Martha Stewart’s Trick for Never Ever Overcooking Salmon Again (2024)

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When To Take the Salmon Out of the Oven Simply Recipes' Favorite Baked Salmon Recipes

This method yields extremely tender salmon every time.

Myo's recipes, writing, and food styling can be found on King Arthur Baking, Food Network, Delish, Food52, and more. She collaborated on the cookbook Delish Vegan Dinners and trained at Gramercy Tavern and Untitled at the Whitney Museum.

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Published April 02, 2024

Martha Stewart’s Trick for Never Ever Overcooking Salmon Again (3)

I'm very into salmon, so my family eats it at least once a week and it's what I whip out of the oven whenever anyone comes over for dinner. Whether doused in a sweet miso, a quick brown sugar and mustard glaze, or poached in curry, for me, salmon is the ideal and reliable protein.

If you're "not that into salmon" because your experience involves fish that's too firm, dry, and so overcooked that you can barely stand its chalky texture, I can understand why. Scroll through top-rated salmon recipes on Simply Recipes and you'll find that they call for baking salmon at perilous temperatures of 375°F and up to 450°F. Leave your salmon in the oven for one minute too long, and it'll go from tender to leathery—timing matters when the heat is this high. Fish cookery is hard, but it doesn't have to be!

To avoid this problem, try Martha Stewart's tip for slow-roasting salmon at a low temperature. (She shared this technique on Instagram, but she didn't invent it.) The gentler heat cooks the salmon slowly and reduces the chances of overcooking. It also gives you the time to calmly assess when the salmon is done.

Bake the salmon at 275°F for 20 minutes, or at 300°F for 10 to 15 minutes. These oven temperatures and cook times work every time, regardless of how you season and glaze your filet of salmon, and whether the skin is on or off. You can use this technique on any baked salmon recipe on Simply Recipes! Who knows... you may finally turn into a person who craves salmon and makes it often.

When To Take the Salmon Out of the Oven

Just like other meats, the salmon will continue cooking with residual heat even after you pull it from the oven, so don't wait to take it out when the fish is fully cooked. I poke the center of the salmon with my finger, and if it's soft and easily flakes, I take it out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.