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.
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Hi,
How long would you cook for just 1lb?
Thank you!
Hi Rose, the cooking time is primarily dependent on the thickness of the fish so it’s likely that if you just have a longer (not thicker) piece of fish it will need to cook for about the same amount of time. I’d suggest starting to check it at about 35 minutes. Hope you enjoy!
How about if you use individual sized portions of salmon? Would that change cooking time at all or just base cooking time on the total weight (even if portioned)? LOVE your recipes and hoping to try this one tomorrow night.
Hi Devorah, yes, the individual pieces will take less time in the oven, but it’s hard to say by how much so I’d just keep a close eye on them. (And so glad you like the recipes!) 🙂
Made this for a luncheon………..simple to make, salmon was moist and the herbs were sensational…..everyone loved it. Served it at room temp.
Hi-Looking forward to making this for a small crowd. If made the day before, would you suggest reheating very slightly before serving? Or perhaps bring to room temperature before serving? I think I may prefer reheating but fear overcooking it. I love all your recipes. You make me look like I know what I’m doing.
Hi Robin, So glad you’re having success with the recipes! I actually prefer this dish at room temperature so I wouldn’t reheat it; just bring to room temp. Hope you enjoy it!
OMG!!! This is sooooo good! I have never prepared fish in this way and I was pleasantly surprised! What a delight! So fresh! I really can’t use enough exclamation marks!!! If you use Sockeye definitely reduced the baking time. I served with oven roasted baby potatoes and roasted asparagus. Yum!
Thank you Jenn!
Hey Jenn! Could this topping used on Mahi Mahi?
Thanks!
Rita
Yep 🙂
I will be making this dish for 40 people. Would it be okay to chop the herbs in a food processor rather than by hand?
And how many pounds of salmon filet would you estimate for 40 servings?
Thanks again for this wonderful recipe!
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn, Sure, you could use a food processor to chop the herbs. And for 40 servings, I’d recommend 11 – 12 pounds. Hope everyone enjoys! 🙂
Thanks! I was concerned with the herbs getting too mushy (technical term) in the food processor, but what a time saver!
Marilyn
This is an amazing recipe. It turned out perfectly. I didn’t change a thing but it needed a few more minutes to completely cook to the flake stage. The salsa was so good. You could make this topping for cold chicken too, I’m sure. What made this the ultimate company/dinner party dish is that you can make it ahead of time. I prepared the dish in the late morning and it was enjoyed cold.
OMG – this is the best, best, best salmon recipe I’ve ever had. Easy, light, healthy and delicious. If you love salmon you have to give this one a try. Jennifer is the BEST !!!!!
Absolutely delicious. Well worth seeking out all the fresh herbs for the salsa. I made it as an appetizer for a party of 35, doubled the recipe and not a morsel was left!
Thank you!
Oh.My.Dear.Lord. This is the first time I have slow roasted a salmon (Costco size which, was done in the prescribed 50 minutes;) and, it is absolutely succulent! I made this recipe for a potluck dinner tonight. This is the best salmon recipe I’ve tried by far. So good. So healthy. So fresh! I love the herb salsa. I love that I can make it ahead and not have to worry about it being cooked/heated to smithereens at the other end. Thank you, Jenn!
PS Not sure why the board won’t let me rate your recipe. I rate it 5 stars!!