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    Home » Entrees

    Parmesan Crusted Salmon Recipe

    Published: Dec 10, 2020 · Modified: May 2, 2022 by Dara · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 1 Comment

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    Jump to Recipe

    Parmesan Crusted Salmon is one of the easiest weeknight meals you can throw together! Serve it up with a side of rice and some steamed veggies or a salad.
    Salmon fillets on a foil-lined baking sheet, each topped with herb Parmesan crust

    Parmesan crusted salmon is one of those recipes that we come back to over and over again. Only 8 eight ingredients, 20 minutes to make from start to finish and the perfect amount of crunch and light cheesiness from the topping. What’s not to love?!

    Serve it with a starch, such as Boiled Potatoes with Fresh Herbs or Brown rice pilaf with orzo, and a veggie side like Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad or Greek Sugar Snap Peas.

    If you're a salmon fan like me, you'll want to dive right into 40 Healthy Salmon Recipes. Salmon recipes for weeks!

    Small glass bowl filled with breadcrumbs, herbs and Parmesan cheese. Salmon fillets in the background.

    What you need for this Parmesan Crusted Salmon:

    These are the main components of this recipe (affiliate links included):

    • Salmon: Either a full 1-pound fillet of salmon or four smaller pieces will work. If you start with a full fillet, you can cut it into four portions either before or after cooking. One benefit to dividing it into portions ahead of time is that you can remove the thinner pieces from the oven sooner to avoid overcooking them.
    • Panko: Panko breadcrumbs add amazing crunch to this topping! Either whole wheat or regular panko will do.
    • Parmesan: Freshly grated Parmesan definitely beats out pre-grated cheese, plus it doesn’t include the fillers that the pre-grated stuff contains to stop it from clumping. When measuring lightly pack the cheese into the measuring cup.
    • Herbs: Minced flat-leaf parsley and dried thyme. If using fresh thyme, about 2 ½ teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves can be subbed for the ¾ teaspoon of dried thyme.
    • Olive oil: Just a little drizzle to help bind the breadcrumbs and cheese.
    Jump to Recipe

    Tips for making this Parmesan salmon recipe:

    This herb crusted salmon is a breeze to make and there really aren’t many rules to follow.

    Well, except one…do your best not to overcook the salmon! More on testing the doneness in a bit.

    • Line a baking sheet with foil. Easy clean-up is practically mandatory for weeknight meals. Am I right?
    • Arrange the salmon skin side down (if your fillets have skin). Once cooked, the salmon will easily separate from the skin.
    • Pat the salmon dry with some paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
    • In a bowl, mixture together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and seasoning. Then drizzle in a little olive oil and toss it all together to coat the breadcrumbs. You can mix it with a fork or toss with your fingers.
    • Divide the topping between the salmon fillets, gently pressing down to “secure” the topping.
    • Last step…bake it!

    Salmon fillets on a baking sheet. Fillet in foreground topped with a breadcrumbs and herb topping.

    How to tell when salmon is done:

    If you’ve been here before, you already know my favorite trick for testing fish for doneness. But it’s so handy that it’s worth repeating over and over again.

    Stick a small, sharp knife into the deepest part of the fillet and hold it there for 10 seconds. Carefully (yep, sharp and hot knife) lay the side of the knife (the non-sharp part) either on the inside of your wrist or on your upper lip. Both places are very sensitive to temperature. It the knife is hot, the salmon is done!

    If using a thermometer, the USDA recommends cooking fish to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, or 62.8 degrees Celsius.

    You can also cut into the fish. If the fish is opaque and flakes easily, it’s done.

    Cooking time varies with the thickness of the fillet. And remember that the fish will continue to cook for a couple of minutes after being removed from the oven.

    Can I use regular breadcrumbs instead of panko?

    If you don’t have panko on hand and running to the store isn’t on the agenda, go ahead and swap it with regular or homemade breadcrumbs. But next time you’re at the store, be sure to pick up some panko. The crunch is fabulous!

    My preference order for the type of breadcrumbs you use is 1) panko, 2) homemade breadcrumbs and 3) regular store-bought breadcrumbs.

    Panko breadcrumbs are typically found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores, alongside the regular breadcrumbs.

    Salmon fillets on a foil-lined baking sheet, topped with a Parmesan cheese, herb and breadcrumb topping.

    Other healthy salmon recipes:

    Baked Teriyaki Salmon with Cabbage
    Maple Dijon Baked Salmon
    Salmon Tostadas with Guacamole

    Salmon fillets on a foil-lined baking sheet, each topped with herb Parmesan crust

    Parmesan Crusted Salmon Recipe

    Parmesan Crusted Salmon is one of the easiest weeknight meals you can throw together! Serve it up with a side of rice and some steamed veggies or a salad.
    4.67 from 12 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Entrees
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Baked salmon, Parmesan Crusted Salmon
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 4 Servings
    Calories: 290.4kcal
    Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound salmon cut into 4 fillets
    • ¼ + ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt divided
    • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
    • 6 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs whole wheat if you can find them*
    • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
    • ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
    • 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
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    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and set the oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with foil.
    • Dry the salmon fillets with paper towel. Arrange on the baking sheet and season with ¼ teaspoons salt and the ground pepper.
    • In a medium bowl, mix together the panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley and thyme.
    • Drizzle the olive oil over the breadcrumbs. With your fingers or a fork, toss to coat the breadcrumbs with the oil.
    • Pile the breadcrumb mixture on top of the salmon fillets, pressing gently to secure.
    • Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. This will vary depending on the thickness of the fillets. Take care not to overcook the salmon.

    Notes

    *Nutritional information was calculated using regular (not whole wheat) panko breadcrumbs.
    Weight Watchers Points: 3 (Blue - Freestyle SP) / 7 (Green) / 3 (Purple)
    Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I provide nutritional information for my recipes as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using the Sparks nutrition calculator and Weight Watchers points are calculated using the Recipe Builder on their site. While I attempt to provide information that is as accurate as possible, you should calculate the nutritional information independently before relying on it.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1salmon fillet | Calories: 290.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.9g | Protein: 25.1g | Fat: 18.6g | Saturated Fat: 5.1g | Cholesterol: 60.3mg | Sodium: 251.7mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.4g
    Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

    Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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      Comments

      1. luna@healthyrecipes101

        June 27, 2021 at 9:33 pm

        5 stars
        This looks absolutely ravishing, I can't wait to try it!

        Reply

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      I'm Dara, a Canadian living in the U.S. and sharing my favorite healthy recipes. My cooking motto is that healthy eating never needs to be boring!

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