How long to bake salmon at 400 degrees F frozen or fresh fillet so it comes out flaky and fork tender every time. Use our dry rub for fish or orange citrus sauce blend. Based off of our most popular baked salmon recipe that has gone crazy with my fans, but with a citrus twist.
We love fish for dinner! With that said it needs to be baked correctly and not dried out, that is tragic. Baked salmon at 400 is the perfect temperature to keep it moist and super flavorful. From there you can season a ton of different ways. Just one of many easy fish recipes on our site.
We love ours to have a sweet and savory flavor with just a few seasonings that you likely have in your cupboards right now. There is a citrus salmon sauce you could try as well below. Either one is fabulous and makes for a healthy dinner choice that is super family friendly.
Should you bake salmon in foil?
There’s no aluminum foil necessary to bake this way. It’s such a quick trip in the oven and I actually do love a bit of crisp on the very top at the end. The only time I would wrap it up is if I were to add a sauce on top like our baked teriyaki salmon recipe.
Baked Frozen Salmon at 400
If you are starting from right out of the freezer the timing isn’t much different surprisingly. I typically recommend 450 F for 16 minutes adding butter to the top halfway thru. You could lower the temp to 400F. for 18 minutes or until white pockets start to rise to the surface.
You can read more about how to cook frozen salmon a number of different ways here but in the oven you will want to cover at the beginning for 15 minutes, uncover and season. Continue baking for another 10-12 minutes or until flaky.
This is about the basics really, not the hundreds of ways you could season your fillet. I’ll offer the one below that has lemon and orange in it, and link my rub as well because those two we make most often. If you prefer just super simple with just a light dusting of salt and pepper with a bit of garlic powder then go with that.
For the basics you only need 3 things. A salmon fillet that is no longer than your sheet pan, and a piece of non stick foil or parchment paper on the bottom. You will want it to be fresh or thawed.
Ingredient Notes
We typically use the timing for a 2 lb. piece salmon fillet with the skin on. Of course if yours is much larger you may need to increase the timing, or if your piece is rather thick it may need to be adjusted as well. Sometimes I’ll slice it in half to cook more evenly. This is how long to bake salmon at 350 if your side needs that temp too.
You will want to add some seasonings to the outside after you rub a bit of olive oil on the outside to keep it nice and moist. Salt and a little pinch of pepper we like before cooking and to taste when done. Paprika provides a warm taste, smoked or regular works
At the end it is nice to add a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice, or lime works too for a fresh cool element that will bring all of those wonderful flavors together.
Seasonings
Our salmon dry rub is amazing. With a little brown sugar for sweetness, salt to balance it out and paprika and garlic it is the perfect combination of all the things. If you use this you would skip all the other ingredients below. You just blot flesh dry with paper towels, rub that on and let it sit for a bit before baking.
If you want super low prep but more of a punch than just salt and pepper you could use this bottled seasoning made for fish. I would HIGHLY suggest using ours though, I will share a link to that below.
If you choose this sort of marinade you will soak the onions for just a bit in it, and add it in stages along the way. You could also make it as mustard salmon which is amazing instead. I have a printable recipe at the bottom of this post you can keep on hand but here is a quick rundown of how we cook it to perfectly tender.
What temperature should salmon be when done?
Just with our how to smoke salmon instructions, the fillet should be at an internal temperature 135 F. when done. Combine the last bit of the olive oil mixture in your bowl with diced cilantro and parsley leaves. Once the salmon is done baking, drizzle the oil-herb mixture over the top
Other ways to cook salmon you’ll love
If you are anti onion you could make this same mixture but without them too. Red are better than other colors in my opinion for flavor and just a bit of texture on top. This is by far the how to cook sockeye salmon or if you had a piece of farm raised.
If you were looking for a new way to make Salmon in the air fryer I would make this marinade too. Follow those directions in the post above in regards to temperature and timing, but add some of this mid way thru and add the end.
In the case that your piece is frozen you can still add a sauce to it, just wait until it has cooked a bit and is thawed. That would be the case for air fryer frozen salmon. You will be surprised if this is all you have at how well it actually turns out. Adding some melted butter, sauce or marinade on the top adds to the moisture.
FAQ
Obviously because of the name of this blog post I prefer a higher temp. If you use our VERY accurate cook time and instructions it will not dry out, get grey, or lose it’s moisture. You want the outside to bake the seasonings on with a lighter pink in the middle. Period.
I do not. I feel it is better to get a bit of very light browning on the top. Adding foil to the top would work well for steaming but the texture overall would remain quite soft. That is an option if you prefer, the timing either way would remain the same.
No need for that and I wouldn’t recommend that as it will break apart and make a huge mess. If you want the bottom to get a bit of browning just set it on a cooling rack on top of your baking sheet.
