How to Cook Frozen Salmon
Learn how to cook frozen salmon fillets in the oven the easy way. It is the best and quickest way to cook a delicious frozen salmon fillet for dinner without thawing it. Dinner can not get any easier and smarter than this!
When you are not a meal planner for dinner and have a hungry family to feed, a quick and easy-baked frozen salmon recipe can save you! Flavorful and ready in 30 minutes.
Cooking frozen salmon without thawing can be just as deliciously tender and flaky as baked thawed or fresh salmon.
In this baked frozen salmon recipe:
- First step. Bake/roast the frozen salmon fillets in the beginning in a hot oven.
- Second step. Broil them at a high temperature at the end of cooking for crusty grilled-looking salmon fillets. Smoky flavor!
This baked frozen salmon recipe is my go-to easy and quick weeknight dinner to make from frozen salmon fillets in no time. I make this healthy salmon recipe at least twice a week.
Check out my other beloved salmon recipes: Walnut crusted salmon, salmon carpaccio and salmon patties with canned salmon.
Ingredients
- Salmon fillets. I used small skin-on frozen salmon fillets of about 6 ounces.
- Onion and garlic powder. Classic flavor enhancers.
- Seasonings. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Oil. I used avocado oil.
- Lemon. For serving. Lime works too!
Frozen Salmon in the Oven
Follow along with my simple instructions to see how to cook frozen salmon in the oven at home. This method works for me every time.
1. Preheat the oven to 400 °F.
2. Remove the frozen salmon fillets from the freezer and their plastic cover and run each one under cold running water for a few seconds to remove the ice crystals. Then tap them all dry with a piece of paper towel. This helps to defrost the surface of the frozen salmon fillets and makes seasonings stick to them. Skip this step if you are short on time.
3. Season frozen salmon fillets with onion and garlic powders, salt and pepper, and oil.
4. Using your hands, rub the seasonings on salmon fillets for even coating. Then, place them on a greased sheet pan (I used a cast iron sheet pan and preheated it while the oven was heating up).
5. Drizzle some oil over the salmon fillets and place the sheet pan in the middle rack of the hot oven and let it bake for 20 minutes. At the end of 20 minutes, when the frozen salmon fillets are thawed, you may scrape the white spots off the salmon fillets using a spoon. Then, continue cooking the salmon fillets by broiling them for about 10 minutes for a crispy and crusty texture while they still remain tender and flaky. Do not overbake them!
6. Take them out of the oven and let them sit for 5 minutes. Serve them with lemon and your favorite side dishes. I served them with brown rice and roasted broccoli. ENJOY!
Tips
- For the best result, use a cast iron sheet pan which results in moist and crispy baked salmon fillets.
- A hot oven is the secret to moist and tender baked frozen salmon fillets. This way, salmon fillets sear fast and hold on to their juice.
- For great baked frozen salmon fillets, scrape off the white spots on them before broiling them.
- To shorten the cooking time, thaw the frozen salmon fillets the night before in the fridge.
- If you are using wild frozen salmon fillets, bake them converted with heavy-duty aluminum foil for the start of baking and then uncover them at the end while broiling them.
- Make a sauce if you like, and here are ideas:
- Chopped fresh dill+ butter + lemon juice+ salt+pepper.
- Orange juice+ butter.
- Cream cheese +lemon juice.
- Roasted red pepper puree+ lemon juice.
- Roasted tomato puree + lemon juice.
- Depending on the size of the salmon fillets, adjust for cooking time.
- Do not overbake frozen salmon fillets.
- Use other fish fillets and adjust the baking time depending on the thickness of the fish fillets.
- Salmon fillets (or other fish fillest) with skin take longer to cook.
- The same instructions are valid for thawed and fresh salmon fillets; adjust the cooking time as they will cook faster.
- Adjust seasonings with spices and herbs of your choice.
Substitutions and variations to this recipe
- Substitute seasonings with spices and herbs of your choice. Other options include dry rosemary, oregano, paprika, chili powder, ground cumin, and ginger.
- You may pan-sear the seasoned frozen salmon fillets and finish baking them in the oven.
- Add frozen salmon fillets to vegetable soup for a boost of protein. Or add them to a pasta recipe.
- Make frozen salmon fillets stew with herbs and spices of your choice.
- Substitute salmon with tilapia, trout, or other fish you like and adjust for a baking time depending on how thick or thin fish fillet cuts are. Fish with skin takes longer to bake.
Equipment
I used a 15.5 x 10.5 Inch cast-iron sheet pan. Everything tastes extra delicious when cooked in cast iron cookware.
Storage and reheat
Store the leftover baked frozen salmon fillets in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge, and heat them low and slow on the stovetop or microwave them. Make sure to heat them and not overbake them.
What to serve with it
- Gains of choice. Rice, pasta, couscous, or quinoa.
- Soup. what about Gluten free potato soup or Vegetarian broccoli cheddar soup?
- Bread. Sourdough discard flatbread, sourdough discard naans, and my biscuit recipe no milk.
- Salad. Farfalle pasta salad, potato salad, chickpea yogurt, cauliflower broccoli salad.
- Vegetables. Roasted green beans, honey roasted broccoli. Serve them with roasted fruits such as pineapple or nuts like pecan or cashew.
You are going to l love this baked frozen salmon fillets recipe. It is easy and quick, and It is the best and most healthy homemade dinner idea.
Let me know below how you did it! I love to hear from you!
How to Cook Frozen Salmon
Ingredients
- 7 pieces of skin-on frozen salmon fillets. About 6 ounces each.
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tbsp. Oil. I used high smoke point avocado oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lemon for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F.
- Remove the frozen salmon fillets from their plastic cover and run them under cold running water for a few seconds to remove the ice crystals. Then tap them all dry with a piece of paper towel. This helps to defrost the surface of the frozen salmon fillets and makes seasonings stick to them. Skip this step if you are short on time.
- Season frozen salmon fillets with onion and garlic powders, salt and pepper, and oil.
- Using your hands, rub the seasonings on salmon fillets for even coating. Then, place them on a greased sheet pan (I used a cast iron sheet pan and preheated it while the oven was heating up).
- Drizzle some oil over the salmon fillets and place the sheet pan in the middle rack of the hot oven and let it bake for 20 minutes. At the end of 20 minutes, when the frozen salmon fillets are thawed, you may scrape the white spots off the salmon fillets using a spoon. Then, continue cooking the salmon fillets by broiling them for about 10 minutes for a crispy and crusty texture while they still remain tender and flaky. Do not overbake them!
- Take them out of the oven and let them sit for 5 minutes. Serve them with lemon and your favorite side dishes. I served them with brown rice and roasted broccoli. ENJOY!
Notes
- Depending on the size of the frozen salmon fillets and if they have skin, adjust for cooking time. Make sure not to overcook them.
- Make a simple lemon juice+butter+ salt, and pepper sauce.
- Add spices and herbs of your choice to frozen salmon seasonings.
