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This baked salmon recipe is a real winner. Very little effort with maximum return. Serve it with my rose cream sauce dotted with green parsley and pink peppercorn for extra drama! 

Serve this showstopper with our Sweet Potato and Swede (Rutabaga) Mash or check out Christmas side dish recipe collection for more ideas. 

Close up of salmon with sauce
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With the holiday season practically on our doorsteps, I am so excited to bring you this festive recipe for baked salmon. My version uses a whole side of salmon but it could easily be adapted for salmon pieces.

What I love about this recipe is it requires very little effort on the part of the cook but delivers very impressive results. It is simple elegance with amazing flavour, sure to be a winner every time!

Serving tray with salmon and sauce

Why you’ll love it

This recipe brings the best out of the salmon, giving tender and flaky fish that is packed with moisture. The salmon, cooked with lemons and herbs, would be amazing on its own!

But we can make it even better with delicate and creamy rosé sauce. The sauce has a gentle, sophisticated flavour, that is perfect for salmon. Too much punch and the taste of the fish would be overwhelmed, but this sauce gets the balance just right!

That gives us a stunning dish that is perfect for guests, a romantic dinner for two or even as the showpiece for a holiday meal!

Close up of salmon with sauce

Best way to bake salmon

There are so many ways to bake salmon but the most foolproof option that ensures perfectly cooked, moist fish, is baking it in foil.

There is definitely nothing revolutionary about salmon baked in foil. However my recipe brings the flavour and texture up a notch by steaming it in rosé wine with aromatics like lemon, dill and bay leaves.

Why rose wine you might ask? The answer is simple. I love the delicate flavour of the rosé wine but I also love the idea of pink salmon being paired with pink wine.

Frying pan with sauce and wooden spoon

The reason I am suggesting baking salmon in foil is because it yields superior results even for less experienced cooks. Fish is surprisingly tricky to get right every time. It goes from undercooked to dry in a matter of minutes.

The foil keeps the moisture in, thus making it a more forgiving cooking method. This is especially true for cooking a whole side of salmon as it needs longer time in the oven.

Process shots showing how to package for baking

How long does it take? 

If you are baking a whole side of salmon weighing 2.5 lbs-3lbs at 350F/180C, it will take you anywhere between 25-35 minutes to cook it all the way through.

To ensure the salmon is cooked through, take it out of the oven after 25 minutes. Then test it with a knife in the thickest part of the fish. If the flesh flakes out easily and is opaque, the salmon is done.

Rosé Cream Sauce

Salmon and cream sauce are made for each other. However, that cream sauce needs some acidity added to balance out the richness.

Rosé wine to the rescue once again. You can use white wine but once again pink salmon served under delicate, pink-hued cream sauce is a sight to behold.

As I mentioned earlier, this baked salmon is a recipe made for your holiday table, so why not go all out in the way of impressing your guests!

Sauce covering piece of salmon

Recipe Tips and Notes

  • You can use salmon pieces instead of a whole salmon side. However you will need to shorten the baking time to 12-15 minutes depending on their size.
  • I’ve used flat leaf parsley and pink peppercorns to garnish the sauce but dill and black peppercorns will taste equally delicious.
  • Shallots in the rosé cream sauce could be substituted with finely chopped white onion.
  • Finally dry white wine such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc could be used instead of rosé wine.
  • You can use light cream, single cream or half and half instead of heavy/double cream. It will produce a less calorific yet slightly thinner sauce.
Top down of baked salmon in rose cream sauce
5 from 5 votes

Baked Salmon with Rosé Cream Sauce

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Treat your loved ones to this luxurious dinner of succulent salmon baked in foil served with rosé cream sauce. 
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Ingredients 

For the salmon

  • 2.2 lbs salmon
  • 1 lemon, sliced
  • 3 This is an affiliate link.bay leaves, fresh or dried
  • 3-4 sprigs fresh dill
  • 125ml/1/2cup rosé wine
  • 1 tsp salt and pepper, I used crushed pink peppercorns

For the rose sauce

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 shallots
  • 250/1 cup rosé wine
  • 250/1 cup heavy/double cream
  • salt, to taste
  • 2 tsp pepper, divided
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. On a large, rimmed baking sheet place a piece of foil large enough to create a pocket to encase the salmon. (see photos) Scatter half of the lemon slices and dill sprigs on the foil and place seasoned with salt and pepper salmon directly on them. Then cover the salmon with the remaining lemon slices, dill and bay leaves. 
  • Fold the sides of the foil up, so the foil can hold liquid and pour the rosé wine all around the salmon, then bring the sides of the foil together and seal while leaving a small opening in the middle. Put in the oven and bake for 25-35 minutes depending on the size of your fish. (Mine baked in 33 minutes.)
  • While the salmon is baking, melt the butter in a pan and saute chopped shallots over low heat for 5 minutes, then add the wine, turn the heat up and let it reduce by a half. Lower the heat and pour in the cream and 1 teaspoon of crushed peppercorns, salt to taste and simmer for 2-3 minutes until desired consistency. Add chopped parsley and take off the heat.
  • Your salmon is cooked when the thickest part of the fish flakes easily and is opaque all the way through. Remove the fish on a serving plate, pour the sauce over, then sprinkle with additional chopped parsley and crushed pink peppercorns. 

Nutrition

Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 580mg | Sodium: 460mg | Potassium: 421mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1050IU | Vitamin C: 31.8mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Julia from Vikalinka

About Me

Julia Frey is a London based recipe developer and photographer. Julia founded Vikalinka in 2012 with the main mission to provide her readers with delicious and accessible everyday recipes, which could be enjoyed by everyone.

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8 Comments

  1. Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder says:

    5 stars
    Such an elegant dish! I absolutely love the addition of rose wine during baking and also the sauce… It sounds absolutely amazing! I love salmon and your recipe here really takes this gorgeous fish to another level!

    1. vikalinka says:

      Thanks so much Jo! I really wanted to show that salmon is worthy of a main dish status on your holiday table!

  2. Jere Cassidy says:

    5 stars
    OMG these photos are incredible! I think I want this salmon tonight and every night, it looks and sounds so good. Might have to have salmon for Christmas this year!

    1. vikalinka says:

      Thank you, Jere! I am definitely having it for Boxing Day! ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Aimee says:

    5 stars
    I love your photographs! And that rose cream sounds to-die-for.

    1. vikalinka says:

      Thanks so much, Aimee! The rose cream sauce is truly fit for a special occasion. ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. Nickki says:

    5 stars
    Love the idea of baking salmon in Rose wine. In fact I love all the flavours youโ€™ve used here. I can imagine how delicious it was! It looks so festive and pretty. Pinning to try over the festive season!

    1. vikalinka says:

      Thanks so much, Nickki. I love the look of this salmon too much, not to mention the taste!