Baked Salmon with Panko-Dill Crust
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This baked salmon recipe feels a little special but couldn’t be easier to make—just the kind of dinner I love!
If you’re looking for a simple baked salmon recipe that still feels a bit elevated, this is the one. The salmon is topped with a garlicky, lemony sauce, then finished with a crisp layer of panko, lemon zest, and dill. It’s perfect when you’ve got people coming over, or when you just want to make an ordinary night feel a little more special.
This recipe proves you don’t need hours in the kitchen to make something delicious—just a handful of good ingredients and about 25 minutes. Serve it with roasted asparagus and a wild rice blend (a microwaveable packet makes it easy) or go with roasted potatoes.
“This was easy to prepare and so delicious. The dill, lemon, and Dijon added wonderful flavor.”
What You’ll Need To Make Baked Salmon With Panko-Dill Crust
- Panko breadcrumbs: Give the salmon a light, crispy, golden crust.
- Lemons: Brightens up both the mayo mixture and the breadcrumb topping, adding fresh citrusy flavor that balances the richness of the fish. Save some wedges for serving.
- Fresh dill: Adds an herby flavor that works beautifully with salmon.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Helps bind the topping ingredients together and ensures it browns nicely in the oven.
- Mayonnaise and Dijon mustard: This creamy, tangy combo gets spread over the salmon to add flavor and help the panko coating stick.
- Garlic Powder: Adds a savory depth to the mayo mixture
- Salmon fillets: Look for four fillets, about 6 ounces each. They bake up tender and flavorful—they’re also a great source of omega-3s, making this an easy, feel-good dinner. For even cooking, try to use salmon fillets that are similar in size and thickness.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step-Instructions
Step 1: Make the panko topping. In a medium bowl, mix the panko, lemon zest, salt, pepper, dill, and olive oil until evenly combined.
Step 2: Mix the mayonnaise sauce. In a separate bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until smooth.
Step 3: Assemble the salmon. Place the salmon fillets on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil (or parchment paper). Spread the mayo mixture over the top and sprinkle evenly with the panko topping.
Step 4: Bake. Bake the salmon in a 450°F oven for about 10 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through (it flakes easily when you poke it with a fork at the thickest part) and the crust is golden.
Step 5: Serve and enjoy. If the fillets are skin-on, slide a thin spatula between the skin and the flesh to serve with lemon wedges on the side. Leftovers make a great topping for salads or grain bowls the next day—just flake the salmon and serve chilled.
Tips for Buying Salmon
Buying salmon doesn’t have to be tricky—just keep a few simple things in mind:
- Look for vibrant color. The flesh should look fresh and bright—not dull or washed out.
- Check the packaging. If your fish counter has pre-packaged salmon, make sure the packaging is fully sealed with no tears or openings.
- Smell it if you can. Fresh salmon shouldn’t have a strong fishy smell—it should smell clean, like the ocean.
- Watch out for bruising or dry edges. If the fish looks dried out or has brown spots, choose another piece.
Video Tutorial
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Baked Salmon with Panko-Dill Crust
Ingredients
For the Panko-Dill Crust
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, from 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
For the Salmon
- ⅓ cup cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 (6-oz) salmon fillets
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (235°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup and spray it with nonstick cooking spray.
- For the topping: In a medium bowl, add the panko, lemon zest, salt, pepper, dill, and olive oil and stir until the mixture is evenly blended.
- For the fish: In another medium bowl, add the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and stir until blended and smooth. Place the fish fillets on the prepared baking sheet and spread the mayonnaise mixture evenly over each piece. Next, evenly sprinkle the panko-dill topping over the fish. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and the topping is slightly golden. (If you find that the topping is browning more than you’d like before the fish is cooked through, loosely cover the salmon with foil.) Note: If your fish fillets have skin, they may stick to the foil. To serve, slide a thin spatula between the skin and flesh, leaving the skin behind on the foil. Serve with lemon wedges.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Thanks Jenn for another great, easy way to prepare salmon! I made this over the weekend and all 4 of us enjoyed it — even my picky eater who typically turns up his nose at salmon. This will definitely go into our rotation!
Another fabulous recipe. Absolutely delicious.
Hi I served this for shabbos dinner and it was a hit! As are all your recipes.
It was a breeze to make and tasted restaurant style
Thank you
Happy Purim!
Can you use dried dill (or other dried herbs) instead of fresh?
Sure, I’d use 2 teaspoons dried dill. Enjoy!
I think this is very good, but too salty. Cut back on the salt and it’s perfect.
Love the lemony taste.
My family absolutely LOVED this recipe. It was so easy to make on a busy weeknight, too!
This is delicious! My husband can’t stop raving about it and told me I can’t cook salmon any other way. The only change I did was to use dill seasoning instead of fresh. Thank you for another great recipe!
I brown panko in a dry non-stick pan and then use it on fish. If you wait for the panko to look browned, it will take too long and the fish will be over-cooked.
This recipe was delicious
This was really delicious! I made it using Arctic Char because we had just had salmon, but otherwise followed the recipe and served it with small roasted potatoes. It truly was as quick to make as the recipe states and is good enough for company!
So delicious!! I absolutely loved this recipe – I baked it for 27 minutes as I love my salmon well done. Every recipe you share is always stellar! Thank you 😁