This festive citrus-y salmon just might be the most delicious salmon recipe I’ve created to date! It gets slow roasted in the oven in plenty of olive oil to ensure a perfectly cooked flaky salmon. While it bakes, you whip up an orange miso butter sauce on the stove that you’ll slather all over the salmon once it’s cooled down. Serve it with a bright and colorful orange and cranberry salsa to balance out the richness of the salmon.
Ingredient highlight
Salmon! the fish we all love because it’s flaky, fatty and a lot harder to overcook/mess up than other fish. It also happens to be packed with more nutrients than I have space to talk about here. It’s one of the most nutritious fish because of it’s super high omega-3 fat content (DHA and EPA). It’s also a great source of protein, potassium, selenium, and vitamin B12.
Servings 6
Prep Time 20 minutes 
Cook Time 30 minutes Ingredients
For the salmon:
- 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1.5-2 lbs salmon
- ½-1 tsp kosher salt, depending on size
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar
- Black pepper
- 4-6 sprigs thyme (optional)
For the orange butter sauce:
- Zest from 1 orange
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from about 2 oranges)
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 1 tsp fresh thyme (or about 2-4 sprigs)
- 2 tbsp mellow white miso paste
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 4 tbsp butter, chilled, cut into cubes
For the citrus salad:
- 2 oranges, outer skin/pith trimmed off, cut into rounds, then quarters (or any other bite-sized shape you want, about 1 cup)
- ½-1 cup thinly sliced scallions
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Make ahead: ~ the salmon should not be made ahead, but once it’s baked, it’s fine to let it sit out for 30-60 minutes before serving/saucing. The sauce can be made ahead, but I recommend making it fresh. See leftovers section for rewarming instructions. Citrus salad can be made ahead.
Instructions
For the salmon:
- Preheat the oven to 275F (low and slow!) .
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil into a large baking dish and spread around to coat. Place the salmon on top and sprinkle with enough salt to lightly coat the salmon flesh, followed by the sugar. Use your fingers to press it into the salmon so that it sticks. Pour the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over the salmon and rub it around to coat (most of this oil will be left behind, it just helps the salmon stay juicy/insulated while baking). Nestle the thyme under and around the salmon, if using.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked through and easily flakes with a fork (bake time depends on salmon thickness – the salmon I used was relatively thin).
- Let the salmon cool down for at least 15 minutes before adding the sauce on top.
For the salad:
- In a medium bowl, add the oranges, scallions, cranberries, lemon, and salt and toss to coat.
For the sauce:
- In a medium pot, add the orange zest, juice, vinegar, garlic, and thyme. Simmer over low heat for about 12-15 minutes or until it’s reduced about ¾.
- Over low heat, whisk in the miso paste and dijon until mostly combined, then slowly whisk in the butter, adding 3 little cubes at a time, until smooth and emulsified.
- To serve the salmon you can keep it whole and place it on a large platter or break it up into chunks (leaving the skin behind) and arrange it on a large platter (my preferred presentation). Serve the salsa on the side or around the salmon on the serving platter.
- Drizzle the sauce evenly over the salmon. If the sauce has solidified, gently warm it over very low heat while whisking constantly until it loosens up.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Make the citrus salad
- Make the orange butter sauce – yes this can be made ahead if you absolutely have to, you just have to be very careful when you reheat it so that the butter doesn’t break (see leftovers section).
- Season the salmon.
Substitutions:
- To make dairy-free, you can try subbing with a vegan butter alternative.
- Use rosemary in place of thyme or skip it all together.
- You could skip the salad and just serve the salmon with slices of orange and lemon and scattered herbs.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- To warm the sauce from the fridge, transfer it to a small pot over very low heat and slowly warm it up while you whisk it constantly until it returns to the more runny consistency (don’t overheat it!). You could also reheat it in the microwave on low power in 10 second intervals, stirring after each time – this method is more risky.
- Make sure the salmon is just warm, room temp, or cold when you put the sauce on top. If it’s hot, the sauce will break (the butter will separate).
- To reheat the salmon that has already been sauced, microwave it on low power until just warm (the sauce might break, but that’s ok!). You could also scrap the sauce off and let the sauce come to room temp or slowly reheat it separately from the salmon.
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