This slow-roasted salmon recipe is your way to tender, evenly cooked, never-dry salmon every time! With garlic, fresh thyme, and rosemary, and baby potatoes, this is an easy one-pan dinner everyone will love.
Salmon is a fatty fish, and slow-roasting it with a bit of olive oil produces just the most succulent, almost custardy, perfectly flaky fish you just won’t be able to resist!
There are endless ways to cook salmon. I love them all for different reasons, as you can tell from our many salmon recipes. But the beauty of a slow-roasted salmon is that it’s a dead-simple way to cook the fish perfectly without drying it out. And it only takes 10-ish more minutes!
I like to roast potatoes at the same time, so you just have to throw together big salad like Greek salad while the salmon is in the oven. And don’t even bother cutting it into even pieces. Just bring the whole fish to the table and break it up with a fork or the back of a spoon into tender flakes everyone can partake of. Trust me, the messy presentation is part of the fun!
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Substitutions
You really just need three ingredients to slow roast salmon: Fish, salt, and olive oil. From there, I like to add bold Mediterranean flavor and heft with a few easy ingredients:
- Baby potatoes: I turn this recipe into a full sheet pan meal by roasting potatoes at the same time, but you can skip ahead if that’s not your thing. Or swap other veggies, like roughly chopped carrots, cubed sweet potatoes, or halved Brussels sprouts.
- Seasoning: Fresh thyme and dried rosemary give the salmon an aromatic quality, but you can get creative with the flavors you love. Greek oregano, sweet paprika, and Italian seasoning (I make my own) all come to mind. Kosher salt and black pepper perk up the flavor.
- Garlic: A hefty dose of garlic gives the silky salmon its bold, irresistible flavor. If you can’t do garlic, you can substitute with finely chopped shallot or thinly sliced green onion.
- Olive oil: Use a high quality extra virgin variety for the best flavor and antioxidant-boost.
- Salmon fillet: Center cut fillet is preferred here, as it will roast more evenly. That said, this recipe works great for just about any cut you have–or any meaty fish like halibut or cod, for that matter.
- Lemon: Some fresh zing is essential, cutting through the richness of the fish. Lime is a worthy substitute.
How to Roast Salmon (Low and Slow!)
Slow roasted salmon stays quite pink and silky, but don’t mistake this for the fish being undercooked. Check with a thermometer, or pull back with a fork in the thickest part of the fish. If it flakes with no resistance, that means it’s done, even if it’s still pink.
Roast the Potatoes (optional)
- Get ready. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Scrub and halve 1 pound of baby potatoes. Prepare 4 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves. Mince 5 garlic cloves.
- Season the potatoes. Put the potatoes in a large mixing bowl and season with 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and a big pinch or two of salt and pepper. Toss to make sure the potatoes are well coated.
- Roast the potatoes. Arrange the potatoes, cut side down, on a sheet pan or baking dish. Roast in the heated oven for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the salmon from the fridge and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside at room temperature while the potatoes roast.
Turn Down the Heat and Slow Roast the Salmon
- Get ready to roast the salmon. Remove the potatoes from the oven and turn the heat to 250°F. Push the potatoes to one side to make room for the salmon. Brush the pan with a bit of olive oil, then add the salmon. Drizzle about 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil over the fish. Spread the remaining fresh garlic on top (I use the back of a spoon to spread the garlic evenly all over the fish fillet). Sprinkle with the remaining fresh thyme and 1 teaspoon dried rosemary.
- Slow roast the salmon. When the temperature has lowered to 250°F, return the salmon and potatoes to the oven for 15-18 minutes for medium rare, or up to 25 minutes for medium. Times will vary depending on the thickness of your fish and how hot your oven runs. To check for doneness, insert a fork in the thickest part of the salmon, it should meet no resistance and should flake easily. Or, insert an instant read thermometer in the thickest part of the fish, it is ready when the internal temperature registers 125 degrees F for a medium-cooked salmon. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top of the salmon. Serve immediately.
What to Serve with Slow Roasted Salmon
Slow roasted salmon is quite silky, so I like to add some texture and color variety with crunchy salads and seared veggies. We have so many recipes that would fit well here, but here are some favorites:
- Crunchy salads: Smashed Cucumber Salad, Lemon Parmesan Lettuce Salad.
- Colorful veggies: Use your open stove to make Sautéed Green Beans or Asparagus.
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Slow Roasted Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby potatoes, scrubbed and halved
- 4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (divided)
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary (divided)
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 5 garlic cloves, minced (divided)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound salmon fillet
- 1 lemon, halved
Instructions
- Season the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Put the potatoes in a large mixing bowl and season with 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, and a big pinch or two of salt and pepper. Add 2 teaspoons minced garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Toss to make sure the potatoes are well coated.
- Roast the potatoes. Arrange the potatoes, cut side down, on a sheetpan or baking dish. Roast in the heated oven for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the salmon from the refrigerator and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside at room temperature while the potatoes roast.
- Get ready to roast the salmon. Remove the potatoes from the oven and turn the heat down to 250°F. Push the potatoes to one side of your pan to make room for the salmon. Brush the pan with a bit of olive oil, then add the salmon. Drizzle about 3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over the salmon fillet. Spread the remaining fresh garlic on top (I use the back of a spoon to spread the garlic evenly all over the fish fillet). Sprinkle with the remaining fresh thyme and dried rosemary.
- Slow roast the salmon. When the temperature has lowered to 250°F, return the salmon and potatoes to the oven for 15-18 minutes for medium rare, or up to 25 minutes for medium, depending on thickness of fish (see note).
- Finish and serve. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top of the salmon. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil used in this recipe.
- How long to cook the salmon? Times will vary depending on the thickness of your fish and how hot your oven runs. To check for doneness, insert a fork in the thickest part of the salmon, it should meet no resistance and should flake easily. Or, insert an instant read thermometer in the thickest part of the fish, it is ready when the internal temperature registers 125 degrees F for a medium-cooked salmon.
Nutrition
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I have never thought to use thyme & rosemary on Alaskan wild-caught salmon, but this was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! In addition to the baby potatoes, I added broccoli florets to the potatoes while the salmon was roasting and it was aa 1-pan fabulous meal! Thanks Suzy for another great recipe💝
Was delicious, but I had to add 15 minutes to the cooking time. My oven seems to run hot, but still getting used to it.
Perfect@
I really enjoyed this recipe (like ALL I’ve tried)! I served with steamed asparagus spears. Served salmon on a platter, over the asparagus, and poured pan drippping on top. It was delicious.
Cook time is WAY too short. I have a decent thick piece of salmon and at 15 min, it was 67 degrees in the middle. Turned up to 350 for another 5 min and still way below 125.-
Hi, Andy. I’m so sorry about that. Keep in mind that ovens can vary, which might affect the cooking time. Hope you were still able to enjoy the recipe!
This recipe is a keeper! What cook salmon any other way if it can taste this good? The low and slow approach makes such a difference.
It really does! Thanks, Jessica!
I have smaller individual fillets and they have skin on them. Should I place them in the pan skin side up or down?
I can’t wait to try this slow roast method!
Hi, Patti. We typically cook this one with no skin. If you want to keep the skin on, I’d bake it skin side down. Enjoy!
I have always tried (and failed) to achieve a perfectly cooked salmon filet.—until this recipe. This cooking technique (roasting at 250F) is a game changer! Thanks so much!!!
Yay! Thanks, Erin!
If I don’t cook potatoes with it, should I heat the pan in the oven before I put the fish on it?
Salmon is not my favorite fish, I think it tastes like dirt. My husband & son wanted salmon for dinner and I tried this recipe. I had no idea that slow roasting could make a huge difference in the flavor of salmon. I was surprised at the light, delicate flavor of the fish. I did cook it longer about 30-35 minutes but the fish was not dry at all and my tastebuds didn’t detect a dirt taste, My husband & son ate most of it, so I will definitely make this again and get a larger fillet. Thanks for a salmon recipe that my family loves & I can enjoy!
Yay! I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed this one!
Question if you don’t have a cast iron pan to cook this on in the oven would putting parchment paper down first on a cookie sheet be best or just right on a cookie sheet with olive oil no parchment paper? Thanks!
Hi, Alexa. I would just put it straight on the cookie sheet.
Just finished this. Was so so nice. Thanks
So glad you enjoyed it, Shane!
My husband had heart surgery last week. Although we try to follow a heart-healthy diet, I am always looking for variety. He absolutely enjoyed this salmon prep so much, it will be our Friday go-to for weeks to come ❣️
So glad you both enjoyed this one, Bobbi! I wish your husband well on his recovery!