This 30-minute Pistachio-Crusted Salmon recipe is a great addition to your dinner rotation. It's easy to make, healthy, and utterly delicious, and the pistachio crust adds a flavourful twist to the classic salmon dish. Enjoy!
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the salmon
1½poundswhole skin-on salmon or 4(6-ounce) individual fillets
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the glaze
1TablespoonDijon mustard
2tablespoonslemon juice(zest the lemon before juicing)
2Tablespoonsunsalted butter, melted(or use olive oil)
1tablespoonhoney
For the pistachio crust
1tablespoon melted butter or olive oil
1cupshelledroasted pistachios, chopped finely
1/4cuppanko or regular breadcrumbs(optional-see notes)
2tablespoonschopped parsley or dill or a mix of both, plus more for garnish
Lemon wedgesfor serving, optional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400ºF degrees.
Pat the salmon dry on both sides and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the top with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, lemon juice, melted butter or olive oil and honey. Brush the mixture evenly and generously over the salmon.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the melted butter or olive oil with the crushed pistachios, breadcrumbs, garlic, lemon zest, and parsley or dill. Mix to coat the breadcrumbs and pistachios really well.
Spoon the pistachio mixture evenly over top of the salmon fillet(s). Use your hand or the back of a spoon to press it lightly into salmon to help it adhere.
Bake for 8-10 minutes if your salmon is less than 1-inch, or 15-18 minutes if using thicker fillets. The salmon is ready when the flesh will easily flake, or the thickest part reads about 125-130ºF for medium-rare/medium.
Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Serve with lemon wedges on the side, and a sprinkle more of fresh herbs, if desired.
Notes
Breadcrumbs: I don't always add breadcrumbs but if I have panko on hand I throw in about 1/4 cup. If avoiding gluten, use gluten-free panko or simply leave the breadcrumbs out. The pistachio-crusted salmon will still be delicious.
Lemon zest: If using lemon zest, make sure you zest the lemon before you juice it.
Bake the salmon on a baking sheet. If possible, for this recipe I highly recommend you bake the salmon on a sheet pan. You can get away with cooking the salmon in a baking dish but it will take longer to cook and the coating won't get as crispy.
Don't overcook the salmon. Salmon can go from undercooked to overcooked in the blink of an eye. For an extremely silky fish, it is best to keep it slightly undercooked. Keep in mind it will continue to cook once out of the oven, particularly if you leave it on the sheet pan.
Keep it rustic when serving. When using a large piece of salmon as opposed to individual filets, I don't even bother slicing it. Just break off the desired size piece with a spoon or two forks.
Do not chop the pistachios too finely. You want the pistachios to remain in little crumbly chunks. Too powdery and they might burn or be difficult to adhere to the salmon.
Don’t make the topping in advance. If you mix the nuts and breadcrumbs with the wet ingredients too far in advance, they will get soggy.
Make ahead: Crush the pistachios and mix them with the panko but hold back on the melted butter, minced garlic and parsley which will turn the breadcrumbs and nuts soggy. In addition, you can prepare the glaze and refrigerate it for up to 1 day.
To store: Store any leftover cooked salmon in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Preheat oven to 375ºF. Place salmon on a sheet pan, cover loosely with foil or a damp piece of parchment paper. Bake until just heated through, about 10-12 minutes. Alternatively, reheat on the stovetop; add just a smidge of oil to a skillet and reheat salmon over medium heat until just heated through.