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
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.
Comments
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I tried this low temperature cooking method with steelhead trout as well and the result was fabulous. I don’t think I will use any other temp from now on! Thanks!
We’re not big tarragon fans. Would fresh mint work well? Other suggestions?
Karen
Hi Karen, I would just leave it out. Enjoy! 🙂
I have never commented on a recipe, but this was SO good, I had to add my endorsement. Slow roasting was a revelation to me in terms of the creamy texture and the salsa was such a light touch, we all loved it, even my young kids. I served it with a garlic/olive oil couscous and a simple green salad. Thanks so much, Jenn!
Glad you enjoyed it – thanks for leaving a review! 🙂
Ah!
And I just looked at the leftovers, stil bright green!
The sauce, of course! Ha!
I want to bring this to an open house party with heavy appetizers. Would you suggest bread slices or crackers or something else to serve with it?
Hi Nancy, This dish really stands on its own, but I think a sliced baguette or rolls would be nice.
Outstanding! Another addition to my “cook-once-eat-twice” recipes! Particularly useful for the busy household where everyone doesn’t sit down to dinner at the same time (as in “Mom, I want to go work out before I eat dinner.”) Thanks again Jenn!
I used one of Costco’s giant salmon filets and it cooked perfectly with the instructions provided. It was marvelous, there wasn’t a morsel left. ( I have to admit the protein accumulated on the top is a little gross.) The salsa is delicious and makes a generous amount. I can’t wait to make it again.
I use a helpful hint that I once found on the internet. To prevent the white stuff oozing, use a salmon brine. 1 Tablespoon salt to 1 cup of water, for 10 minutes. After I do it, I sometimes give the salmon a quick rinse and then pat dry with paper towels, although I’m not sure that’s necessary.
Hi Jenn,
I am planning to make this recipe tomorrow. I have 4 (7oz) salmon filets in the freezer. Should I thaw them overnite in the fridge or can I slow roast them from the frozen state?
I have purchased your cookbook and want to say thanks for the many recipes from it that I have made. I have yet make a recipe that I did not rate as “fantastic!” Purchased a copy for my new DIL FOR Christmas; she was thrilled!
So happy you’re enjoying the cookbook, Marilyn! I would defrost the salmon overnight for best results. 🙂
Do you think the less oily Sockeye and Coho salmons would work? They tend to be thinner so cooking time would be less, but do you think they have enough oil content?
Hi Kate, This method does work best with fattier fish, but I think those would be fine.
My husband can’t have any vinegar except white distilled. Is there a substitute I could use for the white wine vinegar?
Hi Rachelle, Lemon juice would work beautifully.
Hey Jenn, I’m a parsley hater 🙊 but would love to try this. Do you suggest any other herb to sub? Or just omit the parsley?
Hi Erin, You could use more chervil, but that’s very similar to parsley so not sure how you feel about that. 🙂 Otherwise, you can just use more of the other herbs (although I wouldn’t add more tarragon as it’s strong in flavor).