One-Pan Orzo Salmon Bake

You’ll be impressed with how good this Orzo Salmon Bake is. You’ll be even more impressed that it’s done in one pan!

Simple dinners that don’t need a lot of fuss and can be made in less than 30 minutes are my BFF any time of year, especially as the kids get older and are involved in more activities. And me, too. As a single mom, running a business with multiple websites and podcasts, I rely on quick, healthy dinner recipes so I can spend more quality time with my kids.

One-pan dinners are my favorite go-to because they always save me time before and after dinner. They’re always easy to put together, cook, and there are very few dishes that need to be cleaned after cooking and enjoying the meal.

My One-Pan Orzo Salmon Bake is a great example. I took the No-Boil Pasta and No-Boil Feta Pasta concept, and applied it to orzo.

What Is Orzo?

Orzo looks like a grain, and is sometimes found where rice and couscous are sold in grocery stores, but it’s actually a short-cut pasta that cooks in half the time of spaghetti, ziti, and other larger pasta shapes. Orzo’s fast cooking time makes it perfect for quick dinners, even in the oven.

Let Your Microwave Help You

To give the orzo a head start, the liquid that will cook the orzo in the oven needs to be brought to a boil. You can do this on the stove, but I find the microwave easier since I don’t have to watch it. Add the heavy cream, chicken stock, butter, mustard, garlic powder, dill, and salt to a glass or microwave-safe bowl. I like to use my 4-cup glass measuring cup for this; it has a handle and spout that makes it easy to pour. Depending on how powerful your microwave is, it can take two to three minutes to boil the liquid, which is plenty of time to prep the salmon.

Before that though, preheat the oven to 425°F, and pour a cup of the orzo pasta into your baking dish. I tested this in a standard, two-quart Pyrex casserole dish, and a shallow two-quart ceramic baking dish. Both worked; anything larger could cause the orzo to stick to the bottom of the baking dish though.

Where Can I Buy Salmon?

King salmon, available in late April through late June, offers the best flavor and texture for this recipe. When it’s not in season, Atlantic (farm-raised) salmon is a good alternative. 

If you are lucky enough to have a fish market or fishmonger in your area, I recommend buying fish there. You’ll be supporting a local business, and the employees will be more knowledgeable about the available seafood, where it came from, and when it was caught or farmed. Grocery stores have been stepping up their seafood game recently, too, and you’ll most always find Atlantic farmed salmon behind the counter when King is out of season. Another option is a seafood co-op or delivery service that offers frozen varieties throughout the year; there are quite a few options like this on Amazon.

Coho and Sockeye salmon are also popular varieties. Because these are much thinner than King or Atlantic though, they can quickly become overcooked and take on the consistency of canned tuna, so they’re not my favorite for this recipe. You can read more All About Salmon on TheCookful.

You’ll need four pieces of salmon, five- to six-ounces each. If you’re comfortable cutting the salmon yourself, you can purchase a large fillet, or the place where you are purchasing the salmon can cut the portions for you. In some instances, the fillets may already be cut to size. 

For the Salmon and Orzo Bake, place the salmon fillets on a cutting board and sprinkle each with salt. Let the salmon come to room temperature on the cutting board while you prepare the orzo.

How To Perfectly Cook Salmon

Once the liquid for the orzo is boiling, add this to the casserole dish with the orzo and stir to combine. Cover the dish with a piece of aluminum foil and pop it into the oven for 15 minutes. The hot liquid will quickly come to a boil again in the oven and begin cooking the orzo.

After 15 minutes, remove the orzo from the oven, remove the foil, and place the salmon fillets right on top. Place the dish back in the oven for about 10-12 minutes.

As a general rule, plan on 10 minutes of cook time for every inch (height/thickness) of salmon. For example, if your salmon is 1-inch thick, cook for 10 minutes. If it’s a little over an inch, cook for 12 minutes, etc. This time scale works for just about every variety of fish, too.

How To Serve The Orzo Salmon Bake

When everything comes out of the oven, the orzo will be fully cooked and surrounded by a creamy, mustard-dill sauce that feels indulgent, but only contains 2 tablespoons of cream per serving, and the salmon will be a perfect medium. 

Transfer the salmon onto a serving plate, and stir the orzo to fluff it up and redistribute any saucy liquid. 

I like to serve this with a side salad, with my favorite Light Caesar Dressing drizzled on top. Sometimes I’ll measure out a cup of frozen peas and let it sit on the counter to thaw while everything else is baking, and then stir the peas into the orzo before serving.

If you need a dairy-free version, just sub the heavy cream for the same amount of chicken stock. This also makes a delicious lunch the second day, hot or cold.

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