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 Jenn! I have made this before and love it and would like to now make it for a shower I am hosting. If this is to be more of a side dish in addition to many other dishes for about 15 people, would you double it or keep the same?
Thank you!
Alana
Hi Alana, It’s a close call but I’d double it to be safe (admittedly, I’m always terrified of running out of food!).
Great- Thanks for confirming! I am with you- and with this dish, I know it will go fast!
Alana
I made this for Easter dinner and it was excellent. My guests loved it. The herb sauce made it. The tarragon made it so delicious! I will definitely make the sauce again, it might go well with chicken.
Hi Jenn, I thought I had white wine vinegar but do not. Could I use champagne vinegar, red wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar, distilled white vinegar, or lemon juice?
Hi Janet, No worries, champagne vinegar or unseasoned rice wine vinegar will both work well. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for the quick reply Jenn! The drunken French toast was a fabulous Easter breakfast and can’t wait for the salmon for later!
This ended up fabulous — an easy and perfect dish for the Spring Easter holiday, which we enjoyed outside. Every dish on this blog is a winner.
I’ve made this three times exactly as instructed. Perfect every time and very forgiving. I love how tender the fish is with the slow roast method.
What temperature does the fish have to be in the thickest part to be considered cooked?
Hi Helen, The temp should be 145°F.
If I make this ahead, should I keep the salsa separate and add on before serving?
Yep – hope you enjoy! 🙂
Wow! Thank you for such a speedy reply! The salmon just came out of the oven and salsa is made (which is delicious btw). I can’t wait to try it on the salmon! Thanks, again.
This salmon recipe is one of the best I’ve ever prepared! Unanimous five-star approval from both my family and friends. I served it with oven-baked brown rice and roasted broccoli—rave reviews and so easy for me to prepare. Thank you for this great “go-to” recipe!
This is the easiest and most foolproof way of making salmon! I made this twice now for company and everyone loved it. I served this with the grilled asparagus salad with feta and roasted potatoes. I was able to make everything except the potatoes ahead of time. I served the salmon and salad at room temperature and the potatoes hot out of the oven. To finish, I served strawberry shortcake with creme fraiche/lemon curd topping. So yummy!
Hint – make extra of the salsa because it’s so fresh and tasty! I used it as a salad dressing and on eggs.
Let me start by saying that I am not a fan of salmon or really any type of fish. I’m trying to incorporate more into our diets as it is so good for you. I loved this recipe! I prepared it exactly as written. We had some leftover, so I used it the following day in salmon louie salad which was also wonderful. I served the salad with charred lemon to squeeze over the top! We will certainly have this dish again. It is so versatile and has a lovely flavor. This is one fish dish I am happy to eat!!
Was searching for a new way to present salmon as my daughters love this fish. I followed the recipe exactly as presented and was delighted with the results. It was moist and deliciously flavored – we all enjoyed the taste. I will certainly make this again as it is a winner. Thank you for this presentation of salmon 🙂