The Tastiest Lemon Pepper Salmon (Only 10 Minute Prep!)

This delicious Lemon Pepper Salmon is not only soft and juicy, but it's bursting with the perfect balance of lemon and pepper for the most delicious combination!

It's an easy recipe and you only need 10 minutes of prep work before popping it in the oven! Make a delicious side dish during that time and you have the tastiest dinner meal ever.

This is the perfect salmon dish to try even if you've never made salmon before, or if your kids don't prefer fish as much. Trust me, they're going to fall in love with it and ask you to make it again the next day! It's really that good!

So treat your family to this tasty salmon dinner meal that's not only flavorful but super easy to make.

Want to learn how to make this Lemon Pepper Salmon? Then keep on reading! 

What is Lemon Pepper Salmon?

Lemon Pepper Salmon is a delicious dish that combines the flavors of lemon and black pepper for the tastiest combination you've ever had in a seafood dish! 

It can be made using fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, or lemon pepper to make things quick and simple as I've done in this recipe. 

If you love seafood dishes, you're definitely going to love this one! But even if you're a bit skeptical about it, or if you have picky kids like I do that don't like fish as much, you're still going to absolutely love this quick and easy dinner meal! 

What Makes This Lemon Pepper Salmon Recipe Special?

I love recipes that are simple, but absolutely tasty and delicious because a dish can taste great without needing to be tricky to make!

This is where this recipe absolutely shines since it's so super quick and easy to make! It's the perfect one for a weeknight dinner when you want to make something yummy for your family but maybe don't have hours and hours to do it.

From start to finish, this recipe only takes 55 minutes and 45 minutes of that is hands-off work since it's baked in the oven! So that means you only need 10 minutes of prep time and then you can pop it in the oven.

That's enough time to make a delicious mashed potato side dish that goes perfectly with it. In fact, I always love serving it with mashed potatoes and gravy since that's how my family enjoys it the most.

If you want to get a bit fancy, serve it with herbed rice, pasta, roast potatoes, or a tasty salad. We tried it with our new potatoes grown in our garden and it tasted amazing! 

You can also serve it with some quinoa, green beans, or roasted cauliflower and zucchini. 

My kids are already really picky with fish, but when I make this lemon pepper baked salmon there is not a bit left out of it! Trust me, your family is going to love it just as much if not more!

What You Need to Make Lemon Pepper Salmon at Home

Making this delicious salmon recipe is easier than you can imagine! Plus, you only need some simple pantry-staple ingredients to make it. Let's look at what these ingredients are:

• Salmon: First of all, we'll need some delicious salmon fillets for this tasty dish! Salmon is incredibly rich in omega-3, protein, fatty acids, magnesium, selenium, and even B-Vitamins making it a tasty yet healthy option for you and your family. 
• Mayonnaise: Next, you'll need some delicious mayonnaise to add richness and delicious flavor to the fish. I've used homemade mayonnaise, but store-bought mayo will work well as well.
• Ketchup: Ketchup may sound like an unusual ingredient for salmon, but it takes the dish to the next level! It's my secret ingredient to make the tastiest lemon pepper salmon you've ever had!
• Garlic: To take the flavor to the next level, we'll also be using some fresh garlic cloves. 
• Lemon pepper: Now here comes the tastiest part of the recipe! Lemon pepper is absolutely delicious and adds so much flavor to the dish. Plus, you only need one ingredient instead of using fresh lemon juice and black pepper separately!
• Sea salt: You'll also need some salt to season the dish to the right level according to your preferences. 
• Onion: We'll also need a medium onion to get a delicious onion flavor when you bite into your salmon. We're going to slice it and place it on top before popping the salmon into the oven.
• Lemon: You'll also need a lemon since we'll slice it to add on top of the salmon before baking it for some extra lemon goodness! 

How to Make Lemon Pepper Salmon (Step-by-Step)

Making this delicious Lemon Pepper Salmon is so easy! Here's what you need to do step by step:

How to Prep and Season Salmon for Lemon Pepper Salmon

First things first, let's start by prepping the salmon filets! Rinse the salmon well. This is optional, but I personally prefer to rinse all the residue off. Let the water drain off and then pat it dry using a paper towel.

Place the salmon skin-side down in a roasting pan.

Next, mix all ingredients together (yes, right on top of the fish) and spread the mixture over the entire salmon. It's as simple as that! 

You can also just mix it separately in a small bowl and transfer it if you wish, but this way ensures all of the ingredients make it on the fish. And it even saves you the extra dish to wash!

Finally, slice the onion and lemon and lay the slices out throughout the salmon. I've also added some chopped fresh parsley on top but that's absolutely optional.

How to Bake Lemon Pepper Salmon

Bake the salmon for 45 min at 375 F in a preheated oven.

You can check if the salmon is done by separating it at the thickest part using two forks. If it easily flakes and is tender then your salmon is done! It'll look light pink and opaque in appearance. 

Alternatively, you can use an instant read thermometer or a regular meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. The salmon is done when it reached 145 F at the thickest part.

Once it's done, remove the salmon from the oven. Let it cool for 10 minutes before transferring it onto a platter or serve on the baking pan.

Your delicious Lemon Pepper Salmon is ready to be served! 

Recipe Variation Ideas for Lemon Pepper Salmon

This delicious recipe is absolutely perfect as is (check the comments down below for reviews!). But you can customize it in a few ways if you'd like. Here are my top ideas and tips: 

• Lemon juice: If you want a more robust lemon flavor, you can add some fresh lemon juice or lemon zest to your salmon before baking it. 
• Butter: Want a richer flavor? Then add a knob of butter along with the rest of the ingredients. 
• Garnishes: I've garnished the recipe with some onion slices, lemon slices, and fresh parsley. But if you like you can use some onion powder instead. 

How to Store Leftover Lemon Pepper Salmon

This dish disappears from the dinner table quickly because it's so delicious and my family absolutely loves it! But if you have some leftover baked salmon left, you can refrigerate it for up to 3 days.

Alternatively, you can add leftover salmon can be added to salads, make tacos, serve over homemade dark rye bread, etc. Be creative with it and have fun with this delicious recipe! 

You can also freeze cooked salmon for up to 3 months if you wish to, but since this recipe is super easy I recommend making it fresh for the best flavor. 

More Salmon Recipes You'll Love

• Smoked Salmon Canapés
• Carrot Cheese Spread with Smoked Salmon Appetizer
• Easy Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Pastry Appetizers
• Salmon Shuba (Layered Vegetable and Fish Salad)

Looking for more seafood recipes? Check them out HERE!

Recipe Card

The Tastiest Lemon Pepper Salmon (Only 10 Minute Prep!)

This delicious Lemon Pepper Salmon is soft, juicy, and bursting with the perfect balance of lemon and pepper for the best flavor ever with only 10 mins of prep!

5 from 11 votes

Print Pin Rate

Keyword: baked salmon, kid aproved dish, Lemon Pepper Salmon

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 8

Author: Valya's Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 3.5 lbs. - salmon
• 1 medium - onion
• 1 large - organic garlic clove
• 1 medium - organic lemon
• ⅓ cup - homemade mayonnaise (made of home egg and olive oil)
• 2 tbsp. - organic ketchup
• 1 tsp - lemon pepper seasoning
• ¼ tsp – salt (or to taste)

Instructions

How to Prep and Season Salmon for Lemon Pepper Salmon

• First things first, let's start by prepping the salmon filets! Rinse the salmon well. This is optional, but I personally prefer to rinse all the residue off. Let the water drain off and then pat it dry using a paper towel.
• Place the salmon skin-side down in a roasting pan.
• Next, mix all ingredients together (yes, right on top of the fish) and spread the mixture over the entire salmon. It's as simple as that!
• You can also just mix it separately in a small bowl and transfer it if you wish, but this way ensures all of the ingredients make it on the fish. And it even saves you the extra dish to wash!
• Finally, slice the onion and lemon and lay the slices out throughout the salmon. I've also added some chopped fresh parsley on top but that's absolutely optional.

How to Bake Lemon Pepper Salmon

• Bake the salmon for 45 min at 375 F in a preheated oven.
• You can check if the salmon is done by separating it at the thickest part using two forks. If it easily flakes and is tender, then your salmon is done! It'll look light pink and opaque in appearance.
• Alternatively, you can use an instant read thermometer or a regular meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. The salmon is done when it reached 145 F at the thickest part.
• Once it's done, remove the salmon from the oven. Let it cool for 10 minutes before transferring it onto a platter or serve on the baking pan.

Notes

• Leftover baked salmon can be refrigerated for a couple of days.
• Leftover salmon can be added to salads, make tacos, served over homemade dark rye bread, etc...

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This recipe was originally posted on August 13, 2014 (original picture below). I tweaked it a bit since then like using a good quality ingredient and frying oil. This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure.