This easy dinner potato salmon bake is one of my favorite ways to make a meal in one dish. With lemon, dill and tangy feta, three kinds of potatoes and salmon, it's perfection.
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Salmon and potatoes
This salmon and potato bake is my idea of a good one dish meal. It's a bit like a casserole because everything is baked in one dish in the oven.
Listen, I'm not pushing casseroles here. There are plenty of awesome one dish, one skillet, one pan meals out there that aren't casseroles, per se. I count this as one of those. I call it a bake. You could also call it a gratin (since it's baked in a lovely gratin dish).
If you like the buttery flavor of salmon this pink salmon recipe is for you. I included all the delicious flavors you need for the salmon: feta, lemon and dill, as well as the side dish! Potatoes!
I use three different types of potatoes and they bake right along with the salmon. Everything is ready in about an hour.
Does this baked dinner have a soup base?
This oven baked salmon isn't a soupy casserole. Can we call this a casserole if it doesn't have a soup base? You can if you want!
In this bake, there's no soupy base holding everything together, no layer of gooey cheese or sauce to create that classic casserole situation. Just delicious, simple ingredients baked together and ready to enjoy.
You'll see in the recipe it's simply fresh pink salmon, a mix of potatoes, some sharp and zesty feta cheese and dill that make this dish shine. This is truly the best salmon dish in the oven.
How long to bake salmon in the oven
Consider how you are cooking fish to know how long to bake salmon until it is done. Salmon only takes a few minutes to cook so I stagger it in the oven with my potatoes.
On a sheet pan, in a 375ºF oven, it might take salmon about 15 minutes to cook. Perfectly done, medium-rare salmon, is cooked to an internal temperature of about 120ºF. The USDA recommends cooking it to an internal temperature of 145ºF. Many people will think this is overdone for salmon.
To tell when salmon is cooked, I suggest peaking into the thickest part of the salmon with the tip of a knife, so you can see inside of it. If the inside still looks completely translucent, let it cook longer. Wait until the inside looks slightly translucent and pink, or almost opaque, which means it's finished. This will be just under 145ºF and perfectly food safe after the carryover cooking of a few minutes.
The best way to cook salmon with other ingredients in the oven, is to stagger the cooking times. This recipe includes potatoes and broth, cooked covered, for a few minutes before the salmon is added.
Then bake the salmon only 12 to 15 minutes on top of the potatoes, so it is not overcooked.
Let's talk potatoes in this salmon recipe
I used a mix of potatoes in this recipe. Using an assortment was on purpose! I did it for several reasons.
First, all potatoes have different flavors and they also have different textures when baked.
The sweet potatoes are a no-brainer. Plus the zesty and tangy feta cheese compliments them so well.
Creamy, sweet and packed with vitamins, sweet potatoes are a go-to ingredient for me. Sweet potatoes and salmon are delicious, but I didn't want too many in this bake, since they may be overpowering.
The Yukon Gold and baby red potatoes keep their shape when baked and add both a waxy soft and rich potato-y flavor. The mix is truly key to this fun recipe.
Easy Dinner Potato Salmon Bake gets your weeknight meal on the table with little effort. It's so good you'll see it disappears with just as little effort!
Is oven baked salmon and potatoes healthy?
I wanted the dish to be healthy and not heavy, yet satisfying and flavorful. Sharp feta cheese helps give a balance and creaminess to the dish without the fat of a heavy cream base. Fresh dill packs a flavor punch without added calories, and helps the salmon shine and gives that boost of live green loveliness. A few crunchy breadcrumbs are perfect on each bite.
What do I bake potatoes and salmon in?
Salmon and potatoes bake perfectly in a dish rather than on a sheet tray.
I baked this delightful meal in a traditional casserole, or gratin dish. They are made of metal, ceramic or heatproof glass, and are all different sizes. This recipe uses a 2-quart dish. Here are a few of my favorites along with the Staub cast-iron version in the pictures.
This Anolon Vesta 2-quart dish is gorgeous and bakes everything perfectly.
Of course I love this Le Creuset turquoise au gratin dish. It's so functional, yet so pretty I don't want to take it off my shelf.
Is this salmon dinner gluten free?
This meal can be gluten-free with one quick swap. Just swap the panko bread crumbs on top for GF breadcrumbs.
You can even buy GF panko bread crumbs that I love. Everything else in the recipe is gluten free!
My other one dish meals:
- Healthy Veggie Loaded Carnitas Tacos in the slow cooker
- Skillet Southwest Frittata with Black Beans
- One pan Classic Creole Jambalaya
Oven Baked Salmon & Potatoes With Dill and Feta
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more for dish
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 3 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh dill
- 2 lbs assorted potatoes, sweet potatoes, small Yukon Golds and small red potatoes, sliced ⅔ inch thick
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1¼ cups (6 oz) crumbled feta
- ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1¼ lbs skinless salmon filet
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Stir together 1 tbsp melted butter, panko, zest from lemon and dill; set aside.
- Butter the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish. over the bottom of the pan with half the potatoes. Season with some of the salt and pepper; sprinkle with half the feta. Repeat, topping with remaining potatoes, feta and some salt and pepper. Combine 1 tbsp butter and the broth; pour over potatoes. Cover and bake until potatoes are just softened, about 45 min.
- Meanwhile, cut salmon into 2- to 3-inch pieces and toss with lemon juice; sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt.
- Remove potatoes from oven. Increase oven temperature to 425ºF. Place salmon over potatoes and sprinkle with bread crumb mixture. Bake, uncovered, until salmon is cooked through and bread crumbs are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Garnish with dill sprigs.
Notes
Nutrition
Are one dish meals like this potato salmon bake your thing? Me too! Try some of my other favorites:
The Best Classic Pot Roast with Vegetables is an evergreen hit. It is a great dinner all year long, make it in one pan, or the slow cooker!
Slow Cooker Arroz Con Pollo makes my heart sing. It's a one dish wonder for sure.
Recipe by Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in the food publishing business for over 20 years, creating recipes and food styling for magazines, books, television and advertising. Find out more about me!
Recipe by Tara Teaspoon. Photographs by Jason Donnelly. Originally published 01/09 in LHJ.
Mary Bench says
What a lovely, easy dinner!
Billy says
I love that you added dill to this. Looks like a great dinner! Cannot wait to try this.
Tara says
Oh the dill does add such a nice pop! Enjoy
Megan Palmer says
I love an easy salmon dish! I have added this to my meal plan this week!
Natalie L says
Salmon is my favorite fish, so I'm excited to add this to my list of Sunday night dinners!
Brit says
Salmon and potatoes... two of my favorites in one dish! I'm sold!