Name: Toaster-Oven Roasted Salmon Fillets
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 (6- to 8-ounce) skin-on salmon fillet , 1 inch thick; ½ teaspoon vegetable oil; ⅛ teaspoon table salt; Pinch pepper

Why This Recipe Works

Salmon fillets are one of the most popular choices out there for a fish dinner, and there is good reason for that. They’re a weeknight workhorse: rich and satisfying, nutritious, and easy to tailor to your tastes. To get dinner on the table with ease, with plenty of time for making a side on the stovetop or tossing together a salad, we turned to our dual- temperature roasting technique—perfect for the toaster oven. Rather than searing the fillet on the stovetop, we preheated a small rimmed baking sheet in a 450-degree toaster oven. While the pan heated up, we readied the fillet for roasting by slashing the skin so that the fat would render easily in the oven. Just before placing the fillet on the hot baking sheet, we dropped the temperature to 275 degrees. The initial blast of heat from contact with the hot sheet guaranteed that the skin wouldn’t stick, while the cooling oven cooked the fillet gently, ensuring silky fish every time.

Before You Begin

If your knife is not sharp enough to easily cut through the skin, try a serrated knife. It is important to keep the skin on the fillet during cooking; remove it afterward if you choose not to serve it. This recipe is written to serve 1 but can be easily scaled to serve up to 4 people. Serve with Mango Mint Salsa.

Instructions

Adjust oven toaster rack to lowest position and place small rimmed baking sheet on rack. Set oven temperature to 450 degrees and heat for 10 minutes. Make 4 or 5 shallow slashes about an inch apart along skin side of fillet, being careful not to cut into flesh. Pat fillet dry with paper towels, rub with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees. Remove sheet from oven and carefully place salmon skin side down on preheated sheet. Roast until center is still translucent when checked with tip of paring knife and registers 125 degrees (for medium- rare), 10 to 15 minutes. Slide spatula along underside of fillet and transfer to plate. Serve.