Parmesan and Almond Crusted Salmon Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (2024)

You’ll love the crispy coating on almond crusted salmon. Parmesan cheese, crushed almonds, and butter star in this easy but fabulous baked salmon.

Delicious Crusted Salmon

Tender salmon fillets are enveloped in a buttery, crunchy coating of crushed almonds and cheese, and baked to perfection. I swear, every time I make a new salmon recipe, I think it’s the best one ever.

Easy to make but fancy enough for special occasions. This recipe is a cinch to make, too, with only five ingredients (not counting salt and pepper). Yet you could serve almond crusted salmon at a fancy dinner and I’m sure you would get rave reviews. Keep your secret, and don’t say how easy it is to prepare.

Almond crusted salmon is pretty, don’t you think, with a beautifully textured golden brown crust and dark orange salmon inside? And when you put the first forkful into your mouth, be prepared to swoon (if you’re the swooning type, I’m really not, but it’s fun to say). It’s keto friendly, too.

Make dinner tonight a special occasion by serving this delicious salmon entree. Looking for a perfect side that you can put in the oven at the same time as the salmon? Try fabulous roasted green beans with Parmesan and basil or smashed Brussels sprouts. Add a simple tossed salad with honey mustard dressing, and a warm loaf of crusty bread with bread dipping oil. Dinner is served!

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Salmon: The recipe is written for two servings, one fillet for each person. It’s easy to halve the recipe for one serving or double it for four. For this recipe, it doesn’t matter if your salmon is skin-on or skinless. The breading is only on the top of the fillet.
• Butter: Unsalted butter is best but if you use salted butter, omit the added salt.
• Slivered Almonds: The almonds are crushed to make the breading. Sliced almonds work well too.
• Shredded Parmesan Cheese: The cheese adds so much flavor and quite a bit of saltiness so you won’t need to season the fillet too much.
• Garlic Powder: Adds a subtle garlic flavor. Increase it if you really love garlic.
• Salt & Pepper: to taste.

I’ll get you started on the recipe here and give you a few extra helpful tips. As always, you’ll find the printable recipe card near the end of the post with complete instructions and nutrition information.

How To Make Almond Crusted Salmon

This salmon recipe is seriously easy. Although the salmon appears “breaded”, the crust is simply patted right on top of the salmon, a super simple process.

Prep the salmon. Begin by blotting the salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Put them into a baking dish that will accommodate both fillets without overlapping.

Combine coating ingredients. In a small bowl, melt a couple of tablespoons of butter in the microwave. Add the crushed almonds, shredded Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper, and stir until everything is combined.

“Bread” the fillets. Next, pile half of the mixture onto each fillet and spread it with your fingers, kind of smooshing it on. The butter holds the mixture together pretty well so the topping stays on the salmon but don’t worry if a little falls off.

Bake for 20 minutes. Pop the salmon into a preheated oven and bake it. The cooking time will depend greatly on the thickness of your salmon fillets. The topping should be golden brown and crispy and the internal temp of the salmon should be 145°F (that’s how we like it but some people prefer it a little more rare).

Serve immediately, garnished with lemon slices and asparagus spears if you like.

Looking for more sides? I love it when I can put a couple sides in the oven to roast at the same time as the salmon. Here are a few suggestions: Roasted cauliflower, lemon roasted broccoli with Parmesan, baked potatoes (start them ahead of time at 400°F), or crispy roasted potatoes.

Make It Your Own

• Make as much as you need. This recipe makes 2 servings but it can easily be halved for one serving, or doubled or tripled.
• Add more garlic (or less). Increase the amount of garlic powder or use fresh minced garlic. Don’t like garlic? No problem, just omit the garlic.
• Play around with the seasonings. Remember that Parmesan cheese adds a salty flavor so be careful not to make your fish too salty by adding salty seasonings.
• Try a different kind of nut. Replace the almonds with crushed walnuts, pecans, or pistachios.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Almond crusted salmon is best eaten immediately. If you have leftovers, wrap and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave. Keep in mind some of the almond crust may fall off.