Parmesan and Almond Crusted Salmon
Posted: 10/12/2020
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You’ll love the crispy coating on almond crusted salmon. Parmesan cheese, crushed almonds, and butter star in this easy but fabulous baked salmon.
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: The breading is so crunchy and delicious.
How long it takes: 30 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: baking pan, small bowl
Servings: 2
Table of Contents
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Tender salmon fillets are enveloped in a buttery, crunchy coating of crushed almonds and cheese, and baked to perfection. I swear, every time I make a new salmon recipe, I think it’s the best one ever.
This recipe is a cinch to make, too, with only five ingredients (not counting salt and pepper). Yet you could serve almond crusted salmon at a fancy dinner and I’m sure you would get rave reviews. Keep your secret, and don’t say how easy it is to prepare.
Almond crusted salmon is pretty, don’t you think, with a beautifully textured golden brown crust and dark orange salmon inside? And when you put the first forkful into your mouth, be prepared to swoon (if you’re the swooning type, I’m really not, but it’s fun to say). It’s keto friendly, too.
Make dinner tonight a special occasion by serving this delicious salmon entree. Looking for a perfect side that you can put in the oven at the same time as the salmon? Try fabulous roasted green beans with Parmesan and basil. Add a simple tossed salad with honey mustard dressing, and a warm loaf of crusty bread with bread dipping oil. Dinner is served!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Salmon: The recipe is written for two servings, one fillet for each person. It’s easy to halve the recipe for one serving or double it for four. For this recipe, it doesn’t matter if your salmon is skin-on or skinless. The breading is only on the top of the fillet.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is best but if you use salted butter, omit the added salt.
- Slivered Almonds: The almonds are crushed to make the breading. Sliced almonds work well too.
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese: The cheese adds so much flavor and quite a bit of saltiness so you won’t need to season the fillet too much.
- Garlic Powder: Adds a subtle garlic flavor. Increase it if you really love garlic.
- Salt & Pepper: to taste.
I’ll get you started on the recipe here and give you a few extra helpful tips. As always, you’ll find the printable recipe card near the end of the post with complete instructions and nutrition information.
How To Make This Recipe
This salmon recipe is seriously easy. Although the salmon appears “breaded”, the crust is simply patted right on top of the salmon, a super simple process.
Prep the salmon. Begin by blotting the salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Put them into a baking dish that will accommodate both fillets without overlapping.
How To Crush Almonds
For this recipe, use either almond slivers or sliced almonds. If you have a mini food processor, it’s a breeze to crush them. If not, put them into a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them, or finely chop them with a sharp knife on a cutting board.
Combine coating ingredients. In a small bowl, melt a couple of tablespoons of butter in the microwave. Add the crushed almonds, shredded Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper, and stir until everything is combined.
“Bread” the fillets. Next, pile half of the mixture onto each fillet and spread it with your fingers, kind of smooshing it on. The butter holds the mixture together pretty well so the topping stays on the salmon but don’t worry if a little falls off.
Bake for 20 minutes. Pop the salmon into a preheated oven and bake it. The cooking time will depend greatly on the thickness of your salmon fillets. The topping should be golden brown and crispy and the internal temp of the salmon should be 145°F (that’s how we like it but some people prefer it a little more rare).
Serve immediately, garnished with lemon slices and asparagus spears if you like.
Looking for more sides? I love it when I can put a couple sides in the oven to roast at the same time as the salmon. Here’s a few suggestions: Roasted cauliflower, lemon roasted broccoli with Parmesan, baked potatoes (start them ahead of time at 400°F), or crispy roasted potatoes.
Make It Your Own
- Make as much as you need. This recipe makes 2 servings but it can easily be halved for one serving, or doubled or tripled.
- Add more garlic (or less). Increase the amount of garlic powder or use fresh minced garlic. Don’t like garlic? No problem, just omit the garlic.
- Play around with the seasonings. Remember that Parmesan cheese adds a salty flavor so be careful not to make your fish too salty by adding salty seasonings.
- Try a different kind of nut. Replace the almonds with crushed walnuts, pecans, or pistachios.
Storage & Reheating Tips
Almond crusted salmon is best eaten immediately. If you have leftovers, wrap and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave. Keep in mind some of the almond crust may fall off.
Interested in a weekly meal plan (it’s free!) that includes this salmon recipe? Take a look at my Meal Plan #32. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let me do the planning for you this week!
We’ll be adding a new meal plan weekly. If you’re interested, browse all of our meal plans.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
You'll love the crispy coating on almond crusted salmon. Parmesan cheese, crushed almonds, and butter star in this easy but fabulous baked salmon.
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets (5 to 8 oz. each)
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- ½ cup crushed sliced or slivered almonds, unsalted
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare shallow baking dish that can accommodate both fillets without overlapping by lightly spraying with cooking spray.
- Pat salmon dry with a paper towel. Place salmon fillets skin side down in baking dish.
- In a small bowl, melt butter in microwave. Add almonds, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix well until the almonds and cheese are well coated with the melted butter.
- Top each salmon portion with the topping mixture, using half for each, pressing lightly to adhere.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust has turned light golden brown and salmon is cooked. Internal temperature of salmon should be 145°F. Cooking time depends on the thickness of your salmon fillets.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Recipe can easily be halved for one serving, or doubled for four servings.
- If desired, pistachios, pecans, or walnuts can be substituted for the almonds.
- Adjust seasoning to your liking. Increase garlic powder or leave it out. Try another seasoning of your choice.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 598kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 49g, Fat: 42g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Monounsaturated Fat: 17g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 141mg, Sodium: 721mg, Potassium: 1060mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 614IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 392mg, Iron: 3mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Jennifer C Clark says
This is, absolutely, the best salmon recipe I’ve ever had!
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
denise says
sounds amazing!
Rachel Gurk says
Thanks Denise! I hope you try it!