This recipe of Baked Tandoori Salmon is delicious and aromatic with a blend of Indian spices and comes together very quickly – you can make this dish in under 30 mins!
Tandoori means something that’s baked in a tandoor (a traditional indian clay oven). Tandoori meats also use hot and fiery spices like chilli powder, cumin along with ginger, garlic etc. In this recipe, I have created an easy marinade which does not involve using any fresh ginger or garlic (to save on time) and uses only readily available dry spices to create the marinade. Fresh lemon slices and cilantro leaves are also used to give added flavor.
This Baked Tandoori Salmon is Paleo and Whole30 compliant. It is not AIP Core compliant however this recipe can be easily made “AIP Modified’ compliant by just excluding the red chilli powder! If you are wondering what ‘AIP Core’ and ‘AIP Modified’ stand for, check out these new updates that have happened to the AIP diet recently here. In AIP Modified, seed based spices are allowed.
What are the ingredients used in making Baked Tandoori Salmon?
- Salmon filets: The salmon filets need to be thawed to room temperature for using in this recipe. I prefer using wild caught salmon as it is nutrient dense.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I prefer using extra virgin olive oil for the marinade. You can use avocado oil as well.
- Turmeric: Turmeric gives a pungent flavor as well as a nice color to the marinade.
- Red Chilli powder: I prefer using Kashmiri red chilli powder always as it is milder compared to other chilli powders. I like using this brand.
- Coriander powder: Coriander powder gives a nice earthy balance to the spice mix.
- Cumin powder: Cumin is a must in any tandoori dish and it elevates the flavor of meats and fish. I like to use my own homemade roasted cumin powder.
- Garlic powder: To keep this recipe simple, I have used garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. If you prefer to use fresh garlic, you can use that. I recommend using about 2-3 large garlic cloves by peeling and chopping them up fine.
- Ginger powder: Again to keep the recipe easy and simple, I have use ground ginger in this recipe. However you can replace it with fresh ginger. Use the same quantity as the dried in grated form.
- Sea Salt: You can adjust the quantity of salt per your taste but having a good amount of salt in the marinade is essential in order for the fish to be seasoned well.
- Fresh lemon slices: The fresh lemon slices give a nice tangy taste and flavor and lining the bottom of the parchment sheet with them also helps to prevent the salmon from sticking on the bottom of the pan.
- Fresh cilantro leaves: Adding fresh cilantro leaves on top gives the salmon great flavor while it bakes. You can omit this if you don’t like cilantro.
- 3 Salmon filets (about 4 oz each), with slight superficial cuts on top
- fresh lemon slices - about 12-16
- fresh cilantro leaves, about 2 tbsp
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder or any red chilli powder (avoid this for AIP Modified)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp ginger powder
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- Add all marinade ingredients into a small mixing bowl and mix well.
- Pre heat oven to 400 F.
- On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, arrange 6-8 lemon slices. Lay the salmon filets on top of them.
- Pour the marinade all over the salmon.
- Place some more lemon slices on top and also sprinkle some fresh cilantro leaves on top.
- Bake in the oven at 400 F for 10 mins. After 10 mins, take the tray out of the oven and turn the oven onto broil setting. Once the broil setting is on, place the baking tray back into the oven on the top most rack about 8-10 inches from the broiler. Broil for 2 mins and turn oven off. Remove the tray out of the oven and cover with Al foil until serving time.
- Serve Baked Tandoori salmon with a salad or a side of cauliflower rice or white rice.
