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Parmesan Crusted Salmon

September 17, 2024

Parmesan-panko crusted salmon feels fancy enough for fine dining, but is easy enough for weeknight dinner at home. Ready in under a half hour, it’s one of our favorite ways to prepare salmon.

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homemade parmesan crusted salmon on parchment paper flaked with a fork and served with lemon wedges
Photography by Gayle McLeod

Put your Parmesan to good use in these recipes.

Homemade Parmesan Crusted Salmon With Fine Dining Vibes

Beautiful Baked Salmon is delicious, but when we’re looking for an easy way to add glamour to plain baked salmon, we turn to this parmesan-panko crust. Serve parmesan salmon with simple Roasted Asparagus and potatoes–Hasselback Potatoes with Garlic and Herb Butter are gorgeous if you’re serving guests.

homemade parmesan crusted salmon on parchment paper being flaked with a fork, served with lemon wedges

What is Panko?

All breadcrumbs are not all alike. Panko breadcrumbs are light and airy, and give a nice flaky crunch wherever they’re used. This is because the bread that is used for panko is prepared in a way that yields flakes instead of crumbs, giving them their distinct craggy appearance. Panko is often made from just the interior of the bread (no crusts!) so it is plain white. And while breadcrumbs can be made from any kind of bread, panko is made from a specific white bread (similar to white sandwich bread). Panko is perfect for topping casseroles like our Asparagus Gratin with Gruyère and Panko, breading for Fried Cheese, or adding texture to Stuffed Mushrooms.

1 pound salmon filet, garlic powder, salt, pepper, butter, breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley and lemon wedges in prep bowls

Ingredients You’ll Need To Make This Easy Parmesan Crusted Salmon

  • Panko breadcrumbs

  • Seasoning – garlic powder, dried or fresh parsley, sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper

  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese

  • Unsalted butter

  • Salmon fillet

salmon brushed with melted butter, coated with panko, garlic powder, parsley, salt, pepper & parmesan on a baking sheet

How to Make Baked Parmesan Crusted Salmon

  1. Warm the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center position. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.

  2. Make the breading. In a small mixing bowl, combine the panko, garlic powder, parsley, salt, pepper, and parmesan. Add butter and mix until fully combined using a fork or your hands.

  3. Prepare the salmon. Place the salmon, skin side down, on the baking sheet. Pat dry with a paper towel. Brush the salmon with butter and sprinkle with the parmesan mixture, gently pressing it into the salmon. Sprinkle with more parmesan.

  4. Bake the salmon. You want the panko to get golden brown and the salmon to easily flake with a fork. This depends on the size of the salmon filet, but usually takes about 12 to 15 minutes.

  5. Serve the salmon. Divide the salmon among 4 plates. Serve with the lemon wedges on the side.

homemade parmesan crusted salmon on parchment paper

How to Store Leftover Salmon + Tips

  • Leftover salmon is best within 3-4 days. Leftover parmesan crusted salmon can be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up to three months. We prefer to reheat salmon in an oven so it stays nice and crunchy.

  • Buying salmon–We have some basic guidelines we like to keep in mind when we’re shopping for salmon: Know when salmon is in season! You’ll find great salmon year round, because most salmon is flash frozen when it’s caught, but it’s worth knowing that May-October is salmon season in the U.S. Know your salmon varieties! Most any variety of wild salmon that looks bright coral red and marbled with at least a little fat will be truly delicious. Wild salmon is usually better than farmed—better tasting, much better for you, and better for the environment. You can always consult the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch site, or you can download their app for real-time recs at the grocery store!

  • The butter helps the panko stick to the salmon. We don’t use eggs or milk to dredge the salmon, so patting the fillets dry and brushing them with melted butter (or olive oil) will give the panko something to adhere to.

homemade parmesan crusted salmon on parchment paper flaked with a fork and served with lemon wedges

Salmon – A Modern Proper Favorite

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Parmesan Crusted Salmon

  • Serves:  4
  • Prep Time:  5 min
  • Cook Time:  15 min
  • Calories:  379

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried or fresh parsley
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (or extra virgin olive oil)
  • 1 (1-pound) salmon fillet
  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center position. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.

  2. In a small mixing bowl, combine the panko, garlic powder, parsley, salt, pepper, and ¼ cup of the parmesan. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and mix until fully combined using a fork or your hands.

  3. Place the salmon, skin side down, on the prepared sheet. Pat dry with a paper towel. Brush the salmon with the remaining 1 tablespoon of the butter and sprinkle with the parmesan mixture, gently pressing to adhere to the salmon. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan.

  4. Bake until the panko is golden brown and the salmon easily flakes with a fork, 12 to 15 minutes.

  5. Divide the salmon among 4 plates. Serve with the lemon wedges on the side.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories 379
  • Protein 30 g
  • Carbohydrates 4 g
  • Total Fat 27 g
  • Dietary Fiber 0 g
  • Cholesterol 133 mg
  • sodium 530 mg
  • Total Sugars 1 g

Parmesan Crusted Salmon

Questions & Reviews

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  • Elizabeth

    Outstanding Recipe. Better than any high end restaurant. My husband is on a sodium restricted diet so I omitted salt, increased garlic to one tablespoon, & added one tsp of a tomato, basil, oregano blend. My filets had the skin removed so I coated both sides with olive oil and the cheese, bread crumb, & spice blend.

    Thanks Elizabeth, we are so glad you loved it!

  • Elizabeth

    Absolutely, delicious. My husband is on a low sodium diet so I substituted dry mustard for salt. Fantastic.

    Thanks so much Elizabeth, we are so glad you loved it!

  • yvette

    The salmon was soooooo good!!! I've made this recipe twice now and my whole family loves it so much!
    The salmon had so much flavor...moist and delectable.
    It was easy to make which makes it doubly good in my book!

    Every recipe I've tried so far from this site has been a winner!
    Thank you so much!

    Thanks Yvette, we are so glad your family loved it. We are so happy to hear that you are enjoying our recipes!

  • Holly

    Modern Proper recipes never disappoint, so when I am looking for a meal idea, I am always confident that anything I find here will be fabulous. This salmon recipe was fantastic. My in laws were visiting and they mentioned that they normally prefer their salmon just plain. I was very happy to hear them say how much they thoroughly enjoyed this recipe. Even my two kids (6 & 10 y/o), who normally don't eat much salmon when we have it, loved this meal. I would certainly make it again. Thank you ladies for continuing to create such delicious recipes.

    Thanks Holly, that is so nice! We are so happy your family loved this one!

  • Robbert-Jan

    I want to thank you so much for this recipe. Made it yesterday for my wife and me, and it was so d*mn delicious! Really the best salmon I've ever eaten. And trust me, I had a lot of salmon at various top notch restaurants.
    Thanks a lot for all your great and inspiring recipes!

    Thank you Robbert, we are so happy you loved it so much!