Baked Salmon with Pesto (Printable)

Tender salmon baked with fresh pesto and cherry tomatoes for a quick, flavorful dish.

# What You Need:

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

02 - 8.8 oz cherry tomatoes, halved

03 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced (optional)

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)

01 - Heat the oven to 400°F. Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper or lightly oil it.

02 - Place salmon fillets on the tray and season both sides evenly with salt and pepper.

03 - Spread 1 tablespoon of basil pesto over the top of each fillet.

04 - Distribute the halved cherry tomatoes and red onion slices (if using) around the salmon fillets.

05 - Drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes and onion, then arrange lemon slices atop the salmon and vegetables.

06 - Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and is cooked through.

07 - Remove from oven, garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired, and serve immediately.

01 -

Salmon and pesto are a match made in heaven—they complement each other without fighting for attention.
Everything happens on one tray, which means minimal cleanup and maximum flavor.
Thirty minutes from start to finish, but tastes like you've been cooking all day.

02 -

Don't skip the preheat—a hot oven makes the difference between salmon that's tender and salmon that's dry.
Thinner fillets cook in 12 minutes, thicker ones need closer to 18—knowing your fish is the only way to nail the timing.

03 -

Make or buy your pesto a day ahead so the flavors are already melded and ready to work their magic on the salmon.
If your fillets are particularly thick, tent them loosely with foil halfway through baking to prevent the top from browning too fast while the center catches up.