Crispy Baked Herb Crusted Salmon

This crispy baked herb crusted salmon is the perfect quick dinner for one. A salmon fillet spread with a mix of mayo and mustard and topped with a crispy, herb panko crust. Serve with a house salad and your favorite sides.

I am always searching for new ways to cook salmon, especially ways that get dinner in my face in the fasted time possible.

Enter this crispy baked herb crusted salmon!

Give me 20 minutes and a few pantry/fridge staples, and you've got dinner. PROMISE.

What you'll need

Salmon: I keep individual salmon 4-6 oz fillets on hand in my freezer for dishes like this, but you can also get a larger piece and cut it as you need. I generally keep the skin on, but skinless is fine too.

Seasoning: You'll need salt, pepper and garlic powder to sprinkle on the salmon before the toppings go on. I like to season the meat itself this way to ensure the entire dish tastes well-seasoned, instead of just the breadcrumbs.

Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise acts as a great "glue" to help the topping stick to the salmon.

• Substitute: If you are not a fan of mayo (or don't have any), you can use all mustard instead.

Mustard: I LOVE mustard with salmon, and the extra flavor is great here. It also acts like a glue!

• Substitute: Like above, if you don't love/have mustard, just use all mayo!

Butter: A little melted butter mixed with the breadcrumbs ensures a flavorful golden brown topping.

• Substitute: Melted ghee or olive oil will work as well.

Panko breadcrumbs: I love the crunch of panko breadcrumbs for this crispy salmon.

• Substitute: Regular ol' breadcrumbs will work for this recipe just fine. If you happen to like making fresh breadcrumbs, you can use that too but it will be slightly less crispy.

Dried herbs: This recipe uses dried parsley and dill, but you can and should use your favorite herbs!

• Substitute: Dried basil, oregano, thyme...the list goes on! If you have fresh herbs you are trying to use up, you can replace the dried herbs with up to a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh ones.

Parmesan cheese (optional): For a little extra flavor and crispiness, but not 100% necessary. If you do use it, make sure the cheese is very finely grated so it mixes in with the breadcrumb mixture well.

What temperature to bake salmon

I have two go-to ways for baking salmon in the oven:

• Low and slow
• High and quick

This salmon falls in the latter category. To ensure a crispy top and fully cooked (but not overcooked!) fish, I find that 425 is the perfect temp. Depending on the size of your salmon, 10-12 minutes should be your sweet spot.

This crispy baked salmon goes great with...

Honestly, just about anything! To make this a really easy sheet pan meal, you can add some chopped broccoli or asparagus to the pan and roast them right alongside the salmon. Depending on the size you might need to give the vegetables a head start in the oven while you prep the salmon.

Other side dish ideas:

• A simple house salad
• 10-minute sauteed kale
• Brussels cauliflower rice (this recipe is easy to scale down!)
• Homemade garlic bread for one

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