This delicious baked salmon is smothered in a fresh, creamy dill sauce. It’s a decadent and yet super easy Keto recipe that's full of flavor!
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❤️ Why You'll Love this Baked Salmon Recipe
- Tender fillets of salmon baked until flakey
- Topped with an easy creamy dill sauce with wonderfully briny capers
- Made with just a handful of simple healthy ingredients
- Perfect for busy weeknights and elegant enough to serve guests
- Made in under 25 minutes
The rich, buttery texture of this baked salmon makes for perfect leftovers to serve on a simple salad the next day or use to make Keto Salmon Cakes. If you’ve ever been hesitant about the best way to make salmon, I think this recipe will solve that!
You might wonder, what does salmon taste like? Or what can I put on salmon to make it taste better? Salmon is subtle and very mild, so it can take on most any savory sauce, like Cajun Alfredo, Bang Bang Sauce or this Creamy Dill Sauce.
Capers along with fresh lemon zest and juice gives it a tangy, refreshing, briny/salty bite! This sauce is packed with flavor and would also be great with any fish you like. This baked salmon is perfect for a Keto weeknight dinner made in under 30 minutes.
There's no need to be intimidated by this delicious recipe, even if you've never cooked salmon before, this recipe will come out great with just a few easy steps.
🛒 What's in Baked Salmon with Dill Sauce
- Salmon
- Dill
- Olive oil
- Sour cream
- Mayonnaise
- Dijon mustard
- Capers
- Lemon
- Salt and Pepper
*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
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🔪 How to Make Keto Baked Salmon
To Make the Creamy Dill Sauce for Salmon
Add the fresh dill, sour cream, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, capers, lemon, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Whisk to combined, then allow to sit at room temperature while you make the salmon.
How to Cook Salmon in the Oven
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Next, line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and put a wire rack on top of it. Then place the salmon on top of the rack. This will make your clean up so simple!
Brush each piece with olive oil.
Once you've prepped the salmon with oil, it's time to season it. A simple blend of salt, pepper, and dill will give it such great flavor! Bake it for 10 minutes.
Increase the temperature to 450°F and bake for another 5-8 minutes
You'll know it's been long enough when the salmon is flaky when you test it with a fork.
Now all that's left is to enjoy it! You can serve your flaky salmon fillets with creamy dill sauce and capers. Store any leftover sauce in the fridge in an airtight jar for 5-7 days.
If you own an air fryer, you will love this Air Fryer Salmon! And if you like Tilapia like I do, try this Easy Keto Baked Tilapia! It only takes 25 minutes to make, which makes it perfect for a weeknight dinner!
Is Salmon Keto?
It's perfect for Keto! Honestly, salmon is perfect for any diet because not only is it an excellent source for omega-3 fatty acids, it's also an excellent source for protein and potassium.
Are Capers Keto?
Yes, they absolutely are! Not only are they low in carbs with just 0.4g of carbs in each tablespoon, but they're very good for you!
Capers are the green edible flower buds harvested from the caper bush (Flinders rose). Check out this very informative article on capers health benefits to read more about these delicious salty and briny little jewels!
If you love capers, be sure to also try my Salmon Piccata with Spinach, Mediterranean Mahi Mahi and Chicken Piccata recipes!
How Do you Make Salmon Not Dry and Juicy?
There are two things that will help prevent a dry piece of salmon: the first is making sure you do not overcook it. Using an instant read thermometer can help with that. You want the internal temperature to be around 145°F, any higher and it could start to dry out.
The other factor is making sure you brush the tops with oil, in this recipe I use olive oil. This helps to keep the outside moist and even create a bit of a crust, which seals in the juices of the salmon.
When you Bake Salmon, Do you Cover it?
In some cases, yes you sure can. However in this recipe and my other salmon recipes, I choose not to cover the salmon. Covering the salmon causes it to steam, rather than roast and get those nice crispy edges that helps seal in the juices.
Tips For Making The Best Salmon Recipes
Salmon is one of the easiest and healthiest fish you can cook. There are a few ways to ensure yours turns out perfect every time. And it starts at the store or fish market!
- Wild caught or farm raised, which is best? Wild caught basically means the fish are raised naturally in the ocean or freshwater, and feeds off things in nature. If you have access to buy wild-caught, it's preferred over farm-raised. Farm raised salmon have come a long way over the past several years and is perfectly safe to eat, but it does have a less rich flavor as wild caught because it is raised in closed areas and fed pellets made from fish meal and grains.
- If you love salmon because of it's healthy benefits, you might be interested to know there are different types of salmon. While, both pink and sockeye are healthy and delicious, sockeye edges out as the winner on nutrition. It contains about 25% more omega-3 than pink salmon.
- Regardless of which type you purchase, fresh salmon, in the grocery store, should be moist and the edges shouldn't be dried or curling up. Look for those little signs to make sure you get the freshest.
- Unless the recipe specifically says otherwise, leave the skin on. Salmon cooks quickly and the skin acts as a fatty barrier to help keep the fish moist.
- When you're ready to cook the salmon, don't season it too soon. This will draw out the moisture and leave you with dried out fish.
- Don't overcook it, it will be rubbery and dry. Salmon cooks really fast so keep a watch on it. It's done when it is just become flakey. The USDA does recommend an internal temp of at least 145°F to be considered safe to eat.
More Keto Salmon Recipes
- Asian Glazed Salmon
- Easy Skillet Salmon Piccata
- Cajun Salmon Alfredo
- Bang Bang Salmon Cakes
- Salmon with Avocado Salsa
- Smoked Salmon Cucumber Bites
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Baked Keto Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce
RECIPE VIDEO
Ingredients
- 6 pieces fresh salmon (about 2″ wide/4 ounces each)
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- Olive oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
For the Sauce
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon capers, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- Juice and zest of ½ lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
To Make the Sauce
To Make the Salmon
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Place the salmon on a wire rack, placed on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil (for easier cleanup). Brush each piece with olive oil. Sprinkle salt, pepper and dill over the tops.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Increase the temperature to 450F and bake for another 5-8 minutes.
- Serve with a healthy dollop of the sauce over the top of the salmon, and garnish with some dill and capers. Store any leftover sauce in the fridge in an airtight jar for 5-7 days.
Recipe Notes
*Make sure to scroll up and read the post for substitutions, additions and helpful tips for making this recipe.
*Nutritional data is provided as a courtesy and is accurate to the best of my knowledge. You can verify it using the nutrition calculator of your choice. All data is based on net carbs, without sugar alcohol: Swerve, Erythritol, Monk Fruit or Allulose.
© Copyright for Keto Cooking Christian LLC. Please use the share buttons to share on social media, but please do not copy/paste the recipe.
Rate this Recipe*Originally published on October 28, 2018, updated on July 2, 2021 with new photos and helpful tips.
Beth
This was super easy and delicious. The fresh dill sauce with the capers makes this one of my new favorite recipes!! Thank you for posting!
Keto Cooking Christian
I'm so glad you loved it! That dill and caper combo is one of my favorites too. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
Cynthia
Is there a nondairy version?
Keto Cooking Christian
For the sauce, you could use non dairy sour cream.
Janet Maguire
Made this two nights ago and my husband and both loved it! Will definitely make this again,
Keto Cooking Christian
That's so awesome to hear. I am thrilled you both enjoyed it.
S Terry
I’m going to make this for dinner tonight, but have questions. You cooked the salmon in the oven, but I’m going to cook it on the grill. Which means I won’t be using the wire rack. I hope it won’t change the taste or texture of it. Also your recipe is for 6 salmons. I’m only cooking 2, so do I use 1/2 the recipe, or if not, what measurements do I use? Thank you.
Keto Cooking Christian
I have not tried this recipe grilled but I am sure it will be good. The sauce is enough for the 6 pieces of salmon in the recipe. If you do not need that much you can half it.
Michelle Cahill
This is delicious!!!!
Keto Cooking Christian
I'm so glad you loved it!
Marie McLaughlin
I have made this several times and it has become a family favorite. So easy and so delicious!
Keto Cooking Christian
That's so great to hear and I'm glad you found it so easy to put together!
Debbie Arthur
just made this for dinner and it was absolutely delicious. your hints were spot on and I will be making this again. thanks so much.
Keto Cooking Christian
So glad you enjoyed it and found the hints helpful.
Kathy Sherd
I made this last night for dinner……Wow!! I’m on a low salt diet and it can be hard to get the flavors just right. This salmon with dill sauce hit all the marks! Served with roasted vegetables it was really delicious!! Thank you!
Keto Cooking Christian
That's so great to hear! The dill definitely gives it enough flavor without having to go heavy on other seasonings. I am so glad you enjoyed it.
Kim
Delicious salmon & dill sauce! I usually make salmon with lemon & garlic, but I have to hold off on garlic and a lot of my favorites on the low FODMAP diet. This hit the spot -- even my husband, who is usually "meh" about salmon, really enjoyed it. It's a keeper. Thanks for sharing!
Keto Cooking Christian
That's so great to hear! I love the dill sauce too. It's really good on shrimp as well.
Chelsie
Is one piece of salmon equal to one serving?
Keto Cooking Christian
A 4 ounce filet is considered one serving.
Lori
This one is a home run. That sauce is out of this world good. I used the leftover sauce on my broccoli. It was delicious!
Keto Cooking Christian
Love that idea, thanks for sharing and I'm glad you liked the recipe!
Karla Patterson
Oh my word!!!!!! This sauce is to die for. I'm serious! I had to cut back on the bake time for the salmon as my fillets were not as thick. Thank you for sharing.
Keto Cooking Christian
You're welcome and happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
Dayna
Could you use frozen salmon? Or best to thaw first? I haven’t cooked much with fish!
Keto Cooking Christian
Definitely thaw first, if you decide to use frozen salmon.
Barbara
Delicious!!!
Keto Cooking Christian
Happy to hear you liked it!