Wild Salmon with Garden Herbs, Olive Oil & Lemon (Oven-Baked)

Growing up in Alaska, fresh wild salmon is the standard. This is the house method: quick herb-oil-lemon marinade, hot oven, no flipping, flaky fish. (Don’t marinate too long—salmon is delicate.)

Perfectly baked salmon—flaky, juicy, and bright with lemon and herbs.

Ingredients

• ~2 lb wild salmon fillet, skin-on (or two large fillets)
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (to coat for a brief marinade)
• 1 lemon — zest & juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2–3 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs: parsley, chives, basil
• Kosher salt & black pepper

Method

1. Prep: Chop herbs; cut salmon into even fillets.
2. Marinate briefly: In a glass dish place salmon skin-side down. Add herbs & garlic, pour in olive oil to coat, season with salt, then squeeze lemon over. Max 15–20 minutes.
3. Bake: Move salmon to a foil-lined sheet, skin-side down. Bake at 450°F about 12–15 minutes per inch at the thickest part—until it just flakes. Don’t flip.
4. Serve: Finish with lemon. Excellent with beans on the side.

Original method highlights: chop herbs; oil before lemon/salt; brief marinade; 450°F; don’t flip; serve with lemon and beans.

Step Photos

Chop your herbs. Fresh, wild salmon—Copper River red if you can get it. Marinate in a glass dish. Herbs go on first… …then olive oil to coat… …and finally lemon + salt. Bake hot at 450°F, skin-side down. Having an herb garden means flavor on demand.

Mediterranean Diet Points

• Seafood: ~4 oz cooked salmon ≈ 1 point per serving.
• Fats & Oils: Olive oil helps your unsaturated:saturated ratio (positive for the Med score). Since this is a marinade, most oil drains off—use only what you need to coat.
• Herbs & lemon: Flavor boosters; essentially neutral for points.

Nutrition (estimates)

Assumes 2 lb salmon baked and that ~¼ cup of the marinade oil clings to the fish after draining (most of the 1 cup remains in the dish). Divides into 6 servings. Added salt not included; brands vary.

If a lot more oil is left on the fish, calories/fat will be higher; if you blot/drain more, they’ll be lower.