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Panko-crusted Salmon

Panko-crusted Salmon

Panko is a Japanese type of bread crumb that is especially light and crunchy, popular these days with chefs because it doesn't get soggy. What I love about this way of preparing salmon is that the panko topping seems to hold in the salmon's moisture while roasting, so the salmon doesn't get dried out at all. The salmon is perfectly moist, flakey, and seasoned.

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Panko-crusted Salmon Recipe

Ingredients

4 teaspoons olive oil
4 pieces thickly cut, boneless salmon (each 6 oz)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp honey mustard or sweet-hot mustard
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 400°F (convection or regular). Set the salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2 In a small bowl, combine the honey mustard and 1 teaspoon of the thyme. In another small bowl, mix the panko with the remaining 1 teaspoon of thyme, 4 teaspoons of olive oil, parsley, and paprika. Add salt and pepper (a light sprinkle).

3 Using a small spoon, spread the mustard mixture on the salmon; top with the bread crumb mixture.

4 Roast the salmon for 12-14 minutes (test at 10) or until it is almost completely firm to the touch and flakes when poked with a fork. Serve at once.

Serves 4.

Recipe courtesy of our friend, chef Evie Lieb.

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48 Comments

Hi Elise,

This sounds simply divine! I love salmon, and I will definitely try this treatment next time around. Thanks!

Posted by: Moira on February 24, 2005 10:00 AM

I just did something very similar, following a Jacques Pepin recipe. The major difference was that I cooked it at 200 (F) for an hour. The breadcrumbs had some hazelnuts mixed in as well. It was absolutely delicious--and I'm not a huge salmon fan. My parents and kids, who are big fans, declared it the best ever.

Posted by: Ellen on February 24, 2005 9:23 PM

Hi Ellen, is that Jacques Pepin recipe from "Fast Food My Way"?

Hi Moira, let us know how you like it!

Posted by: Elise on February 24, 2005 9:37 PM

I tried it, and it came out perfectly. It's simple, mild, moist, and very tasty.

Posted by: Anonymous on April 16, 2005 7:33 PM

We made this with both salmon and red snapper and the red snapper put the salmon to shame - so tasty! You have to give it a try!

Posted by: Sarah on November 17, 2005 11:38 AM

Elise -- I just made this tonight; had some fresh Wild King salmon (don't even ASK how much it cost...) and this was quick, easy, and utilised stuff I had on hand in a pinch. Thanks for the great recipe!

Posted by: Catherine on April 13, 2006 10:16 PM

I made this dish for a dinner party and it was a success! So easy and quick to make, too. Thank you for posting it. Love your website, the stories, photos, and of course, all the recipes!

Posted by: Nandita on March 1, 2007 8:46 AM

I love using Panko! It gives lots of crunch without the occasional sogginess that comes from other dried bread crumbs. Love this recipe!

Posted by: lydia on March 2, 2007 5:17 AM

Hey Elise - or anyone else that might know - what is the best way to thaw frozen fish in a hurry? I forgot to take it from the freezer this morning, but I have some fresh-frozen Red Snapper at home.....
Any way I can make this dish tonight?

Posted by: Kelly on March 2, 2007 6:54 AM

Darnit... its 8am and I am hungry for dinner NOW!
This looks awesome!

Posted by: merd on March 2, 2007 6:58 AM

Thawing Frozen Fish. Make sure it is in Zip Lock bag.Fill a dish with tepid water(Just warm) and put fish in.If you can drain out water every half our and replace with more tepid water do so. This should thaw your fish in an hour or so.

Posted by: Bill on March 2, 2007 11:14 AM

My husband declared this a keeper. In fact he checked with me several times to make sure I saved this recipe. It is easy and delicious. The panko bread crumbs make such a difference.

Posted by: JoAnne on March 2, 2007 4:02 PM

The fastest method for thawing fish, or any other food, that I've found (courtesy of Alton Brown) is to leave it wrapped in plastic in a sink, with a very light trickle of cold water running over it. I've thawed a frozen solid chicken breast in less than half an hour this way.

Posted by: Jeremy Henderson on March 2, 2007 4:58 PM

I too like the way Panko breadcrumbs retain their crunchiness. Your combination of sweet and savory flavors must pair beautifully with the salmon.

Posted by: Susan from Food "Blogga" on March 3, 2007 5:56 AM

Elise-- This is a great recipe, I made it for dinner last night and everybody loved it. I had a similar salmon at a restaurant once, It had mustard and a pankco crust, but it was served with sauteed tomatoes(a fresh tomato sauce) and calamata olives. Also very good... Thanks for the recipe...

Posted by: Abe on March 3, 2007 8:50 AM

I sometimes find salmon a bit rich. This crunchy topping would cut through that richness nicely I think.

Posted by: barbara on March 3, 2007 10:29 AM

Hi there,
I have been following your site for some time now and as a chef who cooks for billioniares and celebrities onboard their yachts I find it useful for recipes. Indeed I work for one of the top 10 richest in the world at the moment and just cooked this recipe for him! He loved it. However when he asked where I had learnt it from I had to lie and say it was one of my own!! Sorry! Feel free to steal any of mine from my video recipe site!! Keep up the good work!

Posted by: Niall Harbison on March 3, 2007 11:54 AM

Do you think this would taste good on a tuna steak? We have a freeezer full of yellow-fin and I need to find new recipes.

Posted by: Stacey on March 3, 2007 1:28 PM

I would like to know where you buy the panko breadcrumbs ?
Thank you.

Posted by: Frances on March 4, 2007 9:26 AM

Just finished Sunday dinner featuring this recipe and it was a great success. Typically my wife enjoys salmon much more than I do, but this definitely gets my vote. Thanks.

(Frances, Trader Joe's carries panko if there is one by you.)

Posted by: Rick on March 4, 2007 5:29 PM

This sounds really good and helpful this time of year. I get tired of mac 'n cheese and pasta during lent. Thanks.

Posted by: Nancy on March 4, 2007 6:36 PM

I love panko and salmon, it's one way for me to get Griffin to eat fish. This looks pretty close to what I make, I like adding ginger and lime juice to the coating.

Posted by: Kate on March 5, 2007 7:17 AM

What a great recipe, I will try to make the panko myself. It was great to hear your interview on CPR, and nice to associate a voice to a face!

Posted by: Cris on March 5, 2007 12:31 PM

I have made this recipe atleast 10 times now and it is awesome every time! I serve it with buttered steamed green beans and jasmine rice - even my kids love it!

Posted by: Kristie on March 5, 2007 2:52 PM

I couldn't wait to get home and make this for dinner. It was so easy and delicious! I'll make this often.

Posted by: Carmen on March 5, 2007 5:06 PM

Elise--

I absolutely love your website. As a relatively new cook, it's so nice to have found a site like yours that is full of interesting and flavorful recipes that inspire me to try them, but aren't hugely intimidating.

I've linked to you for awhile now, but have finally decided to write, as I made this salmon tonight and my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Many thanks for the care you take in your site.

Cheers,

Poopycat

Posted by: Poopycat on March 5, 2007 11:44 PM

Oh Elise... we tried this recipe last night! It turned out great and also, it was the first time I had homemade panko! So easy, wow, thanks, what I like about your recipes is that we can actually make them!!!!

Posted by: Cris on March 9, 2007 6:23 PM

Absolutely the best salmon recipe I ever tried (and I've tried a lot). My 10 year old daughter helped with making this and she really loved it. She wanted it again the next day. I highly recommend this recipe.

Posted by: Pam on March 18, 2007 2:53 PM

Elise, I have looked everywhere for Hungarian, Sweet, and/or Smoked paprika. Not just for this recipe.
I cannot find anything but just plain old paprika. How much difference does it make, really? And do you know where I can find this stuff in Texas?

Posted by: beyonduplication on May 7, 2007 1:11 PM

This is an absolutely delicious recipe for salmon. This was our first time using panko and are now avid fans. I love how they stay crunchy throughout the baking (and eating!) process. I will never use standard breadcrumbs ever again. we used Ian's and loved them. In making this a second time, I added some fresh lime juice - yummy combination with the mustard.

Thanks for your site, Elise. I fall in love with it each time I visit.

Posted by: kim on June 28, 2007 1:07 PM

Elise,

I love this recipe. Thank you so much. It's my new "go to" salmon recipe. It works well with my "I don't want to go to the store" adaptations (I sub dried thyme a lot, though it tastes better with fresh) and is quick and easy while seeming pretty fancy. Excellent!

amy

Posted by: amy on August 27, 2007 5:12 PM

Tried this recipe this past weekend and it was amazing! The salmon was so moist and flavorful. We used dried herbs as we didn't have any fresh parsley on hand but it was still delicious and took barely any time at all to prepare!

Posted by: Lauren on November 2, 2007 1:05 AM

Elise,
Panko bread is not available where I live- can you please suggest an alternative, that would not change the taste much?
Thanks!!

Note from Elise: Just use regular bread crumbs if you don't have access to panko. BTW, panko is not a type of bread, but a type of bread crumb. You won't find panko bread anywhere, but you might find packaged panko bread crumbs.

Posted by: Mehreen Khalid on November 14, 2007 4:15 AM

Thanks for your feedback Elise! I'm throughly impressed by your website - it's reached my 'e-cookbook hall of fame' sites :) Thanks for sharing these wonderful recipes with us!

Posted by: Mehreen Khalid on November 21, 2007 3:32 AM

This recipe is an absolute keeper! My husband and I truly enjoyed the salmon last night for V-Day...Thanks, Elise! Really appreciate your website. -- If I may say thanks to Panko and our oven toaster, too... ;)

Posted by: Tish on February 14, 2008 10:43 PM

Hi Elise...I have recently discovered your site, and I just had to comment on this salmon dish. It was really delicious, the fish stayed very moist just as you said. I didn't realize you were in the Sac area...I'm also in Carmichael and I enjoy reading your descriptions before each recipe. I can't wait to try many more! Thank you!

Posted by: Julianna on March 1, 2008 9:21 AM

I made this fish and it was really tasty and not smelly like a port or marina like the last time I made it without panko flakes. Much easier to enjoy it when it doesn't stink up your entire building. I actually feared that my neighbor thought that the horrible smelly odor was my date Jennifer. MUY TASTY AMIGOS!

Posted by: stanky Beave on March 21, 2008 10:57 PM

Elise - the panko crusted salmon is wonderful. Could you possible be able to tell me the calorie content of Panko? My husband and I are trying to count calories and we need to know if you can provide that information. Thanks.

No idea on the calories, sorry! ~Elise

Posted by: Beverly Tarbis on July 24, 2008 3:57 PM

Elise, this recipe is incredible! So simple to make, yet tastes wonderful and fancy. I adapted it a bit and used a different spread other than mustard. It turned out great! Keep those great recipes comin'!

Posted by: Adriene Rathbun on September 11, 2008 2:16 PM

This was so good, and so simple. Another winner! Thanks Elise!

Posted by: Sofia on December 10, 2008 8:03 PM

This recipe is wonderful! My boyfriend said he wouldn't want salmon any other way and our guest said that this is better than the salmon they have at the restaurant. Thanks for the recipe!

Posted by: Brenda on February 16, 2009 4:34 PM

I made this salmon last night and was surprised how delicious the salmon was! My husband and I just love this. I would serve this to company...a real keeper...
Thanks

Posted by: Char Marino on March 20, 2009 3:57 AM

My husband loves the breadcrumbs/mustard combo (he used to make a chicken dish similar to this), but I'm not a big mustard lover. I followed the recipe as written last night and it was good (enjoying the leftovers now), but I'm wondering if there's something else that I can smear the fish with other than mustard for future preparations. Any ideas on what to use? I really want to make another panco-crusted fish.
By the way, I served this with the broccoli stir fry recipe from this site and brown basmati rice; I thought it was a good combo of flavors.

Posted by: Yana on April 6, 2009 3:26 PM

Great easy recipe. I made this for my parents and substituted tilapia for salmon. I just sprinkled fish with olive oil and kosher salt and pepper before spooning on mustand and panko mixture. It still turned out wonderful. Nice light meal when it is too hot to grill outside.

Posted by: Natalie on August 4, 2009 5:02 PM

I just made this today with seasoned bread crumbs and it was very delish! Husband loved this very much and this recipe will be a regular in our home. Thank you!!

Posted by: Nicole on August 11, 2009 3:57 PM

We tried this recipe this past weekend...and the boredom from salmon has vanished..this is a winner. A winner for several reasons including taste, texture, simplicity and time saving. I would serve this for dinner guests any time! I served it with roasted cauliflower and fresh peas...thanks for such a great recipe!

Posted by: Linda on September 8, 2009 4:00 PM

Hi Elise - I've been making your recipes for over a year now! This one is perfection! Thanks for all the delicious dinners!

Posted by: cINDY pIERCE on January 4, 2010 3:10 PM

I made this recipe tonight and it was wonderful. I actually used half the fish, half the mustard; but, all of the panko to give it a nice crust. It was a great recipe! Thanks. Harry

Posted by: Harry on January 20, 2010 5:34 PM

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