Rosemary Salmon

The rich, savory flavors of rosemary salmon make for an unbelievably tasty dish. Seasoned with rosemary, garlic and a balsamic vinegar drizzle, this dish may taste complicated and time-consuming, but it’s actually not. In fact, the total prep and cook time comes in at under 30 minutes, and because you’ll be serving it alongside a hearty dose of veggies, it’s decidedly healthy too. For a quick meal, that’s pretty hard to beat. So when you don’t have much time but still want something supremely tasty and good for you too, keep this rosemary salmon recipe in your weeknight rotation.

Ingredients for Rosemary Salmon

• Salmon fillets: Look for four salmon fillets that equal about 1-1/2 pounds of fish altogether.
• Coconut or olive oil: If you opt for coconut oil, melt it first, or use olive oil if you prefer.
• Balsamic vinegar: Slightly sweet and caramel-like, balsamic vinegar adds rich depth and flavor to the salmon.
• Rosemary: You’ll be using either minced fresh rosemary or dried crushed rosemary.
• Garlic: You’ll mince the garlic before adding it in.
• Salt: Large, flakier sea salt would add so much extra flavor to this dish.
• Veggies: We recommend fresh asparagus and sweet red pepper, but cauliflower, zucchini or broccoli would complement the salmon well if you don’t have asparagus or red pepper on hand.
• Pepper: Freshly ground pepper adds exactly the hint of spice you need for this dish.
• Lemon wedges: You’ll be serving lemon wedges with the salmon and veggies, which can be twisted for a light spritz of bright flavor.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the salmon

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the salmon in a greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. In a small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, rosemary, garlic and salt, and mix well. Pour half over the salmon.

Step 2: Prep the veggies

Place the asparagus and red pepper in a large bowl, then drizzle them with the remaining oil mixture and toss to coat. Arrange the veggies around the salmon in the pan, and sprinkle everything with freshly ground pepper.

Step 3: Bake the salmon

Bake until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and the vegetables are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges on the side, spritzing lightly to add bright citrus flavor as needed.

Rosemary Salmon Variations

• Serve it with rice: This rosemary and salmon recipe is perfect just as it is, but if you’d like to serve it over a bed of rice, try making your own herbed rice pilaf for a fantastic addition to this meal.
• Add some maple: Try mixing a tablespoon or two of pure maple syrup in with the vinegar. You won’t regret it!
• Bring some spice: A sprinkle or two of crushed red pepper would add just enough spice to the salmon without overpowering the other flavors.

How to Store Rosemary Salmon

We doubt you’ll have leftovers, but if you’re making this rosemary salmon recipe with the plan of saving some for later, you can keep rosemary salmon in the fridge for three to four days. To ensure they remain fresh, store leftovers in an airtight container and put them in the coldest part of the fridge.

How do you reheat salmon and rosemary?

Warm a skillet with olive oil over medium heat, adding the fish and veggies once the oil is just beginning to sizzle. Saute for three to five minutes per side, allowing both the fish and veggies to slightly brown and become heated through.

Rosemary Salmon Tips

How do I select a quality salmon fillet?

Fish shouldn’t smell, well, fishy. Salmon should be firm, shiny and have a nice clean, ocean smell—no ammonia-like smell, no overwhelming fish smell, just a nice, fresh ocean scent. Its flesh should be nicely pink, and the skin should be shiny and silver, with a slightly blueish tint. You’ll want the flesh to spring back at you when pressed, not crumble and flake to the touch.

Wild-caught salmon or farmed—which is better?

Wild-caught fish is the clear winner, with farmed salmon often being contaminated with POPs, sea lice, antibiotics and other toxins. It isn’t as healthy for the fish, and it’s not as healthy for you, either. It is, however, much milder in taste, and if you’re new to fish or not into a deeper fish flavor (or if it’s all you have access to), you may prefer farmed salmon over wild-caught.

How do I know if the salmon is finished cooking?

The easiest way to tell if salmon has finished baking is to check its internal temperature. It should read 145°, although you may prefer a medium doneness, which means the thermometer should read 125°. If you don’t have access to a meat thermometer, check for flakiness. If you gently press the top of the salmon with a fork, it should flake and separate easily. As it does so, you’ll also notice that the salmon is now just slightly pink and translucent, as opposed to a deeper coral-pink color. On the contrary, if it’s opaque, you know you’ve cooked it too long.