Spicy Indian Baked Salmon Recipe
This baked salmon recipe is spicy, super flavorful and is really easy to make. It is minimally spiced with zesty flavors that are perfect for a light weeknight dinner. It is great for meal prep.Bake in oven or air fryer, I am including both methods in this post.
Ingredients
- 1 lb salmon (or cut into 2 inch thick portions)
- 1 shallot roughly chopped
- 1 inch ginger roughly chopped
- 4-5 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 10 curry leaves skip if not available
- 3 indian green chillies (super hot) adjust to taste substitute with any hot green pepper like 1-2 Serrano or thai bird eye chilies
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1.5 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 tablespoon greek yogurt or thick curd
Spices
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¾ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
Instructions
Prepare The Wet Masala (Fresh Spice Paste)
- Add shallots, ginger, garlic, chilies, curry leaves, lemon juice, salt, coconut oil, and all the spices to a small blender jar. Blend until you get a fine paste that's thick & smooth. The yogurt, lemon juice and coconut oil should be enough while grinding. Avoid adding water. Taste and make sure that the masala is quite intense and sharp salty- this will make sure that the fish will be seasoned very well.
- Place the salmon skin side down on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment. Pat dry using a paper towel.
- Generously brush the masala all over the salmon. Leave for 10 minutes on the kitchen counter. You will have some leftover spice paste that you can refrigerate for 5-6 days and use for marinades.
- Cook The Salmon in ONE of the following ways
- Oven Method Preheat your oven to 350F. Bake the salmon in middle rack for 12-18 minutes. To check for doneness, gently press or twist the salmon flesh using a fork, it should easily flake, look opaque and separate into layers. If you like charred edges, you may broil for additional 1-2 minutes.
- Air FryerPreheat air fryer to 400F. Spray or brush the air fryer basket/wire with some oil to prevent the skin from sticking. Place the salmon skin side down on the basket. If using portions, place in a single layer. Air fry for 7-10 minutes. Check if salmon has fully cooked as explained above else air fry for additional 1-2 minutes.
Notes
- Dry the salmon surface for better texture. This helps the masala stick properly and also prevents steaming in the oven.
- I cannot stress enough about how much better room temperature salmon cooks. If you do not have 30 minutes, just 15 minutes out of the fridge before beginning to cook will help the fish cook evenly. Also, I noticed that the albumin leakage(the white protein) is lesser.
- Marinate the salmon after rubbing it with masala for a little longer (20 minutes) if possible. Seriously better flavor!
- Each salmon fillet varies in thickness and size. Please adjust the baking time In the recipe accordingly. I usually check for doneness using a fork. When you are choosing a fillet at the store, try to go for as uniform thickness fillets or portion as possible, this makes sure that the salmon cooks evenly.
- Lastly, I just feel that salmon bakes better with skin on. Skin oils contribute to deliciousness of bottom layer where we do not put the masala.You can peel away the skin before serving.
- Serve as a side to steamed rice and dal (lentils) .
- You can also add it to rice or quinoa bowls with vegetables of choice.
- You can turn it into tacos, wraps or add to salads.
- One of my favorite ways it to pair it with roasted broccoli, zucchi or asparagus.
- Store the salmon refrigerated for 3-4 days. To reheat simply heat up microwave for 30-45 seconds.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!