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, a gem from Samin Nosrat’s Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, has become a favorite in my kitchen. Her method is simple but brilliant—roasting the fish low and slow makes it almost impossible to overcook. It stays incredibly moist and just a little translucent, even when fully cooked. Like many of Samin’s recipes, it’s more of a technique than a strict formula, with plenty of room to play around with sauces and variations.
I usually serve it with a simple herb salsa—just macerated shallots, olive oil, and a mix of fresh herbs. It takes minutes to make and adds so much flavor.
You can serve the salmon warm, cold, or at room temperature (my favorite), and it always feels a little special, especially on a holiday buffet. It’s great with roasted potatoes, a simple green salad, or roasted asparagus, and 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.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Prep the salmon. Place the salmon on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle evenly with salt.
Step 2. Roast the salmon. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes in a 225°F oven until the thickest part flakes easily when pressed with a knife or your finger. It will still look a little translucent even when fully cooked.
Pro Tip: Slow-roasting keeps the fish tender, prevents it from seizing up, and reduces the amount of white protein (albumin) that surfaces. If you see a bit (like below), simply scrape it off with a spoon.
Step 3. Macerate the shallots. In a small bowl, combine the shallot and vinegar and let sit for 15 minutes.
Pro Tip: Macerating mellows the sharp bite of the shallot and enhances its natural sweetness.
Step 4. Make the herb oil. In another bowl, mix the herbs, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
Pro Tip: Chop the herbs as finely as possible so their essential oils release and flavor distributes evenly.
Step 5. Finish the salsa. Right before serving, use a slotted spoon to transfer the shallots (without the vinegar) into the herb oil. Stir, then taste and add 2 to 3 teaspoons of the vinegar, depending on how sharp the flavor is. Adjust salt if needed.
Step 6. Break and serve the salmon. Break the salmon into rustic pieces, spoon the herb salsa over the top, and serve. The salmon can be roasted a day ahead and refrigerated, and the salsa can be made up to two days in advance and chilled until ready to use.
More Salmon Recipes You may like
Slow-Roasted Salmon with French Herb Salsa
Ingredients
For the Salmon
- 1 (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 (105°C) 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.
Notes
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.
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.
Add a Comment
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Hi Jenn,
I would like to make this recepie but in Australia hard to find fresh tarragon. Could dry one be used? Or is there other alternative? Thank you
Hi Rita, You can just omit the tarragon. 😊
I live in Australia too and struggled to find tarragon. So, I put some in the garden and it is flourishing.
Hi Jenn,
I’m also originally from the DC area, but now a full-time Chicagoan. I make fish only when my son and his girlfriend come for dinner. She and her family are pescatarians. I’ve having a Hanukkah party and making this salmon along side a brisket and sides. How many lbs. of salmon should I get. Total of 15 pple? I’m stumped! And should I cook longer if more than 2 lbs.?
Hi Lauren, Because you’re also serving a brisket and sides, I think it would be sufficient to double the recipe, and it really shouldn’t impact the cook time. Hope everyone enjoys!
You are amazing. I love your recipes and I make 2-3 of them each week. The slow roasted salmon is one of my favorites. I smother mine with garlic and cilantro. I cook home meals every day, and I can sincerely say, you are the best chef EVER.
Cheryl
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Hello! I would like to cook everything in the morning or the day before, but will be serving it warm for a dinner party. Do you have a reheat temp & time recommendation after having the baked salmon in the refrigerator?
Thank you!
ps–do you bake your fish on bake or convection bake?
Hi Marg, I always develop and publish my recipes using the regular setting on my oven. And I really like this at room temperature, but if you’d prefer it warm, I’d reheat it in a 325-degree oven until it reaches your desired temperature. Hope everyone enjoys!
Hi Jenn-
Can you recommend a few sides that would go well with this? I see you recommend crusty bread and grated carrot salad as make-ahead options (which I’ll probably do). Any other ideas? Thanks so much!
Hi Adrienne, some other options include roasted potatoes, cauliflower puree, or French green beans with shallots. Hope that helps and that you enjoy whatever you make!
This is without a doubt the greatest way to cook salmon. It is so easy, moist and flavorful; a very elegant entree and virtually totally fullproof. We have found that essentially ALL of your recipes are exemplary and I am grateful to have discovered you. You make the impossible, possible.
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I totally agree with you! I went from not being a cook, and I come from a family of great cooks, who unfortunately all the cooks have passed away except 1 who is wheelchair bound and 87yrs old! However when I discovered this site I was over joyed and I get so many compliments on the dishes I make from here. I am so happy to have discovered this page as well! I love her cookbooks also!
This was surprisingly delicious and easy! Wow!
We loved this salmon recipe…worry-free, delicious and beautiful. Are there other fish that can be prepared as successfully using this slow-roast method?
Glad you liked it! I think you really could use this cooking method for any fish.
Would wild, caught salmon make a difference?
Hi Cindy, Wild caught salmon is fine to use here with no modifications. Enjoy!
I’d like to make this for a picnic for 10. All menu items need to be make ahead and be okay at room temperture or cold. What 2 items would you serve with it to round out the meal and that would go well with the salmon and herb salsa?
Thanks for your help!
Hi Diane, you could do either the zucchini or spinach frittata and this grated carrot salad. Or if you wanted bread, this one would be great. Keep in mind that in order to serve 10, you may need to double some of the recipes. Hope that helps and that you enjoy whatever you make!
I made this recipe for the first time today, it went down really well.