Discover how to cook salmon fillets from frozen so that they come out moist, tender, and delicious every time! You’ll never have to worry about remembering to defrost again!
I used to think I was such a dummy when it happened, even though I know it happens to all of us every once in a while. What am I talking about? Forgetting to defrost something in time for dinner!
But I don’t worry about that any more. Why? Because I’ve learned that many things I have stashed in my freezer can be cooked from frozen. Chicken can be cooked from frozen. Shrimp can be cooked from frozen. Even steak can be cooked from frozen. And today, I’m going to share how to cook one of my favorite types of seafood—salmon—from frozen.
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From Freezer to Oven
I originally learned this method from Alaska Seafood—they have a lot of great information about buying, storing, and cooking seafood on their website.
Basically, all you have to do is give your frozen salmon a quick rinse to get rid of any ice crystals, then pop it in a hot oven for 12-17 minutes. So simple, right?
But don’t stop at salmon. This method works for any kind of fish fillet (here’s a post about that).
In other words, you also don’t have to worry about defrosting cod, halibut, tuna, swordfish—all your favorites. As long as the pieces are no more than about 1 inch thick, this method will work.
And THAT means you can stock up on your favorites whenever they’re in season, stash them in your freezer, then cook them whenever you want—no foresight required!
Seasoning Your Salmon
When your salmon goes into the oven, you can add any spices and seasonings that you want to. If they include any type of sugar, though—for example, a spice rub with brown sugar—bake the salmon loosely covered with foil so the sugar won’t burn.
And if you have any sauces you’d like to add—for example, teriyaki sauce or barbecue sauce—just add them after 4-5 minutes cooking time. If your sauce is getting more browned than you’d like it to, again just cover the salmon loosely with foil.
The way I figure it, we’ve all got enough to worry about. Isn’t it nice that defrosting no longer has to be one of them?
Podcast Episode: Cooking Salmon From Frozen
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this salmon, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
PrintHow to Cook Salmon from Frozen
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 14 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
Discover how to cook salmon fillets from frozen so that they come out moist, tender, and delicious every time! You’ll never have to worry about remembering to defrost again!
Ingredients
- 4 (4-6 oz.) salmon fillets
- 2 tsp. olive oil or vegetable oil
- Salt, pepper, and/or other seasonings or sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Remove the frozen fish from all packaging and rinse under cold running water to remove any ice crystals.
- Arrange the salmon in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush lightly with oil on all sides and sprinkle with salt, pepper, or any other seasonings.
- Bake for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the oven and add any sauce.
- Continue to bake until the salmon is hot and flaky in the center, 8-12 more minutes. (If your sauce is getting too brown, cover the salmon loosely with foil.) Thicker fillets may need a few extra minutes to cook through.
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