Baked Salmon with Pesto (Printable)

Tender salmon fillets baked with basil pesto and cherry tomatoes, perfect for easy Mediterranean meals.

# What You Need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 skinless or skin-on salmon fillets, approximately 5.3 oz each

→ Vegetables

02 - 8.8 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced (optional)

→ Toppings and Seasonings

04 - 4 tablespoons basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
05 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
06 - 1 lemon, sliced
07 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
08 - Fresh basil leaves, for garnish (optional)

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or lightly oil it.
02 - Arrange salmon fillets on prepared tray and season both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
03 - Spread 1 tablespoon of basil pesto evenly over the top of each fillet.
04 - Scatter halved cherry tomatoes and red onion slices around the salmon fillets.
05 - Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over tomatoes and onions, then place lemon slices on top of the salmon and vegetables.
06 - Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until salmon is just cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
07 - Remove from oven, garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired, and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's genuinely done in under 30 minutes, no shortcuts or pretending.
  • The pesto melts into the salmon while it bakes, making every bite taste thoughtful without any extra effort.
  • Somehow this tastes fancy enough for company but so easy you'll make it on a random Tuesday.
02 -
  • Don't buy salmon that smells strongly fishy—that's a sign it's older than it should be, and it'll taste disappointingly bland no matter how good your pesto is.
  • Set a timer for 15 minutes and check at that point; every oven is different, and overcooked salmon goes from succulent to dry in about two minutes flat.
03 -
  • Buy salmon from a fishmonger if you can, not just the supermarket case—they'll know when it came in and can tell you if it's actually fresh.
  • If you're making your own pesto instead of using store-bought, let it come to room temperature before spreading it on the salmon so it distributes more easily.

Go Back