Baked Salmon with Lemon Pepper (Printable Version)

Tender salmon fillets baked with zesty lemon and cracked black pepper for a healthy, flavorful dinner ready in under 30 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

01 - 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin-on or skinless

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

03 - 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

04 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt

05 - 2 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1-2 lemons)

06 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

07 - 2 garlic cloves, minced

08 - 1 lemon, thinly sliced

09 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

01 - Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.

02 - Place the salmon fillets on the prepared baking sheet, skin-side down if applicable.

03 - In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, black pepper, salt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and minced garlic.

04 - Brush the mixture evenly over the salmon fillets.

05 - Top each fillet with a lemon slice.

06 - Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and is just opaque in the center.

07 - Remove from the oven and rest for 2 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.

01 -

The lemon zest creates this bright almost floral aroma that fills your whole kitchen while it bakes
It is one of those rare recipes that tastes restaurant fancy but comes together in under thirty minutes on a weeknight

02 -

Overcooking salmon is the cardinal sin of fish cooking, pull it out when it still looks slightly underdone in the center because it keeps cooking
Pat the salmon completely dry with paper towels before adding the oil mixture or the seasonings will just slide right off

03 -

Room temperature salmon cooks more evenly so take it out of the fridge twenty minutes before you plan to cook
A sharper knife makes cleaner slices when you are cutting the lemon for those pretty garnish rounds