Pecan Crusted Salmon is an easy, elegant, and healthy dinner recipe. The crunchy nut topping complements the tender, flaky fish perfectly. Everyone will be begging for seconds!
When it comes to low carb and heart healthy dinner recipes, salmon simply can’t be beat. It’s got everything you need, including plenty of protein, Omega 3 fatty acids, and a multitude of vitamins and minerals.
Cooked properly, salmon also has wonderful flavor and texture that appeals to almost everyone. This succulent Pecan Crusted Salmon is just such a recipe. Everyone who tries it gives it 5 stars and two thumbs up!
Check out Easy Baked Halibut for another delicious fish recipe.
Why you will love this easy salmon recipe
Eating healthy does not have to mean resigning yourself to boring, flavorless meals. And this easy baked salmon is proof. It’s the kind of meal that wows everyone at the first bite.
And while it looks and tastes like a fancy gourmet dish, it takes only 5 ingredients and 20 minutes to prepare. So you can whip it up for dinner guests or just make it for family any night of the week. And it’s easy to scale this recipe up or as needed.
Pecan Crusted Salmon checks all the boxes. Flavor, crunch, and perfect flaky texture. It’s an ideal low carb high protein recipe, with only 3.2 grams of carbohydrate and 30 grams of protein per serving.
Heart healthy never tasted so good!
Reader Reviews
“This is delicious. I used basil instead of rosemary because I didn’t have it. Excellent recipe. Perfect crunch.” — Felicia
“Pecan Crusted Salmon is the bomb. I’m making it again tonight. So low carbs. So delicious. So easy to make.” — Cindy D.
“Unbelievably delicious! That pecan crust was amazing!” — Stephanie
Ingredients you need
- Salmon filets: Be sure to choose sustainably-sourced salmon for your own health and the health of our oceans. Wild caught salmon has the highest amount of nutrients so choose that whenever possible. Sockeye salmon is a great choice, as it’s firm and cooks to flaky perfection.
- Pecans: You can use pecan pieces or whole nuts, but make sure they are raw.
- Fresh rosemary: Fresh herbs give so much more flavor, but you can use dried if that’s all you have. You can also use fresh basil or fresh thyme.
- Olive oil: Brushing oil onto the salmon filets adds flavor and helps the pecans stick a little better. You can also use melted butter.
- Seasonings: Salt and garlic powder.
Step-by-step directions
In the oven:
1. Make the topping: In a food processor, combine the pecans, rosemary, garlic powder, and salt. Process until the nuts are finely chopped.
2. Prepare the salmon: Pat the salmon dry and place skin-side down in a greased glass or ceramic baking dish. Brush the tops with the melted butter and sprinkle with the pecan mixture. Press down to adhere the mixture to the top of the salmon.
3. Bake: Bake at 400ºF for 9 to 11 minutes, until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.
On the grill:
1. Prepare salmon as directed.
2. Preheat a grill to medium high and lightly grease the grates with oil. Place the salmon skin side down, directly on the grates and close the lid.
3. Cook 7 to 10 minutes, checking frequently for flare ups, until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.
Expert Tips
A lot of people are intimidated by cooking fish at home, but salmon is a fuss-free meal. You can make this easily on your grill, in your oven, or even in your air fryer.
If you use frozen salmon, make sure you defrost it properly. This means removing the packaging and letting it defrost in the fridge overnight. I like to do this in a covered container so that the fridge doesn’t smell like fish.
Always pat the salmon dry before cooking, especially if it’s frozen. Frozen fish releases a lot of water as it thaws, and it will cook better if it’s dry when it goes into the oven or onto the grill.
Grind the chopped pecans until they resemble coarse crumbs. They will adhere to the fish better. Grind your seasonings right along with it. I used some fresh rosemary and a little garlic and salt.
Have a fork handy to check for doneness. If you can flake the salmon easily and the fish is opaque, rather than translucent, you’re ready. Get it off the heat right away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Salmon is considered fully cooked at 145˚F. If you want, you can use a thermometer to determine if it’s done, or you can test it with a fork. If it easily flakes, it’s cooked
It’s much easier to bake salmon with the skin on and remove it after cooking. When you remove the skin from raw fish, you may lose some of the flesh along with it. Whereas cooked fish lifts away from the skin very easily.
This pecan crusted salmon recipe has 3.2g of carbs and 2.1g of fiber per serving. That comes to 1.1g net carbs per salmon filet.
What to serve with Pecan Crusted Salmon
Looking for tasty keto sides to pair with your healthy fish? Here are some delicious ideas to turn it into a full meal.
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Easy Sugar Snap Peas
- Cauliflower Risotto
- Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
- Easy Zucchini Casserole
Pecan Crusted Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ounces (56.7 g) raw pecans, (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 tbsp (2.03 tbsp) chopped fresh rosemary
- 3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) salt
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) garlic powder
- 1 1/2 lbs (680.39 g) sockeye salmon filets, cut into four pieces
- 2 tbsp (1.01 tbsp) olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and grease a glass or ceramic baking dish.
- In a food processor, combine the pecans, rosemary, garlic powder, and salt. Process until the nuts are finely chopped.
- Pat the salmon dry and place skin-side down in the prepared baking dish. Brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with the pecan mixture. Press down to adhere the mixture to the top of the salmon.
- Bake 9 to 11 minutes, until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.
On the grill
- Preheat a grill to medium high and lightly grease the grates with oil. Place the salmon skin side down, directly on the grates and close the lid.
- Cook 7 to 10 minutes, checking frequently for flare ups, until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Please could you explain to me why the pecans need to be raw. Those are hard to find here in Belgium, I can only find the roasted version. Would that not work?
Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!
Karin
Using roasted pecans and then you’re basically roasting them again with the fish… so they could get very burnt!
I trust your trial-and-error until it’s perfect, so I made this even though I didn’t see pecans going with salmon. WOW! You were spot on! Even my hubby (who isn’t big on seafood) loved it. So much flavor! I did add a pinch of black pepper, but think it would have been fine without it. Thank you!
I’ve made this twice and it’s a favorite in our household!
Your site is now covered in ads. so distracting I can barely read the recipe!
🙁
Pro tip: Use the “Print recipe” button at the top of each post, and it will bring up an ad-free copy. That said, please remember that this is how I make a living and it would be great if you could view the post so I make a little ad revenue. Thanks!
So good, quick and easy! I improvised with almonds that I crushed and it tasted delicious.
Amazing! Made this tonight, only thing I changed was adding some shredded Parmesan.
Sounds fab!
this sounds great. do you think I could use chicken breast instead of salmon? thanks
Actually, better to use this recipe and use pecans instead of walnuts: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/walnut-crusted-chicken/