This pistachio crusted salmon is an easy, elegant dinner that feels a little special without much effort. Tender salmon fillets are topped with a crunchy mix of pistachios, breadcrumbs, fresh parsley, Dijon mustard, and a touch of honey, then baked until golden and crisp. This pistachio salmon recipe is simple enough for a weeknight but elegant enough for company, and it always gets compliments.
With good salmon available year-round, this pistachio crusted salmon is an easy, elegant way to serve it. The crunchy pistachio topping is a delicious contrast to the tender fish, and the recipe comes together quickly - easy enough for a weeknight, but special enough for guests. Once the salmon is prepped, the topping mixed, and the oven hot, it bakes in about 12 minutes, so you can have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes.
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Pistachio Crusted Salmon Recipe Snapshot
- Quick and easy - Ready in under 30 minutes with simple ingredients.
- Crunchy and flavorful - A savory-sweet crust of pistachios, Dijon mustard, honey, and breadcrumbs or panko, with a gluten-free option.
- Elegant but simple - Special enough for guests, easy enough for weeknights.
Love pistachios? Try this pistachio crusted pork rib roast.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Salmon fillets - Wild-caught is ideal, but good-quality farmed salmon works too, whether fresh or frozen and fully thawed.
- Dijon mustard - Adds tang and depth to balance the slightly sweet crust.
- Honey - A mild honey works best, or use a zero-sugar honey alternative.
- Pistachios - Use unsalted shelled pistachios. If using dry-roasted pistachios, you can use them as-is. Raw or lightly roasted pistachios give the prettiest color.
- Breadcrumbs - Use unseasoned panko or breadcrumbs, regular or gluten-free, for a crunchy texture.
- Fresh parsley - Brightens the crust with fresh flavor and color.
Please see the recipe card for measurements, salt, pepper, and granulated garlic powder.
Substitutions and Variations
- No pistachios - Try chopped walnuts, almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts instead.
- No Dijon - Use whole grain mustard, or substitute yellow mustard with a little lemon juice.
- Add citrus - Mix a little lemon zest into the topping for extra flavor lift.
- Mild onion flavor - Add chopped chives to the topping mixture.
For a terrific appetizer with either pistachios or walnuts, try these goat cheese crostini with baked nectarines.
How to Make Pistachio Crusted Salmon
Preheat the oven to 375°F. If preferred, remove the skin from the salmon with a very sharp, thin knife, such as a filet knife. Trim away any dark purple areas if desired; this is the bloodline, which can have a stronger flavor. If that doesn't bother you, you can leave it as-is and bake the salmon skin-on. Place the salmon fillets on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Season salmon with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Mix the honey and mustard together, and the breadcrumbs, parsley, and chopped pistachios.
- Evenly spread the honey mustard over the filet tops and sides.
- Pat the pistachio crust mix over the top and pat down gently. Bake in a 375F oven for 10-12 minutes or until the salmon reaches 140°F - 145°F internally. It's ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
The photos feature my sugar snap pea salad, a great side for pistachio crusted salmon because the fresh crunch and bright color pair so well with the fish. You can also serve it with one of these delicious side dishes:
- Riced mashed potatoes.
- Simple roast asparagus or easy french green beans.
- Honey roasted carrots.
- Fennel orange salad with orange vinaigrette.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. You can prepare the crust mixture and honey-mustard blend a few hours ahead and refrigerate it, and skin the salmon in advance if desired. For the best texture, assemble and bake the salmon just before serving.
You can use other nuts such as almonds, walnuts, or pecans. Each adds a slightly different flavor, but they all make a delicious crunchy topping.
Yes. The crust goes on the top side, so the salmon can be baked with the skin on. If preferred, the skin can be removed after baking.
The salmon should register 140-145°F in the thickest part with a digital thermometer and flake easily with a fork. If you prefer salmon a little more moist, pull it closer to 140°F and let carryover heat finish the job. If you like it more fully cooked, go closer to 145°F.
More Salmon Recipes
Salmon is versatile and easy to cook! Try some of these recipes when you want to enjoy salmon (or my reader favorite smoked salmon dip).
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you make pistachio crusted salmon, please add your comment. I appreciate your feedback and enjoy hearing from you. If you loved it, please give it a 5-star rating! They really help other readers.
Originally published 7-11-2011, now updated.
📖 Recipe
Baked Pistachio Crusted Salmon
Ingredients
Salmon
- 4 6-ounce salmon fillets
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- ½ cup finely chopped unsalted shelled raw pistachios or dry roasted
- ¼ cup Panko crumbs or dry breadcrumbs gluten-free or regular
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic powder optional
Garnish
- 4 lemon wedges
Instructions
Prep the salmon and preheat the oven
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. You can bake the salmon either skin-on or skinned, whichever you prefer. If skinning, trim away the dark purple area on the underside, called the bloodline, as it can taste strong. For how to skin salmon, see my post with step-by-step photos.Place the fillets on a foil-lined or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Pat dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt, pepper, and garlic.
Make the topping
- In a small bowl, mix the Dijon mustard and honey into a smooth paste. In another small bowl, combine the pistachios, breadcrumbs, and parsley.
- Spread the honey-mustard mixture over the tops of the salmon fillets, then press the pistachio mixture onto the tops, patting lightly so it adheres. If you have extra topping, it can be refrigerated for a few days. Sprinkle it over veggies.
Bake the salmon
- Roast for 10-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets and how cold the salmon is going into the oven. Bake until the salmon reaches 140°F - 145°F in the thickest part. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over the top.
Notes
- No pistachios - Try chopped walnuts, almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts instead.
- No Dijon - Use whole grain mustard, or substitute yellow mustard with a little lemon juice.
- Add citrus - Mix a little lemon zest into the topping for extra flavor lift.
- Mild onion flavor - Add chopped chives to the topping mixture.
Nutrition
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GregB from Austin says
Chef Sally, I plan to make this recipe this week for my family, and we're all eagerly looking forward to it. However, I don't have a convection oven and have never cooked with one, just an old-fashioned electric stove. I'm accustomed to cooking salmon on the grill, or in a skillet, and thus am even further removed from any experience with "salmon + oven"...
I've got filets (shipped to me frozen from Togiak, AK) that are about 1-1/2" thick, or will be after I've trimmed them. Do you have any tips for time or temp in a regular oven?
Thanks!
Sally says
Hi Greg! Once you do this you'll see how easy it is, roasting salmon in the oven. Any oven will do. You don't need convection. For a regular oven, roast at 400 degrees. Be sure when you prep the filets (after you skin them) trim out any dark bloodline, which can be strong tasting. When the salmon is done the crust will be golden brown and the filets just barley opaque inside. It will depend too on personal preference - if you like your salmon more done or more rare. If you have a digital thermometer. the center should be about 145 degrees. Please comment back and let me know how it goes! One more tip, make sure the salmon is close to room temp before roasting. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator (never on the counter), then allow to sit on the counter for a good 45 minutes to get the chill off. Your fish will roast better and you'll get better results.
GregB from Austin says
I made this tonight and it was hugely successful. The crunch of the pistachios, the zing of the dijon, and the richness of the fresh salmon were in perfect balance. I used salted pistachios and thus needed no salt to season the fish, just pepper; it came out great. We had a great Willamette Pinot Noir which paired perfectly. Thanks for the recipe - and the inspirational write-up on food styling.
Lyndsey says
I made the salmon last night. Oh goodness, five stars, way too good! Great directions! It was gorgeous and delicious!
Chef Sally says
Great Lyndsey! Thanks for letting me know. Good to know when it works!
Lacey @ dishfolio.com says
Great photos and story! We'd love for you to share in our food community at dishfolio.com!
kristina says
I really enjoyed reading this and see that your notes have paid off by this great summary you've written!! Looks like a very useful two days and really worth the experience. I really believe you have to learn some of these things in person and a workshop with Matt & Adam is perfect. I have not worked with Food Fanatics so I can't say, but surely if Matt and Adam work with them, they must be good too!
Thanks for sharing!
Kristina