This oven baked lemon garlic salmon romesco is made without nuts and is easy and incredibly flavorful. Fancy enough for company, this simple fish recipe boasts zesty bold flavors and ready in less than 20 minutes!
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Why you'll love this healthy baked salmon with romesco
- Healthy - made with heart healthy salmon rich in iron and protein, and antioxidant rich romesco sauce filled with vitamin C and fiber.
- Easy - while the salmon bakes for 15 minutes, you can prepare the romesco sauce and have everything ready to go!
- Fancy yet simple - special enough for company with bright bold zesty flavors, yet simple enough to pull together in no time for a week night easy meal.
- Allergy friendly - the romesco sauce is nut free, dairy free and gluten free!
If you enjoy seafood, try my White Fish Tacos with Mango Mint Salsa. Seafood also pairs well with Easy Creamy Mushroom Sauce (dairy-free) and Caramelized Leek and Cauliflower Cream Sauce. If you enjoy the romesco sauce, try it on my Roasted Turkey Breast with Garlic and Herbs, Easy Chicken Muffins or my Vegan Chickpea Veggie Burgers.
Noteworthy ingredients and substitutions
- Salmon filets - 6-ounces make a nice serving of fish. Make sure the salmon pieces are fairly equal in size so they all cook evenly.
- Fresh herbs - herbs are optional and a nice addition to the salmon. I like to use parsley and oregano but you can use whatever herbs you have on hand.
- Roasted red peppers - jarred peppers are easy and convenient to use. If you prefer, you can char two red bell peppers, place in a paper bag for a few minutes to loosen the skin, peel the skin and remove seeds and ribs.
- Tomatoes - I like to use roma tomatoes because they're less watery, but use what you have available and remove seeds if the tomatoes are really juicy. You can also substitute 2-3 sun-dried tomatoes. If the sun-dried tomatoes are dry (not packed in oil), you may need to reconstitute them by soaking in warm water for 10 minutes.
- Sunflower seeds and hemp hearts - a healthy nut-free choice adding vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein to your romesco sauce. If nuts aren't a problem then substitute for the same amount of sliced almonds or a cup of whole almonds or cashews.
- Fresh Italian parsley (flat-leaf parsley) - has a slightly peppery flavor. If you can't find flat-leaf, then curly parsley will work too.
- Fresh lemon juice - adds some acid to the mix. You can also swap for sherry vinegar or rice vinegar.
- Smoked paprika - adds some depth to the sauce. You can leave it out if you prefer a more neutral flavor.
See recipe card for all ingredients and quantities.
How to make baked salmon with romesco sauce
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place salmon on prepared pan. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, herbs and sea salt. Brush onto salmon. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
- Prepare romesco sauce. Add romesco ingredients to a food processor or high speed blender.
- Blend until desired texture. A little chunky, or continue to blend until completely smooth.
- Serve roasted salmon with a dollop of romesco sauce.
Tips, tricks and variations
- Variation - try the romesco sauce on white fish, shrimp, chicken or roasted vegetables.
- Nuts - if nuts isn't an issue, try the same amount of sliced almonds, or ¾ cup of whole almonds or cashews. Walnuts would work well too.
- Texture - this easy romesco recipe is very forgiving. Blend the sauce until chunky or super smooth. A high speed blender does the best work for a smooth sauce.
- Store - the baked salmon with Spanish romesco sauce can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. The romesco sauce on its own can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
FAQs
Romesco is traditionally a Spanish sauce, typically made with a mix of nuts, garlic, olive oil, chili peppers, bread, and roasted tomatoes and bell peppers. In my version of romesco sauce, I've made it nut-free, replacing the nuts with hemp hearts and sunflower seeds. I've also made it quick and easy by using jarred roasted bell peppers and fresh tomatoes.
Yes, grilled salmon is easy! Heat the grill to medium heat, place the prepared salmon skin side down on the grill and grill for about 5-6 minutes, flip over and grill the other side for about 2-3 minutes (the thicker the salmon the longer it needs to grill). The salmon is ready when it's opaque throughout and flakes easily with a fork.
Yes, air fryer salmon is easy! Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Add your prepared salmon to the air fryer basket and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a review or ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below!
Recipe
Baked Lemon Garlic Salmon Romesco
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- 1 small food processor or high speed blender
Ingredients
Salmon:
- 4 (6-ounce) salmon filets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Quick romesco sauce:
- 1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained
- 2 medium roma tomatoes
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup hemp hearts
- ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley (flat-leaf parsley)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place salmon on prepared pan. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, herbs sea salt. Brush onto salmon.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until salmon is cooked through. The center will be opaque and flakes easily with a fork. If the pieces are thick, the salmon may need to cook a few minutes longer.
- While salmon is baking prepare romesco sauce. Add roasted red peppers, tomatoes, sunflower seeds, hemp hearts, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, sea salt and smoked paprika to a food processor or high speed blender. Blend, scraping sides down as needed, until desired texture. You can leave it a little chunky or continue to blend until completely smooth.
- Remove salmon from oven. Serve with a dollop of romesco sauce.
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