Food 2025-04-14 13:16:15

For Perfectly Cooked Salmon Every Time, Use My Easy Recipe

In my early 20s, I worked as a server in a Boston restaurant where we were instructed to ask diners how they wanted their salmon cooked: medium rare, medium, medium well, etc. I knew this was a thing people cared about for steak, but for fish?! I’d never heard of that.

At the end of my first night, I ordered my shift meal: salmon (medium, please) to see what this was all about. It blew my mind. It was ever-so-slightly underdone in the middle—not at all raw, but perfectly moist and melt-in-your-mouth soft. I was determined to recreate it at home.

I spent some time looking around online and discovered the slow-roasting method for salmon. I was shocked to see that people were cooking their salmon at 275°F. I don’t think my oven had ever seen a number lower than 325! But it produced incredibly soft, tender fish unlike any I’d ever made. One bite in, I decided I’d never go back to cooking salmon any other way.

Slow-roasted salmon is honestly delicious enough to eat on its own, but a silky, garlicky lemon butter sauce takes it to the next level. It has a beautiful balance of richness from salted butter, brightness from lemon zest and juice, and a bit of sweetness from a touch of honey. It’s basically liquid gold and perfectly complements the fish.

Why Slow Roasting Is Better

When you cook protein at a high temperature, the flesh tightens up from the blast of high heat, which can lead to tougher and drier meat. But when you cook it at a lower heat over a longer period of time, the protein heats up slowly and cooks more evenly. Slow-roasting yields a buttery, soft, and moist texture in fish—no more dry, flaky salmon!

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Servings 4 servings

Both farmed and wild-caught salmon work for this recipe, but for the tenderest and most buttery texture, use farmed salmon, which has a higher fat content.

If you’re using frozen salmon fillets, let them thaw completely in the fridge before using.

4 (6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets
4 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the optional sauce

4 tablespoons salted butter
2 small cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley, optional

Preheat the oven to 275°F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prepare the salmon:

Place the four salmon fillets on the parchment-lined pan, skin side down. Drizzle each fillet with 1 teaspoon of olive oil then season with the salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Use your fingers to rub the oil and seasonings evenly across each fillet.

Slow-roast the salmon:

Roast the salmon until the fillets are slightly firm to the touch and begin to flake when you stick a fork into the center, 20 to 28 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets and whether you’re using wild-caught or farmed salmon (wild-caught will cook more quickly). The inside flesh will be opaque yet very moist and the thickest part of each fillet should read 120 to 130°F with an instant-read thermometer.

Make the optional sauce:

While the salmon roasts, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the lemon juice, honey, and a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper. Stir everything together and cook until the sauce has reduced by about half and coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.

Finish and serve:

Remove the salmon from the oven. Gently slide a spatula between the salmon flesh and the skin and transfer each fillet to a serving platter, leaving the skin on the pan. Alternatively, gently flip over the fillets and peel off the skin with the help of a fork. Drizzle a spoonful of sauce over the top of each fillet, sprinkle with the chopped parsley, and serve.