Easy Oven-Baked Salmon with Green Beans and Rice
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You are sure to be impressed with yourself and your guests will certainly be impressed if you make this recipe, so keep reading on! This is a fast and easy dinner that is great for beginners and convenient for a weeknight dinner. Whether you are hosting your first dinner party or wondering what to have for dinner after a busy day at work, this recipe is for you. I serve this baked pesto salmon with coconut green beans and basmati rice which works great to balance the spice from the red pepper pesto.
If you were anything like me when I started cooking, you would have been intimidated by cooking fish. I used to consciously avoid buying it since after watching a number of cooking shows online, I had assumed that fish could only be cooked well by a professional-level chef. And could you blame me, I am still afraid of overcooking my fish! It’s just so delicate!
When I discovered the foil-baking or boat method as I like to call it, my eyes were wide open.
This was one of my first salmon recipes, and I designed this to be especially beginner-friendly. It is really simple, you only need 3 ingredients!
Also, if you feel queasy about touching salmon for the first time, then please don’t be! My advice is to use a fish spatula or a silicon spatula to gently handle the delicate fish.. No mess with a great final product!
What’s so great about baking salmon in foil?
Flavours locked in and loaded
The best part about placing salmon in foil with the marinade and then sealing it into a boat is that the flavours are locked in completely. The fish cooks within its own steam and whatever marinade you use gets infused into the fish.
The fish always comes out moist and flaky. To be honest with you, I think you really have to try and overcook the fish to spoil the flavour. It is incredibly easily to make great fish with this classic foil technique.
No mess, easy clean up
After finishing up dinner, nobody wants to spend time cleaning up dishes for the rest of the night. The best part about this recipe is you can simply lift, wrap and through away the foil and give the baking tray a quick rinse. Simple, delicious meal with no cleanup.
Salmon - great health benefits!
Salmon is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and is one of the best sources to consume these healthy fats.
It is also a great source of high-quality protein and is a great source for pescatarians or non-vegetarians alike to incorporate protein in their diet.
In addition, salmon is packed with Vitamin Bs, potassium, selenium and antioxidants.
Learn more about all of the great benefits of salmon in this article by Healthline.
How to Bake Salmon in the Oven
I usually cook 6 inch filets of salmon for generous, individual portions. I find that for pieces of this size, cooking the fish at 400 F for 12-15 minutes works best. I like my fish cooked medium, as the fish is moist yet flaky.
The cooking time can be adjusted if you are cooking a large filet of salmon, and cook until the thickest part of the salmon is at an internal temperature of 125-130 F for a medium salmon. On the other hand, if you want your salmon well-done, cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 158 F at the thickest part, as advised by Health Canada.
To prepare the salmon
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Season the salmon with salt. Using a pastry brush, brush the pesto onto the salmon.
Take a large piece of aluminium foil and place salmon in the centre. Starting from the edges, bring edge from each side together seal, going along the length. Seal the sides of the foil as well, the final wrapping will resemble a boat.
Place the salmon on a baking sheet and transfer to oven. Bake for about 12-15 minutes. I like mine medium which should in the range of 125-130 F.
To prepare the green beans
Heat a pan on medium heat and add 1 tsp of olive oil. Add the fresh or frozen green beans into the pan cook until the oil is well coated on the beans (and they have thawed, if they using frozen green beans).
A minced garlic, coconut flakes and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until they have a sheen and become greener. Serve immediately.
To prepare the rice
Follow my detailed guide on rice and everything nice here.
Tips & Tricks
Bake the salmon until right before it is ready. Since the steam is locked into the foil, the fish will continue to cook even after it is taken out of the oven.
To check if your salmon is ready, you can peek inside the thickest part by carefully pulling the centre apart. A more scientific method would be to use an instant read thermometer and verify that the temperature at the thickest part is to your liking.
Do not worry about removing the skin from your salmon. Once cooked, the skin peels off easily.
If you were hoping to eat the skin, baking it will not be the best method, since the skin will become soft and rubbery. Salmon skin is edible and is best enjoyed when pan-seared to a crisp.
Can You Store Salmon in the Refrigerator?
Usually, I like to prepare just enough food to ensure there are no leftovers. However, if you end up with any leftovers, you can store cooked salmon in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To serve the salmon again, you can either top it on a green salad or reheat to enjoy the delicious dinner the next day.
To reheat, make sure you heat the salmon until it is warmed all the way through. The most convenient way would be to use a microwave at low power for a few seconds. Any excess reheating may cause the salmon to dry out.
Watch How to Make Easy Oven-Baked Salmon with Green BeaNS AND rICE Here:
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cookingwithanadi. Thank you!