This is how to cook frozen salmon in oven at 400 without thawing. Fillets come out super flaky and moist, baked in foil so they can steam perfectly (then crisped for a bit) which makes for a healthy dinner we all love.
We make the best baked salmon all the time but I have to say that I am not always together the night before when all I have on hand is frozen food. With that said over the last 13 years of developing recipes I wanted to find kitchen hacks that could save the day, this is one of them.
So I have shared How to Cook Frozen Salmon all different ways in the past but needed to really perfect how to bake it to tender so here we are!! With a dry rub or lightly seasoned with lemon pepper your family will never know it wasn’t thawed beforehand.
Now we live in Idaho, where there isn’t fresh fish that is super local so let’s just say that it is better to buy frozen and cook ourselves. When done right it can taste just as good right out of the freezer than bought at a fish market and cooked – seriously, hear me out on this.
There are a few tips and tricks you need to remember when you do this and we will go over it all. Buying filets with the skin on is vital to keep it moist, keep as much Omega 3s present and add flavor. Keeping the flesh moist is important too, olive oil will do the trick for that.
How Long to Cook Frozen Salmon in Oven
Cook time does vary because some fillets are quite thick while others are thin but typically ours takes about 25 minutes total to be cooked to flaky all the way thru in the thickest area (middle) of each piece.
How Long to Cook Wrapped in Foil
We share how long to cook salmon at 400 here that is thawed and either way I do like to have some time when it is covered with aluminum foil to get super tender. In this case you should cover tightly for the first 15 minutes and then remove for a bit longer.
How Long to Cook Frozen Salmon in Oven Celsius
In Celsius you want to bake at 204 degrees C. for the same amount of time, you just set the oven differently to convert from Fahrenheit to Celsius. Nothing else would change in this case.
What is the best temperature to bake frozen salmon?
You can bake salmon at 350 for longer if you prefer but in my experimenting I found that 400 F. was ideal. With a bit higher temp it got done faster, still steamed to moist and flaky at the beginning and then when the foil was removed we got a nice bit of crisp on the top which was quite nice.
How do you keep frozen salmon from drying out when baking?
Here is where the olive oil comes into play. It isn’t really necessary when trapped under the foil but when removed it is important to brush some on (avocado oil would be a good substitute) with your seasonings.
How to Season
I highly suggest that you make our Salmon Dry Rub and sprinkle it on the top when you remove the foil. It is sweet and savory and easy to make. If you want just the basics I would go with salt, garlic powder and some lemon pepper. Mrs. Dash has a great one if you need a salt-free choice.
Should you bake frozen salmon with skin side up or down?
It is best to buy skin-on filets first off. Even if you are going to peel it off and not eat it you will get a better flakier outcome with it attached when baking. It should be placed on the bottom so the flesh doesn’t stick and the oils don’t leak out. As it bakes the Omega 3 oils release and drip down and get trapped in the hearty skin to get absorbed, if skin was on top it would leak out.
When done we love making Fish Skin Chips out of it which is another treat you will be surprised to enjoy I bet.
Frozen Salmon in Oven Recipe
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
- 1 pastry brush
Ingredients
- 2 fillets frozen salmon, skin on is best
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch garlic powder
- 1 pinch lemon pepper
- 4 slices lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the salmon, skin side down, in the center of the pan making sure the fillets do not touch.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove foil and discard.
- Use a pastry brush to spread 1 tablespoon olive oil onto each fillet. Season each with salt, garlic powder, and lemon pepper. Return salmon to the oven, uncovered for 10 -15 minutes.
- * The length of cooking time varies because depending on the thickness of your salmon fillets. Check to make sure the internal temperature is 145 degrees F at the thickest part of the fillet.
- Remove from oven and let rest for a few minutes before serving with sliced lemons placed on top to add flavor if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
