe to start with. Nice and simple, yet full of flavor.

Ingredients for this Baked Whole30 Salmon

It is so easy to make and I think the lemon gives it a truly wonderful flavor. Check out the ingredient list and look at how short it is. Eight simple ingredients. If you don’t count herbs, there are only three ingredients.

Salmon – If possible, wild is always best. It not only tastes so much better, but it’s much better for you. Wild can be hard to find though and is very expensive. I even like to do this with frozen fish, like the tilapia or halibut that Costco has. My 10-year-old son makes it often because fish is his favorite protein – so if he can do it, you can do it (hopefully. . .). It takes a lot longer to cook with frozen fish though and you can’t do the broil method.

Lemon – Fresh is always best but lemon from the container in your fridge will work too. The zest gives it extra lemon flavor and adds to the texture of the crust.

Fresh herbs – Think that fresh herbs are too expensive? I’ve had really good luck with grow lights. I hang them from the bottom of a wire shelf and put all sorts of herbs and flowers on the shelf below. Now I have fresh herbs year-round. For some of the smaller plants, I just get a smaller personal lamp and a grow light bulb. You can use dried herbs but since this recipe is so simple I think every ingredient counts and is worth it to get the good stuff for an expensive protein.

Ghee – I prefer ghee in this recipe because it doesn’t burn as easily as butter and the slightly stronger flavor helps balance out the salmon flavor.

How to Make Paleo Salmon

  1. Make the sauce/crust by stirring melted ghee * with lemon, garlic and fresh herbs.
  2. Put the salmon in a pan.
  3. Brush the sauce on the salmon.
  4. Bake it for 10-12 minutes, making sure not to overcook your salmon. It’s so easy to do. You may not feel like your fish is done in the time indicated, but once it flakes easily with a fork, it’s done. (I finally figured out that’s why I used to like restaurant fish and not fish I cooked at home.)

What temp should salmon be cooked?

145 degrees F is the perfect temperature to cook it at so it is just beginning to easily flake with a fork and is slightly translucent in the middle. Check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer *.

What to serve with this baked salmon

I like to serve it with my einkorn and spelt baguette recipe when I’m not on Whole30. This would be delicious with some cauliflower rice and my simple roasted vegetables recipe or with my Whole30 pesto spaghetti squash recipe.

What is your favorite type of fish? Why? Share with us in the comments below. If you want more fish dishes from me, check out my 30-Minute Fish Veracruz Recipe or Grilled Mahi Mahi Recipe in a Lemon Butter Sauce.

Please try this recipe and let me know if you like it and who you made it for and what you served with it. I’m sure the other readers would love to know (and I would too). I’ll often serve it with some roasted veggies on the side.

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Lemon, Garlic and Herb Baked Whole30 Salmon Recipe

Lemon Garlic Herb Crusted Salmon 2b

★★★★★

4.9 from 47 reviews

This Paleo salmon recipe is covered with a delicious lemon, garlic and herb crust that helps seal in the juices. This fish is light and flaky and it only takes 10 minutes to bake. Seriously! Only 10 minutes!

  • Author: Rebecca Baron
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Paleo

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 oz Ghee * for Whole30 and Paleo or butter for other diets
  • 1 tsp Real Salt *
  • 1 Lemon, juiced and zested
  • 1 Tbsp Fresh Parsley (chopped)
  • 1 tsp Fresh Dill (chopped)
  • 1 Clove Garlic (minced)
  • Dash of White Pepper
  • 4 4.5 oz Wild Salmon Fillets

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients except for salmon in a small bowl and melt in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.
  2. Stir until combined.
  3. Place the salmon fillets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat.
  4. Using a pastry brush, coat the salmon with the lemon herb butter, evenly spreading it over the tops of each fillet.Paleo baked salmon
  5. Bake, uncovered, in an oven preheated to 400 degrees on the top or second to top rack for 10-12 minutes, or until salmon is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. (145 degrees F)
  6. Alternately the fish can be broiled on medium/high on the second to top rack for 8-10 minutes, or until cooked through. This method will give you a bit more crunchy, caramelized crust. (Place it directly on the pan or use tin foil. Do not use parchment paper or a Silpat for this method.)

Keywords: lemon, butter, baked

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Grace

    Very good. I usually do it with teriyaki and this was a good change. I will do it again!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  8. Sharon

    This was great and easy! I am not sure how much 3 ozs of ghee is. Is that liquid or weight. I have quite a bit oft he butter mixture left over. I saved for another day soon! Totally recommend this recipe! Thanks!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Rebecca Baron

      Well, I buy an 8 oz. container and just use about 3/8th of the jar. I’m not sure if that is very helpful but that’s what I do. . .

      Reply

  9. Tina Burns-Jordan

    Omg yes so yummy. I poured the left over butter sauce over it and put on broiler for 5 min. Super yummy

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  10. Michelle Au

    This was delicious! Easy to make and the salmon was flaky and so good. Would definitely make this again!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  15. Kelly

    We loved this!! There was a lot of butter, so I’ll cut back on that the next time and I omitted the salt because the butter was salted. Other than that, totally worth it!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  18. Theresa M.

    To go with the salmon- Combine 1/4 cup of lemon juice and 1/4 cup of melted butter together and pour the mixture over asparagus. Season with salt and pepper and cook on same pan as salmon.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  20. Tina Young

    I used a butter substitute (coconut manna) which actually created this creamy sauce on the top of the salmon. It came out soooo good. Great recipe! Thank you for adding.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  21. Shawn Titus

    Very tasty. I paired it with cilantro lime cauliflower rice (different recipe on Pinterest) and cinnamon/nutmeg butternut squash.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  24. Tiffany C

    So delicious. Quite a strong flavour so I recommend serving with plain sides – I chose steamed rice and broccoli. Also baked whole for 20 mins @ 400 – texture was perfect.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  36. Kas

    I just made this for the second time and it’s every bit as delicious as I remembered! Thank you for sharing such a simple, tasty recipe. 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  37. Ladonna

    You mention one lemon in the recipe, but it that the zest of one lemon or the juice of one lemon or both? I could see the zest being added in the video, but I wasn’t sure about the juice. It looks like a very yummy recipe, and I can’t wait to try it!

    Reply

  38. Stephanie P

    The salmon was so good, there were no leftovers! Made it accompanied with a watermelon, mint & feta salad and some rice.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  40. amanda tober

    Wow this was SO GOOD. I cut in half because every time I cook salmon it’s always dry and lacks flavor but I wish I hadn’t off! I used refined coconut oil in place of the butter and a pan technique I also found on Pinterest. Can’t wait to make it again, thanks so much for the recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  41. Kylie

    This recipe is pretty good, but it’s not paleo. Paleo is dairy-free. The buttrr needs to be replaced with olive or coconut oil.

    ★★★★

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      Butter on the Paleo diet is a very iffy subject. I’ve heard both sides of the arguments and decided that I will include it in my diet because it’s a healthy fat and doesn’t have the dairy protein, casein, in it. Totally up to you if you don’t want to use it though. Most people consider ghee Paleo though, so that may be a better substitution for you.

      Reply

    • Rebecca

      Did you use Real Salt? I find that regular salt makes things taste too salty, but Real Salt just makes them taste good and have lots more flavor. The salt also helps tenderize it.

      Reply

      • Andrea

        No 🙁 I used regular coarse salt that I had on hand. I’ll have to invest in some real salt and try again next week!!

        Reply

  43. Melissa

    This was outstanding, the best salmon that I’ve ever prepared at home. My husband loved it and 7 and 12 year olds ate it with no complaints! Thank you!!!!!

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      I’m so glad everyone liked it. I love that even your children ate it. I remember hating fish when I was growing up, but my children love it. Goes to show, you should expose your children to different foods, even if you don’t think they will like it.

      Reply

  46. Erin

    i prepared this recipe, but didn’t get to actually try it because my parchment paper caught fire under the broiler. Judging from the other comments this hasn’t happened to anyone else, but the second rack may be a BIT close to the broiler on some ovens…

    Reply

    • Christjnz

      Mine didn’t catch fire but did scorch and smoke. I had to remove it and transfer it to tinfoil to finish it up. Also, I guess my filets were thicker or something because I had to almost cook mine twice as long. Other than that the flavor was very good and DH loved it. Will use the flavorings to make again.

      ★★★★

      Reply

  47. Jacqueline Cromwell

    Lovely recipe! Would you mind if I included it and a photo in a round up and collage? I would link back here, of course?

    Reply

  48. Lisa

    Absolutely loved this recipe! It’s definitely a favorite in our house, I think I’ve made it about a dozen times! Thanks for sharing

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  49. Joe

    I’ve made this recipe a few times now and it’s amazing. I add grated jalapenos to it to give it a little kick. Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  50. Taylor

    Will be trying this tonight. I love baked salmon and always just use my go-to recipe of either lemon pepper and garlic salt OR lemon juice, salt, and cumin with a butter/cilantro butter sauce. This looks FANTASTIC and will be serving it tonight with asparagus and baby boiled potatoes. Looking forward to the outcome!

    Reply

  51. Omega 3 Movement

    Delicious and healthy dish. Thank you so much. I’m closing my laptop and running to the kitchen right away!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      Well this recipe was created for a bake but if you prefer grilled I think you could give it a try. It will give a different flavor and taste but that might be more of what you are looking for. Let us know if you try it, how it works out for you! 🙂

      Reply

  55. Ally

    Haven’t baked salmon before. Looking forward to using the recipe for dinner this week. I always have several servings of salmon each week.

    Reply

  56. Andrea

    Awesome! I have made this several times and is my go to recipe for really good salmon. This is the first recipe for salmon that I have made more than twice. I have been looking for a good recipe for quite some time now and am so happy that I finally found it. Thank you!!

    Reply

  57. Tiffany

    Delish! Thanks for sharing. This is a keeper. Everyone loved it. Even the Hubster who is not the biggest fish fan. 🙂

    Reply

  60. Crystal

    Excellent recipe, I didn’t have any fresh lemons so instead of zest I used a little juice. It was sooooooo good. Keeping this in my rotation.
    Thank you!

    Reply

  62. Rachel

    This really does look easy and I definitely need new salmon recipes since we are eating more fish. Thanks!

    Reply

  63. Janette

    Thanks for sharing this recipe! I’m always looking for new ways to cook salmon because I eat it quite a bit on my diet!! Looking forward to trying this!

    Reply

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