How Long To Bake Salmon For Perfect Results Every Time

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Chefs will argue over the best cooking temperature for salmon, but there's an associated question that is equally important: how long to bake your salmon in the oven. You can, technically, eat grocery store salmon raw (with some very important caveats), but most people prefer to heat up their dinner — and, luckily, it doesn't take long. There's much social media debate over whether to cook salmon low and slow or hot and fast, but many home chefs agree that, with an oven temperature of 400 degrees, 12 minutes should do the trick for a salmon filet of average thickness. Obviously, if you have a thicker piece of fish or prefer a more done piece of salmon, you may need to add some minutes to your calculation.

Keep in mind that, in professional estimations, the right way to cook salmon — and any meat, for that matter — is to use a thermometer for precisely dialing in the temperature. Cook salmon too long, and it becomes unpleasantly tough. Many people don't like either the texture or the potential health risks of rare fish, on the other hand. The guideline of 12 minutes is a great place to start planning when cooking your dinner, but striking a balance can be a challenge, so use a thermometer to help yourself out. You will always get the most reliable, perfect results with the help of an instrument. This waterproof TempPro model gets top ratings for accuracy and won't break the bank.

While some home chefs will roast salmon in the oven for much longer at a lower temperature, there's ample support on social media for the 400-degree cook and a shorter time in the oven. Taking a look at Reddit, we found shades of approval. "I cook it at about 400⁰-425⁰ in the convection oven for a shorter time, which is dependent on the thickness of the fish. This cooks the outside while keeping the inside moist. I hate overcooked salmon," one Redditor insisted. "Another vote for higher temperature, shorter time," a follow-up comment read. "There's less chance of overcooking the fish and you also get a better finish on the surface." Another Reddit comment fell right in line with the advice we found: "In the oven 10-12 mins at 400F, but I always check the temp. You don't want it over 130F."

We aren't exactly novices to cooking delicious salmon — check out our recipe for miso and ginger glazed salmon if you don't believe us! For our dinners, we like the effects of a high-heat oven on our fish, producing a definitively cooked outside and insides that are moist and tender. This method works with almost any marinade or dressing that you choose to augment your dinner, and guarantees that you have a tasty meal on the table in no time flat.