This might be the best salmon recipe ever! This Pesto Crusted Salmon is super flavorful and easy to make! The main ingredients are salmon, pesto, panko bread crumbs and lemon.
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This salmon is so flaky, moist and absolutely irresistible. It's also a very impressive recipe that takes less than 20 minutes from start to finish!
Make this salmon any night of the week to make dinner time extra special. I recommend serving the salmon with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Carrots or Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes!
Overview of the ingredients
salmon fillets - Choose fillets that are close in size and thickness so they cook at the same time.
pesto - You can use homemade pesto or store bought.
panko bread crumbs - You can substitute gluten free panko if you have an allergy. If you rather use regular bread crumbs you can, but panko bread crumbs are extra crunchy.
lemon - Do not use store bought lemon juice for this recipe.
salt and pepper
olive oil spray or avocado oil spray - I love THIS olive oil spray bottle!
The thick topping is key to this recipe! To create the topping, combine pesto, panko and the juice of one lemon. The texture should be wet enough to easily press onto the salmon fillets.
Use your hands to press the mixture on top of the salmon. Make sure you coat the entire piece of salmon. You want pesto in every single bite!
How do I know when my salmon is done?
It depends on the thickness of the salmon and if it's farm raised or wild caught. Use the times below to gauge your bake time. Typically, farm raised salmon is thicker and takes a little longer to cook. Wild salmon can very easily be over cooked so keep an eye on it.
Cook wild salmon for 6-10 minutes.
Cook farm raised salmon for 12-16 minutes.
This recipe serves 2 people, but you can easily double or triple the recipe for a crowd. Just adjust the serving size on the recipe card and the ingredient amounts will change for you.
Pesto Crusted Salmon
Ingredients
- 2 4-6 ounce salmon fillets
- 3 tablespoons pesto
- 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
- 1 lemon
- 1 sprinkle salt and pepper
- 2 sprays olive oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Grab a small bowl and make the topping for the salmon. Combine pesto, panko and the juice of one lemon. The texture should be wet enough to easily press onto the salmon fillets.
- Pat the salmon fillets dry to get rid of any excess moisture. Now, place them on a baking sheet lined with foil.
- First, sprinkle the fillets with salt and pepper. Second, press half of the topping mixture onto each piece of salmon.
- Spray the salmon with two sprays of olive oil spray and bake.
- The baking time depends on the thickness of the salmon and if it's farm raised or wild caught. Use the times below to gauge your bake time. Typically, farm raised salmon is thicker and takes a little longer to cook. Wild salmon can very easily be over cooked so keep an eye on it.Cook wild salmon for 6-10 minutes.Cook farm raised salmon for 12-16 minutes.
- When there is about 4-5 minutes left of cooking time, move the salmon to the top rack of the oven and broil on high. This will help create a nice crust!
This nutrition information is an estimate and should not be taken as fact. The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.
Sheri Peterson
Excellent!!
Love to hear it!
Heather
Excellent! Great instructions, came out perfect.
That means so much! 🙂