This Mediterranean Salmon is a flavorful, easy weeknight dinner that brings together the best of Greek ingredients. Oven-baked salmon is topped with olives, tomatoes, red onion, fresh herbs, feta, and more and is served over lemon orzo for a bright and simple meal.
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Amongst my many food loves, salmon and olives are somewhere near the top. I love all foods Mediterranean-style and when combined with my favorite fish, I'm in heaven.
I've been making various forms of this Mediterranean salmon for years now and decided I needed to finally share it with all of you here on the blog.
This Mediterranean salmon recipe combines so many of my favorite flavorful Greek ingredients, but it can also easily be modified to reflect your favorites, too.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
If you're anything like me, you're always looking for fun new salmon recipes. We like to eat salmon at least once a week in our house and though it doesn't require much to make it delicious, we're much less likely to get bored of it by preparing it in various styles.
Mediterranean salmon takes so many awesome ingredients, like Greek olives, tomatoes, feta, pine nuts, garlic, and herbs and takes the already delicious flavor of salmon to whole new levels.
This dish is super easy to prepare, making it the perfect healthy weeknight dinner. It's also very easy to customize to the preferences of you and your family.
You can serve it so many different ways, but I especially like putting it over a bed of lemon orzo; I'm also sharing that recipe with you here!
🗒 Ingredients
Like most good salmon recipes, this one is pretty simple and pretty much just requires fresh ingredients that can easily be switched in and out depending on your preferences.
Here's everything I use in my recipe (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):
- 4 salmon fillets: I recommend getting fillets that are about 6 ounces each. You can leave the skin on or off, but I typically leave it on.
- Cherry or grape tomatoes
- Greek olives: I like to use a kalamata and green olive (halkidiki) mix, but use what you like best.
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Basil
- Parsley
- Dill
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Lemon zest
- Lemon juice
- Salt & pepper
- Feta cheese
- Pine nuts
🍣 How to make Mediterranean salmon
I use the oven baking method for my salmon because it's quick and easy and doesn't make a mess!
To start, preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
While the oven is warming up, mix up the Mediterranean toppings.
Put everything you're using in a bowl, aside from the pine nuts and feta cheese. You'll want to add those during the last couple minutes of cooking time.
I add tomatoes, olives, red onion, minced garlic, basil, parsley, dill, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.
And mix everything together.
Place your salmon fillets on a lined baking sheet and drizzle them with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
Sprinkle salt and pepper over each fillet.
And top each fillet with the tomato and olive mixture.
I like a lot of toppings on each fillet!
Now, place the salmon in the oven and roast it for 10-15 minutes, until the it's cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. Roasting time will depend on how thick your salmon is, so be sure to check on the low end.
When it's just a few minutes from done, remove from oven, top with crumbled feta cheese and toasted pine nuts and place back in the oven to finish.
I like to toast my pine. nuts before adding them to the salmon since they won't be in the oven long enough to get nice and toasted.
I mean, this Mediterranean salmon is basically a whole meal as is, but chances are you'll want to serve it along with something!
🍋 How to make lemon orzo
And I highly recommend lemon orzo as it complements the salmon so well and is easy to make.
In a medium saucepan or skillet over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add the orzo and stir it to coat it in butter.
Let the orzo cook for about 3 minutes, until it's lightly toasted.
Add vegetable broth or lightly salted water and bring to a boil.
Once it's boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and let the orzo simmer until all liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Be sure to stir occasionally to prevent the orzo from sticking to the pan.
When done, lightly fluff orzo with fork or spoon and stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, and salt and pepper.
And serve the Mediterranean salmon fillets over the lemon orzo.
And dinner is ready! And omg it's so good and absolutely packed with flavor!
Serve this to someone who thinks they don't like salmon and watch their mind change!
This is basically my idea of a dream meal and could happily eat it any day of the week.
🥗 What else to serve with
If orzo isn't your thing, there are so many things you could serve this Mediterranean salmon with. Here are some ideas:
- Rice (especially rice pilaf)
- Quinoa
- Couscous
- Roasted potatoes
- Broccoli
- Green beans
- Roasted eggplant
- Grilled vegetables
- Salad
- Tabbouleh
- Hummus and pita
🎉 Variations on recipe
And if you love the idea of a salmon recipe with Greek ingredients, but want to switch up the specific ingredients, here are some additions that would be perfect:
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Artichokes
- Capers
- Roasted red peppers
- Cucumbers
- Spinach
- Oregano
- Spices like cumin and paprika
- Hummus
- Tabbouleh
- Tzatziki
There are so many ways you can make this easy dinner your own and to ensure your whole family will enjoy it!
👩🍳 More salmon recipes
We love eating salmon for dinner at our house and have fun trying new and interesting recipes. Here are some of my favorite salmon recipes:
But you really don't need much to make a delicious salmon and if you prefer things on the basic side, try this simple Oven Baked Salmon with Lemon and Garlic.
With so many unique salmon recipes out there, I don't think it's possible to ever get bored!
With lots of bright flavors served over perfectly cooked fish, this Mediterranean Salmon will likely become a favorite in your house!
What's your favorite way to serve salmon?
📖 Recipe
Mediterranean Salmon
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each)
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved or quartered
- ½ cup Greek olives (I like a kalamata and green olive mix)
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (from about 3 cloves)
- 1 tablespoon chopped basil
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
- 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper divided
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tablespoon pine nuts lightly toasted
Lemon Orzo
- 1 ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cup dry orzo
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or lightly salted water (can also use low-sodium chicken broth)
- 1 ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon jucie
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, red onion, garlic, basil, parsley, dill, 2 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Toss to combine.
- Place salmon fillets on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle fillets with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Sprinkle salt and pepper over each fillet.
- Top each salmon fillet with the prepared tomato and olive mixture.
- Place salmon in oven and roast for 10-15 minutes, until the it's cooked through and flakes easily with a fork (roasting time will depend on how thick your salmon is). When it's just a few minutes from done, remove from oven, top with crumbled feta cheese and toasted pine nuts and place back in the oven to finish.
- Serve salmon over lemon orzo (recipe below) or with rice, roasted potatoes, or the vegetable of your choice.
Lemon Orzo
- In a medium saucepan or skillet over medium-low heat, melt butter.
- Add orzo and stir to coat in butter. Let cook for about 3 minutes, until orzo is lightly toasted.
- Add vegetable broth or lightly salted water and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover saucepan, and let orzo simmer until all liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally to prevent the orzo from sticking to the pan.
- When done, lightly fluff orzo with fork or spoon and stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, and salt and pepper.
AJ says
God this looks good!!!!