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Home » Course » Quick and Easy

Quick and Easy

Lemon and Parmesan Crusted Salmon

Published: December 2, 2015   |   Updated: August 8, 2022   |   8 Comments

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Flaky, crumbly, crunchy topped lemon and Parmesan crusted salmon. This 30-minute recipe brings out the best in salmon with bright notes of fresh lemon zest, crunchy panko breadcrumbs, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and thyme to crust the tops of these salmon

Flaky, crumbly, crunchy topped lemon and Parmesan crusted salmon. This 30 minute recipe brings out the best in salmon!

It’s been a while since we’ve done salmon, so here we go. I believe the last time we worked with it was a balsamic glazed salmon recipe. But don’t forget honey mustard salmon for mustard lovers and honey garlic salmon, my most popular salmon recipe yet.

So today we’re giving love to a simpler, less saucy type of salmon and focusing instead on the crunch factor. This baked lemon and Parmesan crusted salmon has bright notes of fresh lemon zest, crunchy panko breadcrumbs, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and thyme to crust the tops of these salmon.

I think you’ll love it. It’s not so overwhelming that it drowns out the distinctive taste of salmon but rather, supplements it well. I really like this one. Best of all, like most salmon recipes, this only takes 30 minutes from start to finish. Let’s begin!

Flaky, crumbly, crunchy topped lemon and Parmesan crusted salmon. This 30 minute recipe brings out the best in salmon!

LEMON AND PARMESAN CRUSTED SALMON RECIPE TIPS

I used fresh salmon but you can use frozen salmon too. The recipe calls for one pound of salmon which I cut into two fillets, which is enough for two servings. Season the salmon with salt and pepper to taste on both sides to start. Arrange your salmon skin side down on a greased or foil-lined baking dish. Melt some butter and brush the tops of the salmon with half of the butter mixture. Leave the other half, you’ll be mixing it with the breadcrumb mixture to clump it up a little.

I used panko breadcrumbs cause they’re so much crunchier than regular ones. It’s easy to find, it’ll be right beside the Italian breadcrumbs in your store. I’ve never seen a grocery store that doesn’t have it. You’ll notice as soon as you open it up how much bigger and flakier each breadcrumb is. This means extra crunch!

Flaky, crumbly, crunchy topped lemon and Parmesan crusted salmon. This 30 minute recipe brings out the best in salmon!

So we combine the panko breadcrumbs with Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, thyme and butter. You can use freshly grated Parmesan or the kind in the green shaker. Two teaspoons of lemon zest are about half an average-sized lemon so you’ll only need one lemon for this recipe.

There’s just a hint of lemon in this recipe so if you’re an avid lemon fan, I suggest cutting up the lemon you used for zest into thin slices and lining them up under the salmon while baking. You could also add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the butter mixture for good measure. Or you can squeeze some lemon juice over the cooked salmon before serving.

Flaky, crumbly, crunchy topped lemon and Parmesan crusted salmon. This 30 minute recipe brings out the best in salmon!

I used dried thyme in this recipe but you can switch it up with fresh thyme if you happen to have them. I figured regular households would most likely have the dried over the fresh so I’m catering to the average household. There’s one less thing to buy and watch it die a slow and sad death in the vegetable drawer. So both dried and fresh thyme will work! For a little bit of kick and extra flavor, add a dash of red pepper flakes to the breadcrumb mix.

The hardest part of this recipe is getting the crumb mixture to sit and stay evenly on the tops of the salmon. There’s bound to be some that fall off, but that’s okay. We made enough breadcrumb mixture to make up for this. Use a spoon to heap the breadcrumb mixture onto the salmon tops and then gently pat them in with your fingers. Then we bake!

Flaky, crumbly, crunchy topped lemon and Parmesan crusted salmon. This 30 minute recipe brings out the best in salmon!

It’ll take anywhere between 15 to 20 minutes depending on how thick your salmon fillets are. The standard rule of thumb is to cook for 10 minutes per inch of thickness which is measured from the salmon’s thickest point. Mine was about 1 1/2″ so I did it for 15 minutes.  Depending on where you place the salmon in the oven, the crust will start to brown. I cooked this in a toaster oven but if you use a regular oven, put it in the top rack.

For an even crispier topping, broil it for a couple of minutes at 450-500°F until golden. And that’s it! I’m pairing my salmon with some asparagus sauteed with some garlic. I sprinkled some leftover lemon juice onto it and it tasted wonderful together. But feel free to pick your favorite veggies to go along with it. Happy eats!

MORE LEMON SALMON RECIPES TO TRY

  • Creamy Salmon Pasta with Spinach
  • Light Lemon Garlic Pasta with Salmon
  • Salmon Piccata

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A plate of lemon Parmesan crusted salmon with asparagus on the side.

Lemon and Parmesan Crusted Salmon


★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Author: The Cooking Jar
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 2 1x
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Description

Flaky, crumbly, crunchy topped lemon and Parmesan crusted salmon. This 30-minute recipe brings out the best in salmon!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 lb. salmon fillet
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted and divided
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

Instructions

  1. Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper.
  2. Place the salmon skin side down on a greased baking dish and brush the tops with half of the melted butter.
  3. Combine panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, zest, thyme and the remaining butter.
  4. Press the crumb mixture evenly onto the tops of the salmon.
  5. Bake at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillet.
  6. Dish and serve hot.
  7. Enjoy!
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below or share a photo of the recipe on Instagram by tagging @cookingjar

Flaky, crumbly, crunchy topped lemon and Parmesan crusted salmon. This 30 minute recipe brings out the best in salmon!

posted in: Main Dishes, Oven, Quick and Easy, Seafood

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    Comments & Reviews

  1. Chrissie Baker says

    July 2, 2021

    Made this for my family last night! They were raving about it. It was a hit!! Thank you for sharing your talent.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • The Cooking Jar says

      July 2, 2021

      You’re welcome and thanks for trying it out, Chrissie!

      Reply
  2. Stephanie says

    April 2, 2016

    Hi Farah, Would just like to say a massive thank you for posting this recipe. I have been a strict vegetarian for 5 years, and decided to eat fish to improve my health. After reading lots of recipes online that included salmon, yours looked and sounded the most appealing! It was absolutely gorgeous!!! Hoping to try a few other ones including your pasta and salmon dish.

    Reply
    • The Cooking Jar says

      April 13, 2016

      Heya Stephanie! I’m honored you decided to take the plunge into fish with my recipe. Lemon pairs so well with fish. I hope you do try out the lemon garlic pasta with salmon. That’s one of my favorite spring/summer dishes. Just make sure to use good quality olive oil as it doesn’t really have a sauce. So you’ll want something tasty! I tend to have two types of olive oils in my pantry. One for cooking with and a high quality one drizzling/dipping. Happy eats!

      Reply
  3. April Ozbilgin says

    December 11, 2015

    Your dish looks absolutely gorgeous! Love all the photographs! I will have to try this since my daughter loves salmon!

    Reply
    • The Cooking Jar says

      December 14, 2015

      Try it! I’ve been eating a lot of salmon lately cause it’s supposed to be good for you and lemon is one of my favorite things to pair with it.

      Reply
  4. Barely Vegan says

    December 9, 2015

    You had me at “lemon and parmesan”!! Haha. I love those two ingredients together. What a beautiful salmon dish! I love how simple the recipe is. This is one of those dishes you can serve at an elegant dinner party to impress your guests and trick them into thinking was super hard to make because of how sophisticated it looks. 🙂

    Reply
    • The Cooking Jar says

      December 14, 2015

      It does look pretty sophisticated, doesn’t it? 😉 I simply love lemon on fish. It’s such a fresh flavor and works so well.

      Reply

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