Discover the irresistible taste of our Baked Lemon Caper Salmon. In this quick and easy dish, succulent salmon is topped with a delectable mixture of zesty lemon juice, tangy capers, creamy mayo, and herbaceous parsley and then baked. The result is flaky, moist salmon accented with a harmonious blend of citrusy tang, savory creaminess, and herbal notes.
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 less than 30 minutes. Here’s all you need (details, including quantities, are in the recipe card below):
- Mayonnaise
- Fresh parsley
- Lemon juice
- Capers
- Worcestershire sauce
- Ground white pepper
- Salmon filet
Ingredient Variations
The beauty of this recipe is that you can make it your own – by switching out ingredients or adding new ones:
- Substitute 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt for 1/2 cup of the mayonnaise. The sauce will be lighter and a bit more tangy.
- Add fresh dill and/or chives – or sub it for the parsley.
- Toss in 1 to 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard.
How to Make Lemon Caper Salmon
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
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.
Lemon Caper Salmon FAQs
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
Lemon Caper Salmon
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!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Resting time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise (or 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (preferably Italian/flat leaf)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper – or more to taste
- 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.
- Category: Fish, easy main dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
I made the salmon caper dish. Outstanding! Paired with rice and streamed snap peas. Low fat, high quality meal -Jenny
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it – and I love your pairings!
I love the recipe for Baked Lemon-Caper Salmon as I can prepare it within 30 minutes, which is a great relief for me. I try it with a little variation. I prepare the Use of gluten-free Worcestershire sauce with pure cow ghee instead of using mayo. Thank you Lee for sharing such a good recipe, but have you ever tried it with ghee as an ingredient? Please let me know.
https://milkio.co.nz/pure-cow-ghee/
★★★★★
I’m so happy that you enjoyed our recipe. Substituting ghee for the mayonnaise would actually make this recipe very similar to our Roasted Salmon Steaks, which is also delicious.