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Fresh salmon fillet coated in crispy panko breadcrumbs, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and kalamata olives is baked until golden and served over an herby lemon orzo, ready in 30 minutes! This Mediterranean Baked Salmon is a great variation to our basic salmon dinner, quick and easy to throw together, and the whole family loved it!
This Mediterranean Baked Salmon has become one of our family's new favorite weeknight dinners, fast and easy and so deliciously flavorful!
My 6th grader said, "Mom, you really do know how to cook," after devouring his bowl, a high compliment from a kid! My pickier child did like the panko salmon, just picked off the tomatoes and olives, still a win!
- Ready in 30 minutes with very easy prep.
- Fresh Mediterranean flavors for a different take on salmon night!
- The panko crust gets crispy while the cherry tomatoes, garlic, and olives roast for intense flavor. And those pops of baked feta cheese are the best part!
- Easy enough for a weeknight, special enough for guests!
If you Love Salmon, try my Simple Roasted Wild-Caught Salmon and my Garlic Herb Panko Crusted Salmon!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Simple but fresh ingredients and good quality wild-caught salmon make this dish extra special!
- Salmon - Buy good quality wild-caught salmon that is still a full filet intact. You could use anywhere from 1 to 1.5 pounds, either the whole filet or ask them to cut a piece, leaving off the tail end. Farm-raised salmon is less nutritious, and just sounds wrong to me!
- Panko Bread Crumbs - Light, flaky Japanese style breadcrumbs bake up crispy and delicious. You could also make your own breadcrumbs by pulsing bread in a food processor, but avoid traditional store-bought breadcrumbs. They are too fine, almost powdery, and will not give you the flakey crispy crust!
- Cherry Tomato and Kalamata Olives - These pack the Mediterranean flavor and roast up for beautiful color and bold flavor! Make sure to use Kalamata Olives, not black olives, and make sure to check each one for pits (even if the jar says pitted).
- Feta Cheese - I like to buy feta that comes in a block in a tub of brine for the best flavor! Then just crumble it with a fork. Be generous with the amount, it's the best part!
- Garlic - Use fresh garlic if you can, 3 or 4 big cloves, it bakes up mild and delicious!
- Olive Oil - Coats the topping and helps the bread crumbs get crisp and golden.
- Fresh Herbs - I used basil and chives, but scallions, thyme, oregano, or parsley would also be good. Chop a good pile of fresh herbs, add some to the salmon topping, and save some to toss in the warm orzo.
- Orzo Pasta - We love orzo, the rice shaped pasta! But, you could use any small pasta shape you like. When it's still hot after draining, just mix in the butter to melt, fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice!
- Lemon - Fresh lemon adds big flavor to the orzo, but you can also slice it up and serve it as a garnish for a bright squeeze over the whole dish.
See recipe card below for full quantities.
Instructions
A quick mix of the topping and the salmon bakes while the orzo cooks, quick and simple!
Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place the salmon, skin side down, in a baking dish and season with half the salt and pepper.
Mix the salmon topping together in a bowl, including the remaining salt and pepper.
Step 2 - Generously cover the salmon with the topping, it's fine if it spills over the sides into the dish.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until the salmon is just cooked through.
Step 3 - Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water, about 10 minutes, and drain.
Toss with butter, fresh herbs and lemon juice.
Step 4 - Serve the Mediterranean Salmon in bowls on a bed of the lemon orzo.
Garnish with lemon wedges and more fresh herbs.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Removing the Skin - You will bake the salmon with the skin on, then use a fish spatula (or other spatula) when serving to just pull the fish from the skin, leaving it behind stuck to the baking dish. It's easy to scrape off with a rubber spatula when doing dishes, toss the skin in the trash, not down the drain!
- Removing Pin Bones - If buying 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.
- Check the Salmon for Doneness - Salmon thickness varies a lot, and with the bread crumb coating, the salmon will take a bit longer than if it's baked plain. Start checking at 15 minutes, but it could take 20 to 25 minutes. Use a fork at the thickest part to pull back a bit of flesh to see if the color has changed from deep pink to a lighter, opaque pink throughout.
- What to Serve it With - Mediterranean Baked Salmon with the Lemon Orzo is a meal in itself. You could also skip the lemon orzo and serve the salmon with rice, Garlic Rosemary Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Potatoes with Broccoli, or with any creamy pasta. You could also add a salad like this Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette or this Spinach Arugula Salad.
- Storage - Leftovers can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days.
Recipe FAQs
I used 1 pound of salmon and 1 cup of orzo to feed by family of 4. This is easy to adjust for more or less people. You could go up to 1.5 pounds of salmon (the whole filet) while keeping the same amount of topping (really the topping doesn't need to be exact, add a few extra tomatoes or less olives, whatever you like). To stretch the orzo, just do 1.5 cups. Or if serving less than 4 people, just get a smaller piece of salmon and cut back on the breadcrumbs and topping amount.
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 frozen is the best option!
Yes, green Castelvetrano olives would also be good, but avoid canned black olives (they are terrible in my opinion)! If your family doesn't like olives at all, just leave them out and add a few extra cherry tomatoes.
More Salmon Recipes!
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Mediterranean Baked Salmon with Lemon Orzo
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Print Pin RateIngredients
For the Salmon
- 1 pound salmon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 8 grinds fresh black pepper divided
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup feta cheese crumbled
- ¼ cup kalamata olives (pits removed)
- ¾ cup cherry tomato
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ⅛ cup fresh herbs (basil, chives, parsley, oregano, thyme, or scallions)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
For the Lemon Orzo
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- ⅛ cup fresh herbs (basil, chives, parsley, oregano, thyme, or scallions)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ and set a pot of water to boil for the pasta.
- Add the salmon filet, skin side down, to a baking dish. Season by sprinkling with half the salt and pepper.
- Add all remaining ingredients for the salmon topping to a bowl, including the rest of the salt and pepper and toss well with a spoon.
- Pour the topping over the salmon in the dish. Try to pat it onto the salmon but some spilling to the sides in the dish is fine. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
For the Orzo
- Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and return to the hot pot.
- Add butter, lemon juice, and herbs to the orzo and stir well until melted and combined.
- Use a fish spatula to pull a serving of the salmon away from the skin, leaving the skin behind in the dish. Serve the salmon on a bed of the orzo, garnished with a squeeze of lemon juice and more fresh herbs.
Notes
- Check the Salmon for Doneness - Salmon thickness varies a lot. Start checking at 15 minutes, but it could take 20 to 25 minutes. Use a fork at the thickest part to pull back a bit of flesh to see if the color has changed from deep pink to a lighter, opaque pink throughout.
- Removing the Skin - You will bake the salmon with the skin on, then use a fish spatula (or other spatula) when serving to just pull the fish from the skin, leaving it behind stuck to the baking dish. It's easy to scrape off with a rubber spatula when doing dishes, toss the skin in the trash, not down the drain!
- Adjusting the Amounts - I used 1 pound of salmon and 1 cup of orzo to feed by family of 4. You could go up to 1.5 pounds of salmon (the whole filet) while keeping the same amount of topping (the topping doesn't need to be exact, add a few extra tomatoes or less olives, whatever you like). To stretch the orzo, just do 1.5 cups. Or get a smaller piece of salmon if serving less people and cut back on the topping.
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