Pecan Crusted Salmon
Featured Comment
We make this at least a couple times a month, it is a family favorite! Thank you for creating delicious recipes and keep up the great work. ~Courtney
Quick Look: Pecan Crusted Salmon
• ⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
• 🍳 Cook Time: 18–22 minutes
• 🕒 Total Time: 30–35 minutes
• 👥 Servings: 4
• 📊 Calories: ~517 kcal per serving
• 🔥 Cook Method: Coat salmon with flavorful mayo, press into pecan Parmesan crust, and bake until perfectly tender.
• 👩🍳 Flavor Profile: Buttery, nutty, and savory with a bright hint of lemon.
• ⭐ Difficulty: Easy, perfect for weeknight dinners or entertaining.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I cook with salmon a lot (a lot, a lot) and for a good reason. It’s a great fish to work with because it’s easy to cook, forgiving, versatile with flavors and has many other benefits. I love creating salmon recipes and this is one of my favorites:
- Quick and easy – ready in about 30 minutes.
- Restaurant-quality flavors with simple ingredients.
- Perfect texture – juicy and tender moist salmon with beautiful crunch on top.
- Naturally gluten-free – check your ingredient labels but this recipe should be gluten free.
- Great for entertaining without extra effort. I often make this for my guests for dinner because it’s unusual and impressive but super easy.
Table of Contents
Notes on Ingredients You Will Need
Here’s everything you’ll need, plus a little insight into how each ingredient works in the recipe:
- Salmon fillets (skin-on): Skin helps hold the fillet together and protects it from drying out while baking. It also makes it easier to handle and serves as a natural barrier on the baking sheet.
- Mayonnaise: Acts as both a flavor base and a “glue” that helps the pecan crust stick. It also keeps the salmon incredibly moist while baking.
- Lemon zest: Adds brightness and balances the richness of the salmon and mayo. Fresh zest is key here!
- Fresh parsley: Brings freshness and a subtle herb flavor that lightens the dish. You can use dried just use a little less since dried herbs are more potent.
- Grated Parmesan cheese: fresh grated parmesan is best because it melts well and has strong flavor. You can also use Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Padano, or Pecorino.
- Crushed pecans: The star of the crust! They add crunch, nuttiness, and a slightly sweet contrast to the savory salmon. Substitution: If needed, you can substitute almonds and walnuts instead of pecans.
How to Make Pecan Crusted Salmon
- Start by preheating your oven and line your baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and to make clean up easy.
- While your oven is preheating, pulse the pecans in a blender until they are coarse, but not so much that they resemble dust. Mix chopped pecans with grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
- Next, combine all of the mayonnaise ingredients in another bowl. Pat salmon filets with paper towel, sprinkle them with a little salt, and rub the salmon filets with the mayonnaise mixture on all three sides. Don’t coat the skin though.
- Next, dip the filets into the pecan and Parmesan mixture, creating the delicious and even coating on 3 sides.
- Bake the salmon on a prepared baking sheet, skin side down, for approximately 18-25 minutes.
- Your baking time will always depend on the size of the salmon filets. Small, thin filets may take as little as 15 minutes to bake, while thick filets may take up to 25 minutes to cook all the way through.
How To Tell If Salmon Is Fully Cooked
- Remember that cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the fillets, so don’t rely on just time 100%. Also, some people prefer their fish closer to medium while others like theirs well done.
- Internal temperature is always the best indicator. Use a Digital Instant Read Thermometer to check the temperature in the center of the thickest part. Salmon is considered done at 145°F and it you want it medium to medium-well range, cook it to 125° F- 135°F. Obviously, the higher the temp the more done the fish will be.
- Here are more ways to tell if salmon is done:
- Press on the center. When the meat is cooked through, it will be firm to the touch with the slightest bit of give. If it still feels squishy, give it a few more minutes and check again.
- See if it flakes. You’ll notice white lines running throughout the fillet, which is the fat. If the fish separates easily along these lines, it’s ready to eat!
- Check the opacity. Raw fish is fairly translucent but becomes more opaque when cooked. The inside should still have a slight “shine” to the flesh, while the outside should look completely opaque.
Pecan Crusted Salmon FAQs
There are a couple of good reasons to keep the skin on the salmon while you cook it. Even though you know that the skin will not be crispy and you’ll just discard it at the end, there are still benefits!
First of all, salmon skin acts as a protective barrier between the delicate flesh and the baking sheet. Secondly, you want to hold on to the fatty layer between the skin and the flesh since this is where most of the healthy fats are. The fatty layer between the flesh and the skin stores a lot of flavor, fish oil, and of course, keeps the salmon moist.
When estimating how much salmon to serve per person, a good rule of thumb is 1/2 lb. per person. That is the dinner portion and of course, you can choose to serve more party or lighter side dishes with it.
Yes, make sure to place filets in one layer, with space in between. Cook at 375°F for about 10-12 minutes depending on thickness.
Sides to Serve with Pecan Crusted Salmon
- I always recommend serving it with both potato and vegetable based side dishes. Homemade mashed potatoes and oven roasted potatoes are always a big hit, as are roasted green beans and mushrooms and Italian roasted asparagus.
- For a lighter dinner, you can always serve it with a salad of cauliflower based side dishes like easy roasted cauliflower or mashed cauliflower.
More Delicious Salmon Recipes
If you’re looking for more ways to enjoy salmon, be sure to try my easy healthy baked salmon, blackened salmon or Cajun baked salmon for a simple and wholesome dinner, or the avocado salmon rice bowl for something fresh and satisfying. The spinach and sun dried tomato stuffed salmon is perfect when you’re craving something a little more indulgent, while Teriyaki salmon offers a delicious sweet and savory flavor. And if you’re in the mood for something fun and different, don’t miss the grilled salmon burgers, they’re always a hit!
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Pecan Crusted Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 skin on salmon filets 6-8 oz. each
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 lemon – zest only
- 1 tbsp fresh minced Parsley
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- 2/3 cup crushed pecans
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent salmon skin from sticking.
- Pulse pecans in a blender until they look like coarse crumbles but not until it looks like dust. Grate Parmesan cheese off the block if needed.
- In one small bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon zest, minced parsley, and some salt and pepper. Mix well.
- In another bowl, that is wide and shallow, combine pecans, grated Parmesan cheese, and some salt and pepper.
- Pat salmon filets dry with a paper towel and rub the skin with some oil.
- Season salmon with a little salt and rub the filets with mayo mixture on three sides but not on the bottom.
- Dip each mayo coated salmon filet into the pecan and Parmesan mixture on three sides, patting it down to crust it evenly.
- Place crusted salmon onto the baking sheet, skin down, and bake for 18-22 minutes. (Note that the size of salmon will affect the exact baking time, small and thin filets can take as little as 15 minutes and larger, thicker ones can take up to 25 minutes.)
Video
Notes
- Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fillets, so don’t rely on time alone. The best way to check is by using an instant-read thermometer. Salmon is fully cooked at 145°F, but for a more tender, medium to medium-well texture, cook it to 125-135°F.
- Touch: The center should feel firm with a slight give, not soft or squishy.
- Flaking: The fish should easily flake along the natural lines.
- Color: The outside will be opaque, while the inside should still have a slight shine.
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in June 2021.
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Categories:
Dinner Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Healthy Dinner Ideas, Salmon Dinner Recipes, Seafood Dinner Recipes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
We make this at least a couple times a month, it is a family favorite! Thank you for creating delicious recipes and keep up the great work.
Can I make this in the air fryer?
This is one of my most favourite recipes. Definitely a people pleaser if you want to impress! Really brings out the flavour of the salmon too!
That means so much—thank you! I’m so glad it’s one of your favorites and a crowd-pleaser too!
This is hands down my favorite salmon recipe. Thanks!
I am so glad you like it, Wendy!
Can I prep this and freeze, then cook from frozen or thaw and cook?
Hey there!
So freezing fish that you got from the market is tricky. Most likely, the fish you get was already frozen, so freezing it again is not recommended. You can, on the other hand, freeze salmon filet after they were cooked BUT the texture is just not the same.
Seafood in general is very delicate and it always better to only freeze it once and eat it fresh. Personally, I do not freeze cooked or uncooked seafood after I bring it home.
Can I prep these ahead of time and cook later?
I think you could prep it a few hours ahead of time and keep them completely covered in the fridge. The only thing is the nuts might get a little soft but I think it would be fine for 4-6 hrs before, just like when you get fresh seafood from the store it’s best to cook within 24 hours,
So very good! Didn’t change a thing except putting salt and pepper in 3 times. I just put it in the topping mixture and it was delicious!
So glad you liked it, Donna!
Impressed my husband with this dish! I’ve always been intimidated by preparing raw fish but this recipe was so helpful. Thank you for sharing!
My husband loves this recipe and recently requested it again. Absolutely fabulous! Quick to make and impressive enough to serve guests. This salmon is now part of his birthday meal-from now on!
Awesome! I am so glad you liked it!