Slather Salmon With This Store-Bought Sauce For A Fancy Meal — It Takes Less Than 5 Minutes To Prep

Salmon is a versatile protein you can dress up or down depending on the meal at hand. Apart from a wide range of seasonings you can use to upgrade salmon — lemon zest, fresh dill, curry powder, and raw garlic — you might wish that there was an easier way to give your fish a total upgrade. Sure enough, you only need one pre-made condiment to easily transform salmon into an ultra-moist, flavor-loaded meal.

For a convenient yet sophisticated salmon-based dinner, all you need is a handy container of store-bought pesto. Pesto is a herbaceous, vibrant green condiment made from blended pine nuts, lemon juice, fresh basil, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. Given the combination of fresh ingredients and aromatic extras, pesto packs a considerable amount of zesty flavor. This scoopable, oil-infused condiment seals the moisture in your salmon and helps form a crisp crust on top.

Luckily, adding pesto to your next round of salmon takes very little preparation. Take your pick from the best varieties of store-bought pesto, then add a generous spoonful to each fish filet. Simply oven-bake or air-fry your salmon, whip up a couple of sides, and dig into your tender, herbal dinner.

To give your pesto salmon even more savory flavor before cooking, add a sprinkle of extra Parmesan cheese on top. The simplicity of this meal gives you more time to improve your store-bought pesto by re-blending it with a clove of fresh garlic, additional seasonings, or a citrus element like lemon. 

If you're happy with the flavor of your pesto and instead want to give this dish a bit more texture, try using panko breadcrumbs. Panko develops a nice crust that pairs beautifully with each bite of the soft, moist salmon, and this is especially the case when using an air fryer or oven. For another fresh ingredient, bake your salmon with a cup or two of cherry tomatoes. Their juices will break down during cooking and give your fish additional flavor and color.

While this recipe is easy to prepare, keep in mind that covering salmon in a thick layer of pesto may make it more difficult to discern when your fish is done cooking. For this reason, use a meat thermometer to intermittently check the thickest portion of each filet. Once your salmon reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit, you can pull it out of the oven and enjoy this effortless weeknight meal.