Spicy Baked Salmon Recipe with Lime and Harissa
Spicy salmon with harissa sauce is all you need for a light, flavor-packed dinner! Ready in just 15 minutes or so, it's the perfect fish dinner for busy weeknights. I recommend using a center-cut salmon fillet to ensure the entire piece of fish cooks at the same speed. For the sauce, homemade harissa or a quality store-bought one will work. Serve this harissa lime baked salmon with a side of bright veggies like sautéed asparagus or crispy lemon broccoli and grains of your choice.
Servings: 6 people, up to
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds salmon fillet
- Kosher salt
For the honey, lime, and harissa sauce:
- Extra virgin olive oil, I used Italian Nocellara EVOO
- 2 to 4 tablespoons harissa paste, homemade or store-bought
- 1 to 2 tablespoons honey
- Juice of 2 large limes, plus optional lime wedges to serve
- 3 to 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Make the sauce. In a mixing bowl, add ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil with the harissa paste, honey, lime juice, garlic, spices, and a pinch of kosher salt. Whisk to combine. Set the sauce aside for now.
- Pat the salmon dry and season on both sides with kosher salt, then place it in a lightly oiled 9” x 13” baking pan. If you like, you can pour a little harissa sauce into the center of the baking pan, and then place the salmon on top.
- Spoon the sauce all over the salmon and spread it well.
- Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil and place it on the center rack of the heated oven.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until salmon is almost completely cooked through at the thickest part (cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your fish. If your salmon is thinner, check several minutes early to ensure your salmon does not overcook. If your piece is very thick, 1 ½ or more inches, it may take a bit longer.)
- Carefully remove from oven and open foil to uncover the top of the salmon. Place it under the broiler briefly, about 3 minutes or so. Watch closely as it broils to make sure it doesn’t over-cook and the garlic does not burn.)
- Remove from the oven and serve with lime wedges to the side.
Video
Notes
- Use a center-cut salmon fillet. A center-cut fillet will give you a heftier piece that is fairly uniform in thickness, which means the whole piece of fish will cook at the same speed.
- Use a meat thermometer. Fish is cooked when it has an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (with the thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the fish).
- Serve it with: Sautéed asparagus or crispy lemon broccoli. You can also serve it with a side of Greek baked fries or over your favorite grain! And a big salad is never a bad idea. (Black eyed pea salad or Shirazi salad would be perfect here!)
- How to store leftovers: This salmon dish is best cooked and eaten right away. If you have leftovers, they will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend reheating fish, because it becomes dry and rubbery. Instead, you can serve it cold or at room temperature in a salad.
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including extra virgin olive oils (like our Nocellara Italian EVOO) and spices (like the Aleppo pepper, cumin, and coriander in this recipe).
Nutrition
Calories: 222.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.7g | Protein: 22.8g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.8g | Cholesterol: 62.4mg | Sodium: 123.1mg | Potassium: 594.5mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 3.5g | Vitamin A: 181.5IU | Vitamin C: 1.4mg | Calcium: 20.6mg | Iron: 1.2mg
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