Simple Baked Chimichurri Salmon Recipe

This simple baked chimichurri salmon is a dish that looks easy enough to make, but delivers a punch of flavor with the strong, fresh, and zingy notes of Argentinian chimichurri sauce. Make it for a crowd or use it as the centerpiece of your meal planning routine for an easy, quick, and delicious main recipe worth returning to repeatedly.

According to Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, this dish is a perfect example of how a few high-quality ingredients can come together to create something truly delicious. The star of the show is the chimichurri, a zingy green sauce originating from Argentina and Uruguay made with fresh parsley, garlic, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. This herby, tangy sauce has punches of spice courtesy of roughly ground black pepper and pinches of red pepper flakes. It adds a big burst of flavor to the tender, flaky, and otherwise pleasantly bland salmon fillets.

The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity; the salmon is baked until just cooked through, then topped with the chimichurri, allowing the fresh herbs to truly shine. It's a light, healthy, and flavorful meal that can be made fresh or prepared in advance.

To make the salmon itself, you'll need a salmon fillet with the skin on, sea salt, and black pepper. For this Argentinian-inspired sauce, stock up on handfuls of fresh flat-leaf parsley, garlic cloves, dried oregano, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Optionally, you can garnish the finished salmon with lemon slices and fresh parsley sprigs.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Season salmon fillets with 1 teaspoon sea salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.

For the chimichurri sauce, add the parsley, garlic cloves, oregano, olive oil, vinegar, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and the red pepper flakes to a food processor.

Pulse until well combined but still slightly chunky.

Place salmon fillets, skin-side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Generously spoon the chimichurri sauce over the salmon fillets, coating the tops and sides.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until salmon is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

Divide salmon into four individual servings and transfer to plates.

Garnish the salmon with lemon slices and fresh parsley sprigs; serve with additional chimichurri on the side.

You can, and in fact, you should make the chimichurri for this dish ahead of time. Chimichurri sauce should always be prepared in advance, and in Argentina, it is recommended to make it the day before to allow the flavors to fully meld and develop. The acid in the vinegar will help to lightly pickle the parsley and garlic over time, creating a brighter, more vibrant sauce that feels softer on the tongue and cuts through the richness of the fish.

As long as the herbs are submerged in the liquid of the sauce, prepared chimichurri will keep in the fridge for a while, about two to three weeks. If it ever starts to look dry, you can just add a couple of teaspoons of red wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons of olive oil to raise the liquid level. For best results, bring the sauce back to room temperature before serving it so the olive oil can fully become liquid again.

Oh, and if you need ideas for using up that extra chimichurri? Mix it with some mayonnaise for an incredible Argentinian-style sandwich spread!

Baked chimichurri salmon is a bright, flavorful main dish that pairs best with fresh, simple sides. Lean into the vibrant South American flavors by serving it with classic Latin accompaniments like potatoes with chimichurri, or rice and beans. A zesty cilantro lime rice will work particularly will with the chimichurri in this entree. For a light option, offer a crisp green salad dressed with a mustardy vinaigrette to cut through the richness of the fish. If you want to serve the dish as part of an globally-inspired meal, pair it with some additional Argentinean dishes like empanadas or carbonada criolla.

For a drink, a rum-based cocktail called the Buenos Aires Zombie may be just the ticket, or just opt for a crisp white Sauvignon Blanc for a safe choice. For a particularly Argentine white wine pick to pour, seek out a bottle of Torrontés.