For those days when your schedule is overloaded, Busy Night Baked Lemon-Caper Salmon can be on the table in less than 30 minutes from when you open the refrigerator!
Salmon with Lemon and Capers
We all have those days (weeks!) where the thought of making dinner is overwhelming – those days that are so busy, you barely have time to think. Mom always said it was important to have “busy day” recipes in your repertoire. One of those recipes is her Busy Night Baked Chicken with Spinach that’s in our cookbook, A Well-Seasoned Kitchen®. This recipe for Baked Lemon-Caper Salmon is another one of those busy day, go-to recipes.
Lemon Caper Sauce for Salmon
With a total of 7 readily-available ingredients, you can easily get a delicious dinner on the table in around 20 minutes. Here’s all you need:
- Mayonnaise
- Fresh parsley
- Lemon juice
- Capers
- Worcestershire sauce
- Ground white pepper
- Salmon filet
How to Make Lemon Caper Salmon
Time needed: 25 minutes.
This salmon is so quick and easy to prepare, it will quickly become part of your regular routine. Here are the steps:
- Prep oven and baking dish.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed sheet pan (or cookie sheet) with parchment paper.
- Prepare sauce.
In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, parsley, lemon juice, capers, Worcestershire sauce and pepper.
- Prep salmon and bake.
Place salmon fillet, skin side down, on prepared sheet pan. Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly over the top. Bake, uncovered, 10 to 12 minutes, or until desired doneness (I like to cook it to around 130-135 degrees on an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of the salmon).
- Rest then serve.
Remove salmon from oven and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving. (The salmon will continue cooking for a few minutes after you take it out of the oven.)
How to tell if salmon is done and baked
The best way to determine if fish is done is with an instant read thermometer. While the FDA recommends cooking fish to 145 degrees, salmon tastes best when cooked medium to medium rare. So, I prefer cooking it until the internal temperature in the thickest portion reaches 130 to 135 degrees.
For this recipe, definitely bake the salmon uncovered. If you cover it, the trapped steam can make the topping watery.
Capers can be eaten raw as well as cooked.
Serving Salmon with Capers
To serve, slice the fillet in to 8 pieces. Using a large spatula, place each piece on a dinner plate, with a lemon wedge on the side.
Storing and Reheating Baked Salmon with Capers
Leftover salmon can be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated. It should last 3 days. Reheat in a preheated 325 degree oven for around 10 minutes.
What to serve with Lemon Caper Salmon
While the salmon is resting, I prepare Quick and Easy Sautéed Asparagus, microwave a packet of Seeds of Change Quinoa & Brown Rice, and in less than 30 minutes dinner is on the table.
Here are a few other side dishes that pair well with this salmon:
- Grilled Potato Packets
- Broccoli with Bacon and Walnuts
- Corn and Prosciutto Salad
- Parmesan Buttermilk Cornbread
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Lemon Caper Salmon
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Resting time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Fish, easy main dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
For those days when your schedule is overloaded, this moist, flavorful salmon can be on the table in less than 30 minutes from when you open the refrigerator!
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (preferably Italian/flat leaf)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 3-pound salmon fillet
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed sheet pan (or cookie sheet) with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, parsley, lemon juice, capers, Worcestershire sauce and pepper.
- Place salmon fillet, skin side down, on prepared sheet pan. Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly over the top. Bake, uncovered, 10 to 12 minutes, or until desired doneness (I like to cook it to around 130-135 degrees).
- Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Note that the salmon will continue cooking for a few minutes after you take it out of the oven.
- Serve immediately, with lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
Gluten Free: Use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce.
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