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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This French Herb Salsa is absolutely amazing! My husband and I are not fans of salmon, so I make this with halibut or cod and use the salsa on top – a bit labor intensive with all the chopping of herbs, but it totally worth it. Delicious!
Love this recipe, so easy and always turns out great. Since I have trouble judging when fish is done I use a remote thermometer and set it for 125 and it always turns out perfect.
This is an amazing, wonderful, easy recipe! I have made it many times and it is my go-to salmon recipe.
My family now exclusively cooks salmon low and slow as recommended in this recipe. The fish comes out so tender. The herb salsa is fresh and delightful. But sometimes if I’m feeling lazy, I make the salmon simple with salt and pepper for a quick weeknight dinner. Great recipe for a simple family meal or a large group.
Hi Jen, I could only find a 1.25 lb salmon wild caught. Can you please tell me how the time will vary? Thank you so much.
Hi Stacey, the timing really should be about the same (the cooking time is based more on the thickness of the fish). I’d check it at 40 minutes. Hope you enjoy!
What starch would you put with this? Would your potatoes au gratin be too rich? Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Hi Paulette, I think potatoes au gratin would work nicely here. You could also consider crusty artisan bread like this. Hope you enjoy whatever you make!
Hi Jenn! I am not a fan of shallots. Can I substitute with garlic instead?
Hi Alla, I’m concerned that the sauce would be way too garlicky with the amount required. Feel free to substitute red, yellow, or sweet onion in place of the shallot though. Hope that helps!
Jennifer,
I feel badly I have never reviewed your recipes! I have made this salmon so many times as printed as well as adjusting to what I have on hand (bbq seasoning with a finishing drizzle of bbq sauce). As printed with the verde sauce is outstanding. It is so delicious I chose to make it as well as your bbq short ribs and cauliflower purée for a sit down dinner fundraiser. Everyone wanted to know who the caterer was! It was me with your help. Thank you for being my go to for inspiration.
❤️
Did you mean temperature 105 – that looks like a mistake – did you mean 150 Celsius fan oven ?
I am just about to put it in the oven
Thanks
Hi Louise, 105 is actually correct — it’s supposed to be roasted at a low temperature. Hope you enjoy!
I LOVE this recipe – I’ve made it several times. It was part of our Christmas Eve dinner last year for our pescatarian! It’s a great make ahead for a gathering and it travels well also – I’ve brought it as a meal to a sick friend. I’ve never been able to find fresh chervil but it doesn’t seem to matter. I’ve sometimes had trouble finding tarragon but dried has worked when all the others are fresh. And I’ve used different kinds of vinegar with good results – champagne citrus, rice vinegar. It’s a yummy keeper of a recipe!