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You don’t even need 30 minutes to get this elegant, yet still family-friendly recipe for pistachio crusted salmon on the table! Tender, middle-cut fillets of salmon are topped with an easy pistachio, mustard, and garlic crust before being baked until the nuts are crunchy and the salmon is perfectly moist and flaky. All you need is to throw together a simple salad on the side — or you can go the extra mile by adding a couple of more involved side dishes!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why I Love This Crusted Salmon Recipe
- This is a crusted salmon recipe that works for pretty much any crusted-salmon occasion. Taking less than 30 minutes and with just a handful of ingredients it’s totally weeknight do-able, but because we’re using luxurious pistachios instead of something a little less fancy like almonds or walnuts it’s also special enough for guests, paired with the right side dishes (I’ve included some suggestions below!)
- Dijon mustard not only adds flavor to the pretty green pistachio crust, but along with the olive oil helps it stick together so you won’t get the crust crumbling off the salmon fillets while it cooks in the oven.
- Because we’re using middle-cut, skin on salmon fillets, what this recipe won’t give you is dry, unevenly cooked salmon that falls apart when you try and lift if of the baking sheet. Choosing salmon fillets from the middle of the salmon that are the same thickness with width helps them cook evenly, and keeping the skin on keeps them tender, moist, and most importantly in one piece during cooking!
What I Learned Testing This Recipe
- I usually don’t bother with a thermometer when I’m cooking individual salmon fillets for my family as you can usually tell if they’re done with the tip of a knife, and as we’re using a middle cut they should all cook evenly at the same time. But, if you want to be sure you want to cook the salmon to 120°F – 125°F for medium salmon, or 125°F – 135°F for well done salmon that is light pink the whole way through. I know Google might tell you that the internal temp for cooked salmon is 145°F, but it will keep on cooking when you’re resting it!
- If you want to turn this recipe into a proper showstopper for entertaining, it also works as a whole salmon fillet which you can serve at the table. But, ultimately, I opted to use salmon fillet portions so this recipe would work just as well on a weeknight, as otherwise it is super simple!
- I like that this recipe is sneakily gluten-free and dairy-free, but make sure you check the label of the Dijon mustard to make sure there are not any added ingredients that contain either if this matters to you! Proper Dijon mustard should be gluten and dairy free.
Ingredient Notes
Crushed pistachios – If you can’t find crushed pistachios grind your own using a mortar and pestle for preference rather than a blender or a food processor. Something high speed will draw the oils out of the pistachios faster running the risk you’ll be left with a pistachio paste rather than crushed pistachios. If you don’t have one, finely chop whole pistachios instead. As pistachios can be quite pricy, you can mix up to 50% almonds to make the crust, but any more you’d lose out on the unique pistachio flavor that makes this recipe so good!
Garlic – Using fresh garlic rather than dried in this recipe really improves the flavor so don’t skip it! If you need to, pre-minced would work in a pinch, but fresh will always give a better taste!
Salmon fillets – Choose centre cut salmon fillets for even cooking, with the skin on. Even if you want to remove the skin once the salmon is cooked, cooking it with the skin on helps keep things moist and keeps the salmon together and stops it falling apart on the tray. Trout would be a good swap, if it is easier or more sustainable for you to source.
Olive oil – Or any other neutral-tasting oil.
Dijon mustard – You want to use Dijon mustard here not yellow mustard which has a much stronger flavor that will overwhelm the pistachios.
Lemon wedges – A spritz of fresh lemon just before serving really gives this recipe a lift that sets it apart from some of the other pistachio crusted salmon recipes you might have tried.
Serving Suggestions
For your average weeknight, I like to keep things simple serving these salmon fillets as pictured with just a tangle of arugula as a light dinner. For something a bit more substantial, add some brown rice or diced potatoes. Other greens that would work include my sautéed snow peas, air fryer frozen broccoli or my roasted kale.
But, if I want to serve this salmon to impress, fondant potatoes, Italian green beans and my roasted radishes with garlic browned butter would all be great choices!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can totally assemble the salmon fillets ahead and store the baking sheet in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook. I’d do this the same day you’re planning on cooking them, however. Perhaps an early morning task so they’re ready for you after a long day at work?
You shouldn’t reheat leftover salmon both for food safety reasons, and because it will go all dry and gross! As this is a recipe for individually portioned salmon fillets, simply scale it up or down to avoid leftovers. However, I know they’re sometimes unavoidable, so if you do have some discard the skin and enjoy the salmon and pistachio crust cold on salads. Leftover fish should not be kept for longer than 3 days in the refrigerator.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Pistachio Crusted Salmon
Equipment
- quarter sheet baking pan
- baking parchment
Ingredients
- 4 fillets salmon with skin, center cut approx. 6 ounces each
- plenty of salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- â…“ cup crushed pistachios
- 4 lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Rinse salmon and pat dry. Place on a lined quarter sheet baking pan, and season with salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl, combine the garlic, olive oil, and mustard. Spread ¾ of the mixture evenly over the salmon.
- Add pistachios to the remaining mixture and stir to combine. Spoon the pistachio mixture on top of the salmon and press lightly into salmon using the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until salmon is flaky near ends but still tender in the center (for a well done salmon that’s light pink all the way through, bake 10-12 minutes). Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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