Knowing an easy way to cook salmon is key to eating it!

Many of us have heard that eating more seafood, and less meat is better for our health and our planet.  Despite the popularity of the Mediterranean diet, many of us eat far less than the minimum recommendation of eating seafood rich in omega-three oils at least twice a week.

The top reason people tell me they don’t eat more fish is that they don’t know how to cook it.  The second reason I often hear is that when they’ve tried to cook it, it’s not as good as they’ve had in a restaurant.   The final reason that people give is that it makes a mess in the kitchen.

So here’s an incredibly easy and delicious way to prepare salmon:

Here is the easy way to cook salmon

Step 1: Set the oven and prepare your baking dish

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Take an oven-safe baking dish and put about half a teaspoon of oil in it.  Spread it around with your fingers until the bottom of the dish has a light coating.  Doing this will make washing the dish much easier!

Step 2: Add a small amount of liquid

Place your piece of salmon in the center of the dish.  Then you’ll need to add about a tablespoon and a half of liquid for this cooking method to work.  What should you use?

There are many options.  Water or a subtle white wine could be easily used.  I like to use half a medium lemon for about a pound of salmon.

If you don’t have fresh lemon juice, you can substitute about a tablespoon and a half of bottled lemon juice.

Step 3: Pick your salmon topping (if you want one!)

There are many different toppings you can use when cooking salmon, but I frequently turn to one of the simplest: a bit of fresh ground pepper and chives or a thinly sliced fresh scallion, which is also known as a green onion.

For a FODMAP friendly dish, use the green parts of two scallions instead of one whole scallion. (Trying the FODMAP diet to get your irritable bowel syndrome under control?  Read “5 Keys to success using the FODMAP diet for IBS“)

Step 4: Cover and cook your salmon

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.  Or, for a more environmentally friendly method, use a baking dish that has a glass cover.  Resist lifting the foil or lid too often to check on its progress. This lets moisture and heat out.  (That’s one of the reasons I love clear glass baking dishes!)

How long your salmon takes to cook will vary based on its weight and thickness.  For a pound of salmon that is being cooked as one piece and is fairly thick, I usually plan on about 35 minutes of cooking time.  Smaller amounts, or thinner pieces, or salmon cut into individual portions will cook more quickly.

When in doubt, cook the salmon for a bit longer than you think it needs.  This method is very forgiving, and overcooking is less of an issue than undercooking.  It also means if your meal gets delayed for some reason, your salmon isn’t ruined!

Looking for other simple ways that can help you eat healthier, lose weight or have a healthier gut?

Eating salmon or other fish at a couple of times a week is a good place to start.  With the method I shared in this post, you can see it can be easy to cook.

If you’re looking for more ideas, click here and instantly download your free guide, “5 Secrets to Successfully Changing How You Eat”

Then get more personalized help related to your eating habits or health by booking your free discovery call. We can talk about what you want to accomplish and see if working with me would be helpful to you.