I'll get to this amazeballs roasted salmon in a second. If you've been hanging around here for a while you'll know a few things about me. . .
- I have an undying love for bacon & avocados.
- Roasted vegetables = life.
- I love me a kick of heat.
That last one is fairly recent. Well, "fairly" meaning 7 years ago when I was pregnant with my 3rd child. Before that point I never put hot sauce or chili flakes on ANYTHING. My husband always did, and I thought he was nuts. During the aforementioned pregnancy I suddenly craved a little heat. I started putting a few drops of Tapatio on my scrambled eggs and a pinch of chili flakes on my pizza.
After my daughter was born (Interestingly enough, she has the most fiery personality out of the four kids.) I still craved that kick of heat.
Fast forward to now and my affinity for spicy sauces and condiments has compounded quite a bit. On any given day you'll find in my kitchen a half dozen different Mexican hot sauces, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, wing sauce, sriracha, Asian chili paste, Italian chili paste, several kinds of chili powder, and a recent favorite -- Tunisian harissa paste.
Harissa paste is apparently having a moment right now, and I'm totally loving it. It's not too hard to find either. Amazon has a TON of different kinds. I got my first jar at Trader Joe's and have been happily playing with it ever since. (Psst... a smidge will turn regular ranch dressing into something quite spectacular.)
Which brings me to this roasted salmon. I've always been a die-hard foil/parchment packet girl when it comes to salmon.
Until I realized that I usually overcooked it when I roasted it in the oven. *eyeroll* It always turned out dry and flavorless.
Besides not overcooking it, I think the other secrets to great salmon are seasoning it well and using some acid to brighten the flavors. Harissa paste definitely provides some salt -- I barely had to salt this fillet. And although it is acidic, I used lemon juice, too.
I can't tell you how much I loved this salmon. It was tender and perfectly seasoned and has a spicy kick, but it didn't make my nose run. (My husband's goal when he eats spicy food. I'm not quite there yet. I like to actually taste my food too, thx.)
This roasted salmon only has FIVE ingredients, guys. I served this with some simple roasted asparagus, but any of these sides would be great with it! I also included instructions to make this on the grill (see recipe notes).
Harissa Salmon Ingredients
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Salmon fillet: Use one large one like I did or several small ones. You can use whatever type of salmon you prefer. Just make sure it’s thawed when you start the recipe.
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Sea salt: I use pink salt. I recommend using sea salt over regular table salt for better flavor. You can also use Kosher salt, but you may need a little extra.
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Harissa paste: This is a Middle Eastern style hot sauce found in many ethic aisles in the grocery store (Trader Joe’s has it, too!). If you can’t find it, you can also use sriracha or sambal oelek.
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Minced garlic: I prefer fresh, using a microplane grater, but you can use pre-minced garlic if you like.
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Lemon: Use half of the juice for prep and the other half for serving.
How to Make Spicy Salmon
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
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Place the salmon on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.
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Combine the harissa paste, garlic, and juice from half of the lemon. Pour the mixture over the salmon.
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Roast for 16-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillet.
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Squeeze the juice from the other half of the lemon over the fillet (or over individual servings). Serve warm.
Spicy Salmon Recipe Variations
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Swap out the harissa: Use a different type of spicy condiment like sriracha, sambal oelek, or Calabrian chili paste.
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Swap out the acid: If you don’t have a lemon, try using lime! You can also use rice vinegar in a pinch.
What to Serve with Spicy Salmon
Syrian Salad with Za'atar Dressing
How to Store Salmon
Store any leftovers covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. After that, it gets a little funky.
More like this Harissa Salmon Recipe:
Wild-caught salmon is one of my favorite summer time meals. Most of the time I make my Grilled Cajun Foil-Packet Salmon, Garlic Butter Salmon Sheet Pan Meal, or Creamy Dill Roasted Salmon, but this Harissa Roasted Salmon might be a contender for my favorite.
Harissa Spicy Baked Salmon Recipe
This spicy Harissa Roasted Salmon is a summertime favorite! There are only 5 ingredients and you can make it on the grill, too. Perfect for palo, keto, and Whole30 eaters.
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 ½ lb whole salmon fillet (or the same amount in smaller cuts
- sea salt
- 2 teaspoon harissa paste
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment, foil, or spray with nonstick spray.
- Place the salmon on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.
- In a small bowl, combine the harissa paste, garlic, and juice from half of the lemon. Pour the mixture over the salmon, using a spoon to spread it around to coat the whole fillet.
- Roast for 16-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillet. My fillet was 1.25 pounds and 18 minutes was perfect. It should be just barely cooked through and easily pulls apart with a fork.
- Squeeze the juice from the other half of the lemon over the fillet (or over individual servings). Serve warm.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Purchases made by using these links doesn’t cost you any extra and helps to keep my content free.
Harissa Salmon FAQs
Is it better to cook salmon in a skillet or in the oven?
Both do well. I think the oven has a higher chance of drying out the salmon unless you put it in a parchment pouch, so you’ll have to watch it more carefully. Using a lidded skillet makes it easier to keep an eye on it, but it's harder to have consistent temperature control.
What side dishes go with harissa salmon?
My favorite is some flavored rice, like my Instant Pot Lemon Herb Rice and some kind of roasted vegetable – asparagus, broccoli, and zucchini would be especially good with this.
