This baked pesto salmon recipe is the perfect quick and healthy dinner for busy weeknights – ready in just 20 minutes! Fresh salmon is coated with lemon juice and homemade basil pesto. Serve it with roasted potatoes and vegetables for an easy oven-baked dinner! {Gluten-free, dairy-free & low carb}
Our Favorite Weeknight Meal – Lemon Pesto Salmon
This baked pesto salmon recipe has been a go to of mine for years because it’s so easy and and the whole family always gobbles it up (kids included)!
The pesto sauce is made from scratch, but only takes a few minutes minutes to whip up and is such a fresh and delicious way to infuse the salmon with flavor. It’s totally worth the few minutes of extra prep time!
Additionally, because the salmon is baked in the oven, the cooking time is very hands off so you can use this time to prepare the other sides.
And you know what this means — a quick, easy, and healthy dinner recipe that’s ready to serve in less than 30 minutes!
For more easy baked salmon recipes, be sure to try my Tomato Pesto Salmon and Walnut Crusted Salmon too!
Dietitian’s Tips:
Salmon is a nutritional powerhouse packed with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, protein and essential vitamins and minerals. Due to all of its benefits, it’s recommended that we aim to get at least two servings of fatty fish per week. This healthy salmon recipe is a great place to start!
Wild-caught salmon is my preference as it’s typically lower in saturated fat, higher in protein, plus it’s more likely to contain fewer contaminants. Look for varieties like Coho or King Salmon.
This is a super simple four-ingredient recipe, but if your dinnertime routine is stressful, you can absolutely prep the pesto ahead of time or use store-bought pesto.
Key Ingredients
- Fresh salmon: I prefer to use fresh salmon fillets when possible. If using frozen, just make sure they’re fully defrosted first. Use wild Atlantic salmon if you can find it. You can use either skinless or skin-on fillets. You can either remove the skin before or after baking; your preference.
- Fresh lemon juice
- Homemade pesto: I love to use my Dairy-Free Pesto recipe to top the salmon as I always have some in my fridge or freezer. It’s made with lots of fresh basil, spinach, olive oil, garlic, and cashews, so you don’t have to splurge on any expensive cheese. Feel free to use store-bought or your own favorite recipe.
How to Make Salmon with Pesto Sauce – Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easier clean up or spray the pan with cooking spray.
- Place salmon fillets skin side down on the baking sheet. Squeeze lemon juice over top of them and season with salt and pepper.
- Prepare the pesto sauce in a food processor according to directions.
- Add about 1 tablespoon of the pesto sauce over each of the fish fillets. Spread evenly to cover each of the fillets. You want to be generous here and really get it all over the tops and sides.
- Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until the fish is opaque and begins to flake with a fork. You may need to adjust the cooking time depending on the thickness of the fish. You’ll know it’s done when the salmon flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to overcook or the salmon will become very dry.
- Serve warm with remaining pesto sauce on top of the salmon.
Expert Tips
- For vibrant green pesto: If you want to keep the pesto more green and vibrant, place a dollop or two on each salmon fillet and don’t spread it over the fillets until the fish has finished cooking. I’ve done it both ways and it tastes delicious either way!
- For crispier edges: To get the edges brown and crispy, you may wish to broil the fish for the last two minutes of cooking. Just be sure that you don’t place the baking sheet on the top shelf of the oven too close to the broiler or the pesto may burn.
- Grill it: This is a great warm weather recipe! To grill, place the salmon skin side down on an oiled grate and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Spoon over the pesto and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through. You can also wait to spread the pesto over the fillets until after it’s grilled.
Storage & Reheating Guidelines
Refrigerator: If you have any leftovers, they will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
The leftover pesto can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or frozen for months.
To reheat: Reheat the leftover baked pesto salmon in the oven at 350 degrees F for around 10 minutes or until heated through. For best results, cover it with foil and add a couple of tablespoons of water to your baking dish so that it doesn’t dry out.
What to Serve with Pesto Salmon
Once baked, this pesto-packed salmon can be served in so many different ways. We usually start with a starch like rice, Healthy Roasted Potatoes, or fresh pasta. Then add some veggies, like steamed or roasted broccoli, green beans, or asparagus.
You can also serve it alongside a nice fresh salad (like this summer Kale Blueberry Salad) or even on my Healthy Caesar Salad as the protein. So good!
And if you have leftover pesto? You’re in luck! You can slather it onto this Pesto Breakfast Sandwich or make juicy, delicious Pesto Chicken Burgers.
Recipe Variations
- Add some veggies: For a colorful sheet pan meal, you could also toss some veggies like cherry tomatoes, red onion, and zucchini on the baking pan (or use a separate one) tossed with some of the extra pesto.
- Make it more zesty: Add a bit of lemon zest to the pesto mixture to make it even more lemony.
- Try a different type of pesto: There’s pesto rosso (made with sun-dried tomatoes), herb pestos, and so many more options to play with!
More Healthy Salmon Recipes
Looking for more ways to get those two servings of fatty fish a week? You’ll definitely want to try this Mediterranean Salmon Recipe. Similar to this recipe, you’ll start by roasting the salmon, but then you’ll top it with a delicious mixture of olives, feta cheese, tomatoes, basil, and more. So good!
These homemade Salmon Patties with Crackers are a quick, kid-friendly option we often meal prep.
I’m also obsessed with these Blackened Salmon Bites. The seasoning adds so much flavor!
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Baked Salmon with Pesto Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound salmon fillets (or four 4 ounce salmon fillets)
- Juice of half a lemon
- Dash of salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup homemade pesto sauce (or sub in store-bought if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easier clean up.
- Lay the salmon fillets skin side down on the baking sheet. Squeeze lemon juice over top of them and season with salt and pepper.
- Prepare the pesto sauce according to directions.
- Add about 1 tablespoon of the pesto sauce over each of the fish fillets. Spread evenly to cover each of the fillets.
- Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until the fish is opaque and begins to flake with a fork.
- Serve warm with remaining pesto sauce on top.
Notes
- For vibrant pesto: Add a dollop on each fillet and spread after baking to keep it bright green (delicious either way!).
- Remove skin: Use skinless or remove skin before or after baking. Scrape off any scales if needed.
- Be generous: Coat the tops and sides with pesto for maximum flavour.
- Meal prep: Double the pesto and freeze extras in cubes for quick dinners later.
- Adjust cook time: Bake based on thickness – salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork.
- For crispy edges: Broil the last 1–2 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.
- Don’t overcook: Check at the minimum cook time to avoid dry salmon.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in April 2022 and the text, formatting and photos were updated in February 2026.
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