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 used this recipe for my family dinner. It will definitely be my go-to for salmon in the future. I added garlic to the marinade for a little extra punch. Utterly delicious, super easy and stress free, delicious, moist flavor. Thank you!
Hi Jenn, looking at this recipe last minute for dinner and wondering if dried herbs can be used in the salsa? Looks delicious!
I don’t recommend it here, Anna — sorry!
Hi Jenn,
I just wanted you to know that I added 1 T of chopped dill to the basil, parsley and tarragon, and it was delicious. My mother-in-law LOVED it. I made it all the day before, then warmed it some and assembled it at her house the next day. Thanks for your help, and for such a great recipe. I can’t wait to make it again 🙂
So glad it was a hit! 🙂
Hi Jenn,
I’m planning to make this for my mother-in-law’s 96th birthday this weekend. She loves salmon and loves dill. Do you think I can either substitute dill completely for the other herbs, or add some to the other mix of herbs? If some, what amount would you use, and would you still use the other herbs, or do any fight with the dill?
Thanks,
Mary Jean
Hi Mary Jean, Wow — 96!! I think it is fine to add dill to the mix here. Not sure that I would swap out all the other herbs for it but you could easily add a tablespoon or two to the other herbs. Hope your mother-in-law enjoys!
So good. Can’t wait to make it again. The herb salsa would be great on anything
I just made it for my birthday dinner party. At first, I was concerned it would not have enough flavor since salmon was seasoned only with S&P. I was soooo wrong! It was so flavored with herbs! Very simple but so incredibly delicious! Of course I couldn’t buy chevril or tarragon. Added a little bit of lemon zest for flavor. Best dish of the evening!
I plan to make this for back to school brunch but want to make 1 day ahead. What are your recommendations for reheating or would you just serve it cold? I really love this (and all) your recipes! I was going to pair with your spinach quiche and beet salad plus fruit. Think that is good pairing or can you recommend anything else to pair with? Thanks!
Hi Jennifer, I would serve it cold or room temperature (I think it’s actually best that way). And the pairings that you suggested sound perfect – – hope everyone enjoys!
Thanks!!!!
This was a good one! Not quite sure how much vinegar to add at the end, but that depends on taste. Maybe substitute lemon/lime for the vinegar, although I didn’t do that. Thanks: I’m impressed and am going to follow this site. And yes, Samin totally rocks.
With restaurants closed I decided to make myself a restaurant quality meal. This salmon did the job. It was incredibly moist, tender and flavorful. The herb salsa brought it to a whole other level. I have found that every one of your recipes makes me feel special. You can really feel the love in your cooking. Thank you Jenn!
So glad you enjoyed it! ❤️
This is fantastic! I’ve been wanting to try slow-roasted salmon for a while and this recipe was a great place to start! I like my fish to be 145 degrees in the center, so I did roast it about 20 minutes longer than the recipe states, but it was still succulent. The herb salsa is a must because it elevates the salmon to the next level. We’ve eaten this for dinner three times in the past week.