Our weeknight salmon routine had recently become a little boring- salmon with herbs, salmon with lemon, salmon with salt and pepper (repeat, repeat, repeat). I was ready for a salmon switch up, so decided to spice things up the other night with an exotic tandoori marinade. Tandoori Baked Salmon is anything but predictable! I’ve always loved tandoori chicken, a traditional Indian dish involving a spiced yogurt marinade. The same flavors pair perfectly with salmon! Plus, salmon cooks a lot more quickly than chicken so this is great for a speedy weeknight meal. I’m a big fan of salmon with lentils, a classic French bistro offering, so decided to put an Indian spin on the pairing by serving the fish with a curried lentil salad. A few dollops of raita (see my herby raita recipe here) and some whole grain naan on the side made for a delicious supper, great for both weeknights and weekend dinner parties. This salmon is so flavorful that a simple squeeze of lemon and side of basmati rice and/or sautéed greens would be equally satisfying! The fish can be served warm or room temperature, so it’s a great entertaining option. It bakes quickly in a hot oven followed by a brief broil- the yogurt coating keeps the fish super moist, so it’s practically foolproof, but thicker filets may require a little more time. I like my salmon to flake easily but remain a tad rare in the center (medium/medium rare), so add a minute or two if you are more of a “well done” fan. If you’re not fond of salmon, you could certainly use this marinade on some chicken. I would let the chicken pieces sit in the tandoori sauce at least 8 hours before throwing them on a grill or roasting them on a sheet pan. Say sayonara to so-so salmon with this spiced up recipe!
prep time: 10 min. cook time: ~12 min. serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
2 lb skinless salmon filet, pin bones removed
1 cup plain Greek yogurt, preferably whole fat or 2 %
2 garlic cloves, grated
1-1” piece of ginger, grated
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
FOR SERVING
lemon wedges,cilantro leaves, and/or raita
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400°. Prepare the tandoori marinade by combining all of the ingredients (besides the salmon) in a a medium bowl. Stir to evenly combine. Line a sheet pan with a piece of parchment. Smear 1/3 of the sauce on the parchment paper where the salmon will rest. Place the salmon filet on top of the sauce. Spoon the remaining marinade on top of the salmon and spread to coat the top. Sprinkle with a little extra salt and pepper. Let the fish sit at room temperature 15 minutes before placing it in the oven on an upper rack to bake 10 minutes (if you have a really thick piece of fish, add 1 to 2 minutes). Change the oven function to broil and let the fish cook another 2-3 minutes, until the sauce is starting to lightly brown in spots. Remove the salmon from the oven and let rest at least 5 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature with cilantro scattered on top and lemon wedges alongside.
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