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Garlic Herb Panko Crusted Salmon is an easy dinner that feels fancy but comes together in just 30 minutes! A simple mix of fresh garlic, herbs, and crispy panko breadcrumbs creates the most golden, flavorful crust that locks in juicy salmon underneath.
Garlic Herb Panko Crusted Salmon is the kind of dinner that feels special without any fuss, from weeknights to special occasions, it's crispy, garlicky, and delicious!
- Ready in 30 minutes with very simple minimal prep.
- Crispy oven-baked topping without frying - healthier and easier cleanup.
- Customizable herbs (use what's fresh!)
- Kid-approved crunch and adult-approved flavor! My 6th grader told me this meal is one of his new favorites, and that regular salmon (like my Simple Roasted Wild-Caught Salmon) is just too boring!
- Need Weeknight Staples? Try my Blackened Chicken Tacos and this Spicy Rigatoni with Meat Sauce!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
The fresh ingredients really make this dish, good quality salmon, fresh garlic and herbs and a bright squeeze of fresh lemon juice!
- Salmon - I like to buy good quality wild-caught salmon that is still a full filet intact. Farm-raised salmon lacks the nutrients that wild-caught naturally has, and just sounds wrong to me! Wild-caught salmon is darker red and less fatty, so the buttery crust works well.
- Panko Bread Crumbs - Panko bread crumbs are Japanese style breadcrumbs that are light, airy and flaky. They are a pantry staple that make this dish super easy to throw together! You could make your own breadcrumbs by tearing up and pulsing bread in a food processor, but I would not recommend using traditional store-bought breadcrumbs. They are too fine, almost powdery, and will not give you the flakey crispy crust you want!
- Butter and Olive Oil - Hold the topping together and help it get crispy golden brown in the oven.
- Garlic - Definitely use fresh garlic if you can, the more the better! Use 3 or 4 big cloves, they give the bread crumb topping so much flavor.
- Fresh Herbs - Again fresh is best! I used a simple combination of fresh parsley and a sprig of rosemary, but you could use other herbs you have on hand such as thyme, oregano, sage, basil or chives.
- Fresh Lemon Juice - It's just a garnish, but it adds big flavor right at the end! Don't skip it, serve everyone their own fresh lemon wedge for squeezing.
See recipe card below for full quantities.
Instructions
Coat your fresh filet of salmon with the breadcrumb topping and pop in the oven, rustic and simple!
Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Cut out a paper bag to fit under the salmon filet, skin side down. Check for and remove any pin bones.
Cut score marks in the salmon for easy serving and season with salt and pepper.
Step 2 - Melt the butter, chop the garlic and herbs, and mix together the bread crumb topping.
Step 3 - Spoon the breadcrumb mixture over the salmon, gently pressing it to coat with your hands.
Drizzle with a bit more olive oil.
Step 4 - Bake for about 14 to 18 minutes, switching to broil in the last couple minutes to nicely brown the top.
Step 5 - Allow the salmon to rest about 5 minutes. Use a fish spatula to gentle serve the salmon while leaving the skin behind stuck to the paper bag (easy cleanup too!).
Recipe Notes & Tips
- The Brown Paper Bag Trick - When roasting a piece of 'skin on' salmon in the oven, cut a brown paper bag to fit under the salmon while you roast it. The skin sticks to the bag while the flesh pulls right off to serve. This also makes the pan much easier to clean without that baked on skin!
- Removing Pin Bones - If buying the salmon at a fish counter, just ask them to remove the pin bones for you. Sometimes they have already been removed. Or you can remove them yourself with a small kitchen pliers.
- Scoring the Salmon - This is optional, but before adding the breadcrumbs, slice down through the salmon into serving sized pieces while leaving the skin intact. This makes it easier to serve the salmon without getting the jagged edges.
- What to Serve it With - Panko Roasted Salmon is an elegant main course with Garlic Rosemary Mashed Potatoes, Mashed Sweet Potatoes or creamy linguine pasta. I made the pasta pictured below by sautéing lots of garlic in butter, then adding cream and fresh spinach to reduce, and tossing it with cooked pasta and lots of Parmesan cheese.
- Storage and Make-Ahead - Leftover salmon can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days. The breadcrumb mixture could be made ahead earlier in the day or the day before and refrigerated.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! I mean, I highly recommend using fresh garlic (especially) and fresh herbs if you can! Having a potted rosemary plant on our porch has been the most useful thing! But, buying an inexpensive bunch of parsley makes this recipe fresh and super easy!
Yes, it's easy to adjust this recipe for any amount of people or size of salmon filet. I prefer roasting one large piece as opposed to cutting it into servings because it stays juicier and you are less likely to overcook it.
Yes, just let it thaw overnight in the fridge. Wild-caught salmon from the store that is labeled previously frozen is fine if you are going to cook it within a day or two, just don't refreeze it. Salmon is something you want to buy the best quality, and depending where you live, sometimes that means frozen, not always a bad thing!
Yes, just tear up and pulse bread in the food processor to make your own. Sometimes I keep a jar of bread crusts or extras in my freezer, perfect for making breadcrumbs when needed. If using store-bought, make sure they are panko, not traditional bread crumbs, for the right texture!
Salmon doneness is a personal preference, some like it more medium rare, some well done. The breadcrumb topping will make it take a little longer to cook and you'll want to broil in the last few minutes to brown the topping. So, the best thing to do is check it after 12 minutes and then do a couple more minutes and check again. Insert a fork where you scored the salmon and gently pull apart to take a look at the inside.
More Salmon Recipes!
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Garlic Herb Panko Crusted Salmon
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 1½ pounds salmon filet wild-caught
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 grinds fresh black pepper
- 3 Tablespoons butter melted
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup fresh herbs such as parsley, rosemary, thyme, chives
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 fresh lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Cut a brown paper bag to roughly fit under your salmon (this step is optional, but makes it really easy to serve the salmon while leaving the skin behind stuck to the paper bag, easy clean up too!).
- Place the salmon, skin side down, on the paper bag, on a sheet pan. Check for and remove any pin bones with a small kitchen pliers. Optional - using a serrated knife, score the salmon into serving sized pieces, cutting down through the meat but leaving the skin in tact, this allows for easy serving.
- Sprinkle the salmon evenly with the salt and pepper.
- Add all other ingredients for the topping to a small bowl and mix. Spoon the breadcrumb mixture over the salmon, pressing it lightly with your hands to evenly coat the full filet. Drizzle the top with a bit more olive oil.
- Bake for about 14 to 18 minutes, switching to broil in the last couple minutes, until the salmon is just cooked through and the breadcrumb crust is golden.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Use a fish spatula to gently remove each piece of salmon while leaving the skin behind stuck to the paper bag. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon.
Notes
- Breadcrumbs - Make sure to use panko style breadcrumbs, not store-bought regular breadcrumbs, they won't be the right texture! You could also make your own by tearing and pulsing bread in a food processor.
- Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of your salmon and your preference for doneness. You can check it by pulling a piece apart with a fork to look inside. It should be just barely opaque, you don't want to overcook it!
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