Broiled salmon is one of the quickest and tastiest recipe you can make for dinner. The superb seasoning combination of basil, lime and chili pepper make a sweet, savory and citrusy taste that is a perfect balance for the rich salmon.

2 Broiled salmon fillets served on a dark plate with lemon slices and halved small tomatoes as garnish. Side view — Close Up of Two Broiled Salmon Fillets With Garnishes

Jump to:

💭 Why This Recipe Works
🥘 Ingredients You Will Need
🔪 How to Prepare This Recipe
💭 Cooks Tips
🌡️ Storage
📖 Variations
🧾 More Easy Fish Recipes
🍽 Serving Suggestions
📋 Recipe

💭 Why This Recipe Works

So Easy. Only 5 ingredients and few simple steps to exquisitely broiled salmon.
Super Fast. The broiled salmon is ready in under 15 minutes.
Healthy. Salmon is an excellent source of protein. Broiled salmon is rich in Omega 3s, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Easily Scalable. The serving size of this broiled salmon recipe can be easily decreased to 1 or increased to multiple servings.
Tasty. Broiled salmon has a rich taste and buttery texture with a beautifully browned top.
Seasonings. Basil adds hints of pepper, mint and anise. The lime zest add citrus notes. And, the red chili flakes add the spice that pulls all of these together and softens the richness of the broiled salmon.

2 Broiled salmon fillets served on a dark plate with lemon slices and halved small tomatoes as garnish. Side angle view. — Broiled Salmon Fillets Served With Basil Garnish and Sliced Lemon and Lime

🥘 Ingredients You Will Need

4 salmon fillets cut crosswise through the mid-section of the salmon.
Sliced fresh basil leaves. You will need about 6, 2 to 3-inch long, basil leaves. To slice the basil for the broiled salmon, stack the leaves together. Roll up the leaves into a tight little roll about pencil thick. Using a sharp knife, slice across the roll in thin strips. Gently toss the leaves with your fingers to separate them.
Lime zest. One lime will yield the 2 teaspoons needed. A zester or grater works ideally for zesting the lime. Avoid cutting down to the white pithy part of the lime.
Red chili flakes.

🔪 How to Prepare This Recipe

Select Your Salmon. Most types of salmon will work in this broiled salmon recipe. You can select your favorite species or ask your fishmonger.
Remove any pin bones from the salmon. You can do this by lightly running your fingers against the grain of the salmon to check for tiny bones. Then either pull them out with your fingers or a tweezers.
Pat the salmon dry with paper towels. This helps the butter and seasonings adhere to the salmon and aids in browning. Place the salmon fillets on a foil lined baking sheet. Season salmon with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Stir in the red pepper flakes until fragrant. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the basil and lime zest. Pour the buttery mixture over the salmon.
Broil for 5 minutes until the broiled salmon is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

Broiled salmon fillets with golden brown crust and herb seasonings. Served with leafy greens and halved small tomatoes. — Broiled Salmon Fillets Served With Greens and Tomatoes

💭 Cooks Tips

Make sure your salmon fillets are evenly sized. When they are evenly thick, they will get done at the same time. Avoid cuts from nearer the tail as these are thinner.
Select skin on salmon. The skin helps keep the salmon from falling apart. After removing from the oven, the skin of broiled salmon separates easily from the flesh.
When broiling salmon, you need to watch the broiling time closely so your salmon doesn't burn or get over cooked.
Always zest the lime before juicing. After zesting, you can squeeze the lime juice. You will get about 2 tablespoons of lime juice from your lime. Lime juice can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Know your salt. We prefer kosher salt. The coarse grains of kosher salt compared to fine table salt are suited for seasoning foods to taste. It is easier to sprinkle with your fingers and dissolves more quickly. But even kosher salt brands vary, so test them first.

🌡️ Storage

Uncooked salmon can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or frozen up to 8 months.
Leftover broiled salmon can be refrigerated up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

To thaw frozen salmon, place them in the refrigerator overnight. Alternatively, you can put the fillets in a resealable plastic bag (such as Ziploc) and place them in a bowl of ice cold water in the sink. Drizzle cold water from the tap over the salmon until thawed.

📖 Variations

Thyme Mustard Glaze: Omit the red pepper flakes. Replace the basil leaves with chopped thyme leaves. Replace the lime zest with lemon zest. Add 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard. Add these substitute ingredients to the melted butter. Continue with step 3 of the broiled salmon recipe.

Sweet Chili Glaze: Omit the red pepper flakes. Stir in 1 tablespoon light brown sugar to the melted butter and heat until sugar is melted. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 teaspoons chili powder, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon smoke paprika, a pinch of cayenne pepper and the lime zest. Continue with step 3.

Honey Garlic Glaze: Omit the red pepper flakes. Stir in 3 cloves minced garlic, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and the lime juice. Omit the lime zest or use as garnish. Continue with step 3.

Broiled salmon with basil, citrus, and red pepper flakes top down view. — Broiled Salmon With Basil, Citrus and Red Chili Flakes

🧾 More Easy Fish Recipes

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Sautéed Broccoli with Garlic (5 Ingredients)
Easy Sautéed Green Beans with Brown Butter and Almonds
Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus
Instant Pot Risotto - Perfect Every Time

📋 Recipe

Exquisite Broiled Salmon Recipe

Broiled salmon is seasoned with basil, lime zest and red chili flakes for delightful balance of sweet, savory and citrus. This salmon dinner is so fast and easy to make, you'll be making this stellar recipe again and again.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Course Main

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 303 kcal

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons thinly sliced basil
2 teaspoons lime zest
½ teaspoon red chili flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
20 ounces skin-on salmon fillets cut across the thickest part of the salmon

Instructions

Position an oven rack 6 inches below the top of the oven. Preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set aside.
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the butter and cook, swirling the pan, until butter is melted. Add red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Remove from the heat. Stir in lime zest and basil. Set aside.
Season salmon with salt and pepper. Arrange salmon skin-side down on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle butter mixture evenly over the top of each salmon fillet.
Broil salmon for 5 minutes or until the salmon turns opaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Serve.

Cooks Tips

🌡️ Storage:

Uncooked salmon can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or frozen up to 8 months.
Leftover broiled salmon can be refrigerated up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
To thaw frozen salmon, place them in the refrigerator overnight. Alternatively, you can put the fillets in a resealable plastic bag (such as Ziploc) and place them in a bowl of ice cold water in the sink. Drizzle cold water from the tap over the salmon until thawed.

🍽 Serving Suggestions:

Sautéed Broccoli with Garlic (5 Ingredients)
Easy Sautéed Green Beans with Brown Butter and Almonds
Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus
Instant Pot Risotto - Perfect Every Time

Nutrition

Calories: 303kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 28gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 68mgPotassium: 707mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 534IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg

Collections Easy, Healthy

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was @MavenCookery or tag #mavencookery!