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Crunchy garlic lemon pepper baked salmon is the perfect easy-cleanup weeknight dinner! We’re combining panko with parmesan, lemon pepper seasoning, and tons of garlic to make an oven baked salmon that’s got a crispy crunchy crust!
Lemon Pepper Perfection.
I’ve got your mid-week dinner solution, right here! This is my crispy, crunchy, panko, and parmesan-crusted salmon recipe that gets all the heart emojis!
An easy recipe you can pull off on weeknights, fancy enough for guests, and delicious enough to make ALL. THE. TIME.
The crumb topping helps lock in moisture so that the salmon is fork-tender. This is my favorite way to cook salmon on a weeknight. It’s also made almost entirely in the oven. So all you need to do is brush a little butter on the bad boy, sprinkle on that crunchy lemon black pepper, panko and parmesan topping, and pop this into the oven while dinner preps itself for you.
And if the minimum prep work, and small list of ingredients aren’t enough to convince you, can I tell you that these salmon fillets are buttery, crunchy, flakey, and tender all at the same time?
Salmon pairs beautifully with garlic roasted potatoes, spring vegetables, like, my zucchini and corn saute or a lemon mascarpone and asparagus pasta and your dinner is on the table in no time. You could even do a a rice-less risotto like my garlic parmesan orzo risotto.
Ingredients for baked lemon pepper salmon recipe:
- Salmon Fillet: Like with most seafood, fresh salmon works best. If you’re using frozen salmon, be sure to bring it to room temperature and then pat it dry entirely with paper towel. The excess moisture will cause the crumbs to be soggy if you don’t.
- Butter: I like to use salted butter for this recipe so I often omit the kosher salt because, between the butter and the parmesan, there’s plenty of sodium in the dish. If you’re using unsalted butter, feel free to use a 1/2 teaspoonsalt with the other breading ingredients.
- Garlic: We’ll use plenty of fresh garlic cloves to add garlicky flavor to the breadcrumb mixture that goes on top of the salmon.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Adds a crunchy texture to the salmon without being too heavy on the carbs! It’s lightly crispy and works perfectly with the flaky salmon.
- Parmesan: Parmesan and panko make the crust on this lemon pepper baked salmon recipe.
- Herbs and seasonings: You’ll need red pepper flakes, dried Italian seasoning, dried thyme, lemon pepper seasoning, and chopped parsley. Feel free to add other seasonings like onion powder or cayenne pepper if you’d like. I find the dish works well without them so I usually don’t add any. I like to use fresh parsley as it gives the dish a better flavor. It’s also relatively inexpensive to keep around in the refrigerator for garnishing recipes. If you aren’t a fan of parsley, you could also use cilantro here if you’d like.
Recipe Tips
- Line with baking sheet with parchment paper to make clean up easier. Or if you plan on broiling the salmon for a crunchier crust, use foil and spray with olive oil before placing the salmon skin side down. Skip the parchment if you’re broiling.
- Instead of sprinkling the seasonings one at a time, combine it in a small bowl, then sprinkle it over the salmon filets.
- Check the internal temperature to make sure you don’t overcook the salmon. You should be between 125ºF-145ºF. Less if you like it medium rare, more for well done.
FAQs about lemon pepper salmon
If the goal is to have a crunchy texture, like this recipe, it’s best to cook the salmon uncovered so that browning occurs.
It should take about 12-15 minutes to cook salmon at 425ºF. You can tell if the salmon is done by feeling for firmness in the thickest part and best if you use a meat thermometer.
Store my leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can portion out the salmon into meal prep containers to make it easier. Reheat lightly in an air fryer or in the microwave.
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
- Garlic Butter Baked Salmon in Foil
- Firecracker Baked Salmon in Foil
- Fancy but Easy Salmon Piccata
- Chili-Lime Baked Salmon in Foil
- Air Fryer Salmon Bites (10 minutes!)
Crunchy Garlic Lemon Pepper Baked Salmon
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds salmon preferably wild-caught*
- 2 tablespoons salted butter melted
- ¼ – 1½ teaspoon red pepper flakes whatever you want to handle
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning salt-free preferably
- 2 teaspoons chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme use less if dry
Instructions
- PREP: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- BRUSH: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the salmon fillet on the parchment paper and brush the salmon with just a little bit of the melted butter.
- TOPPING: In a bowl, combine the red pepper flakes, garlic, panko, parmesan, lemon-pepper seasoning, parsley, Italian seasoning, and thyme.
- CRUMB: Drizzle in the remaining butter and mix using a spoon, top the salmon fillet with the breadcrumb mixture and press down gently to help it adhere to the fish.
- BAKE: the salmon for 12-15 minutes or until almost firm to touch. You can turn the broiler on for 30 seconds to give it a little more color and crunch if you wish! Serve with lemon wedges for a little more of that zing!
Notes
- If you don’t have salted butter, no worries, just add a pinch of salt to the melted butter and stir before using.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
Agree with the other comments that this “crunchy” salmon is very good. I had some breading left over as well. … an extra squeeze of lemon just before serving takes this to five stars. Yum!
i’m truly shocked that this recipe doesn’t have more reviews. i was craving a lemon-forward salmon that could be baked in the oven and this recipe is the first one that really caught my eye with that crunchy crust!! WOW!! first of all, it came together SO quickly AND it tastes truly gourmet, no exaggeration. you know that scene in the movie ratatouille where the rat is having a flavor explosion in his taste buds while eating??!? well, that was me to the T. i most definitely will be coming back to this recipe for the rest of my life.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was SOOO good! I’d recommend baking it for 12 mins since I made the mistake of baking it for the full 15 mins and it was a bit dry.
What about skin issue?
Amazing!!
Wow! I had to use salmon steak because it was easily accessible. This crunchy crust is life changing and tastes good on anything. The salmon alone might not fill you up (might have also been the quantity I bought) but that garlic lemon crust tastes amazing on some green beans. If you bake the green beans for 10 minutes with the crust seasoning on top, then top it with a balsamic glaze, it really compliments the salmon.
I had a lot of seasoning left over so I used it on some shrimp last night and once again, it was amazing. Kudos to you, and this amazingly simple recipe!