How to Cook Frozen Salmon
by Jenny Jiles
Raise your hand if you remember to pull out your frozen fish out of the freezer to thaw it before cooking dinner?
*crickets*
Yeah. You guys are my people. I rarely remember, and this type of recipe saves me. Not only can you cook the salmon straight from the freezer, it's also a sheet pan meal, which is a weeknight, clean up dream.
Frozen Salmon Recipe:
Variation #1:
- 2 (6-ounce) frozen salmon fillets (do not thaw)
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
NSTRUCTIONS
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Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 425°F. Place the frozen salmon fillets skin-side down in an 8x8-inch parchment lined sheet pan.
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Combine mustard, maple syrup, garlic, and salt in a small bowl and stir to combine. Brush or spoon all of the mustard mixture evenly over the salmon.
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Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Roast for 15 minutes.
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Remove the foil and continue roasting 8-10 minutes, until the salmon can be easily flaked with a fork or a probe thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the salmon registers 145°F. Wild salmon tends to cook faster than farm-raised salmon (don't buy farm-raised) so begin checking salmon at 8 minutes.
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Remove the salmon from the oven and let rest uncovered for 3 minutes. Serve with a roasted of sautéed veggies and quick Trader Joe's frozen rice with some fresh herbs thrown in.
Variation #2:
2 (6-ounce) frozen salmon fillets (do not thaw)
8 ounces broccolini, woody ends trimmed
Olive oil
sea salt
For the sauce:
¼ cup apricot jam (I love Crofters brand)
2 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley, or dill or rosemary (whatever you've got)
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425°F and spread the broccolini on a sheet pan. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss. Push some of the broccolini to the side, making room for the salmon in the middle. Place salmon filets skin side down on the sheet tray. Bake for 10 minutes.
Make the sauce:
While the salmon cooks, combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and spoon sauce over the salmon filets. Bake for another 15 to 17 minutes, or until cooked through.
There you have it! Dinner quick and you didn't even have to remember to remove that salmon from the freezer.
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*Alternately, you can soak the fish (in it's packaging) in room temperature water for about 20 minutes (changing the water when it gets cold). But sometimes I don't even have the extra 20 minutes and need to get it cooking now.
Jenny is a writer, cooking coach, and host of Cliffs Notes Kitchen, where she shows how simple, bite-sized shifts with minimal effort, can create lasting changes in your health. You can find more of her articles here.
