Slow-Roasted Salmon with French Herb Salsa
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Want to impress your guests without stressing? This slow-roasted salmon with fresh herb salsa looks impressive, tastes amazing, and couldn’t be easier. Serve it warm, chilled, or at room temp—whatever works for you.
This slow-roasted salmon recipe, a gem from Samin Nosrat’s acclaimed Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, has become a favorite in my kitchen. Her method is brilliant—roasting the salmon low and slow makes it almost impossible to overcook the fish. It stays super moist and just a little translucent, even when it’s fully cooked. Like a lot of Samin’s recipes, this one’s more of a technique than a strict formula, and she includes a few variations and sauces to play around with.
I usually serve it with a simple herb salsa—just macerated shallots, olive oil, and a mix of soft herbs. It takes no time at all and adds so much flavor.
You can serve the salmon warm, cold, or at room temp (that’s my favorite), and it always feels a little fancy, especially on a holiday buffet. It’s delicious alongside roasted potatoes, a simple green salad, or roasted asparagus. The fact that you can make it ahead is a huge bonus when you’re hosting.
“So tender – melt in your mouth. The sauce is excellent. Incredibly simple yet beautiful presentation. My new go to salmon recipe.”
What you’ll need To Make Slow-Roasted Salmon
- Salmon Filet: You can ask your fishmonger to remove the skin for convenience. If you don’t, it’s easy to remove once the salmon is cooked; just slide a thin metal spatula between the flesh and skin when serving.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Used to coat the salmon for moisture and richness, and as the base for the herb salsa.
- Shallot: Adds a mild, slightly sweet onion flavor to the salsa.
- White Wine Vinegar: Provides bright acidity to balance the richness of the salmon and round out the salsa.
- Fresh Italian Parsley, Chervil, Chives, Basil, And Tarragon: A blend of fresh herbs that gives the salsa its bright, fresh flavor and loads of aroma.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 225°F and set a rack in the center. Place the salmon on a baking sheet, drizzle it with olive oil, and sprinkle evenly with salt.
Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, until the thickest part flakes easily when you gently press it with a knife or your finger. It’ll still look a little translucent even when it’s fully cooked—that’s the beauty of slow-roasting.
Cooking the salmon low and slow lets the proteins set gently, so the fish stays tender and doesn’t seize up like it can at higher temps. It also helps keep the white protein (called albumin) from showing up too much. If you do see a little (like below), no big deal—just scrape it off with a spoon.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the shallot and vinegar and let sit for 15 minutes to macerate. Macerating the shallots in vinegar mellows their sharp bite and enhances their natural sweetness.
In another bowl, mix the herbs, olive oil, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. When prepping the herbs, chop them as finely as possible to release their essential oils and distribute their flavor more evenly throughout the salsa.
Right before serving, use a slotted spoon to scoop the shallots (leave the vinegar behind for now) into the herb oil. Give it a stir, then taste and add 2 to 3 teaspoons of the vinegar, depending on how punchy yours is—some are sharper than others, so start small and add more if you need it. Give it a final taste and adjust the salt if needed.
Break the salmon into big, rustic pieces and spoon the herb salsa over the top. You can cook the salmon a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, and the salsa holds up well too—you can make it up to two days in advance and stash it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
More Salmon Recipes You may like
Slow-Roasted Salmon with French Herb Salsa
Flaky salmon, fresh herbs, zero fuss—this one’s perfect for making ahead.
Ingredients
For the Salmon
- One (2-lb) salmon filet, pin bones and skin removed
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
For the French Herb Salsa
- 3 tablespoons finely diced shallot, from 1 medium shallot
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 tablespoon very finely chopped fresh chervil (okay to substitute more parsley if you can't find it)
- 1 tablespoon very finely chopped fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon very finely chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon very finely chopped fresh tarragon
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the Salmon
- Preheat the oven to 225°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Place the salmon on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle the salt evenly over top. Slide the pan into the oven and roast for 40 to 50 minutes, until the fish begins to flake in the thickest part of the filet when poked with a knife or your finger. (Because this method is so gentle on its proteins, the fish will appear translucent even when it's cooked.) Using a small spoon, scrape off any white coagulated proteins that may have formed on the salmon.
- Break the salmon into large, rustic pieces and spoon the French herb salsa (below) over top. This dish can be served hot, cold, or room temperature.
For the French Herb Salsa
- In a small bowl, combine the shallot and vinegar and let sit for 15 minutes to macerate.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the herbs, olive oil, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Just before serving, use a slotted spoon to add the shallot (but not the vinegar, yet) to the herb oil. Stir, taste, and add the vinegar as needed (I usually add 2 to 3 teaspoons). Taste and adjust salt, if necessary.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The salmon can be cooked 1 day ahead of time, covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerated. The French herb salsa can be made, covered, and refrigerated up to 2 days ahead of time.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 439
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Sugar: 0 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Sodium: 405 mg
- Cholesterol: 83 mg
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.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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I made this recipe along with your roasted potatoes and carrots for Easter and my only complaint is that I didn’t make more! This recipe was so easy and turned out beautifully. Everyone raved about the salmon and the fresh herbs salsa was the star of the show. Your recipes never disappoint! Thank you for another winner!
This was the best salmon I have ever made. The only difference is that I added a couple of halved cherry tomatoes to the herb topping. I served with roasted potatoes and asparagus.
This is definitely going on my regular rotation.