(Keto, Low-Carb, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free & Dairy-Free Option)
With Just 4 Ingredients!
Jump to RecipeI didn’t eat a whole lot of salmon in my younger days. It wasn’t until I was pregnant and in the third trimester with my first child that I began eating salmon more regularly.
Salmon, especially of the wild-caught variety, contains very low mercury levels and is loaded with DHA, a type of Omega-3 fatty acid that is the primary building block of the brain. It is recommended that pregnant women eat 1 to 2 servings of salmon each week during their pregnancy, especially after 20 weeks, to benefit both the mother and the child.
But eating salmon isn’t just for women and children! It can improve the brain health of everyone and also improves our antioxidant defenses, due to its high levels of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A and E) and selenium.
Fresh Farmed vs. Wild Caught
It is important to distinguish the difference between fresh farmed and wild-caught salmon. Farmed salmon are fed a processed, high-fat, high-protein feed, which often includes antibiotics, in order to produce larger fish. Whereas, wild-caught salmon eat other organisms found in their natural environment. Consequently, there is a huge difference in the nutrient composition of wild vs. farmed salmon.
This healthline article provides a great table that summarizes the differences in nutrient content between wild vs. farmed salmon. Most notably is the difference in calories and Omega-6 fat found in each half fillet of fish.
“Farmed salmon is much higher in fat (27g vs. 13g), containing slightly more omega-3s (4.2g vs. 3.4g), much more omega-6 (1,944mg vs. 341mg) and three times the amount of saturated fat (6g vs. 1.9g). It also has 46% more calories (412 vs. 281), which is mostly from fat.”
“Conversely, wild salmon is higher in minerals, including potassium (28% vs 21%), zinc (9% vs. 5%) and iron (9% vs. 4%).”
I’ve written before about excess Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids found in our foods. Although Omega-6 fatty acids are essential to our bodies, the excess of Omega-6 fats in our diets has caused inflammation in our bodies, which is responsible for diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, leaky gut syndrome, obesity, stress and depression.
A healthy ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fats in our diet is 1:1. Today, many Americans have a ratio of as high as 25:1! Therefore, eating foods lower in Omega-6 and higher in Omega-3 fats, such as wild-caught salmon vs. the farmed variety, will aid us in balancing our Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratios to a more normal level. In response to this change in your diet, you should notice a decrease in the inflammation you experience.
What’s In Garlic Baked Salmon?
My recipe includes only the following 4 ingredients:
Ingredients
I clearly only use wild-caught salmon! If I can’t find it, I don’t buy it. But I can often find it in the freezer section of my grocery store if it isn’t available in the refrigerated section.
I, then, just sprinkle some garlic powder and salt on each fillet and top each with a small chunk of good quality butter. In my opinion, there’s rarely a dish that a little garlic, salt and butter won’t make taste delicious!
I choose to use butter instead of extra virgin olive oil. Although olive oil is a very healthy oil to use, it should never be heated. Heating this oil above its smoke point for even 5 minutes will cause it to break down, lose its health benefits, oxidize and release toxins. Therefore, it’s best to use olive oil for salad dressings and other non-heated recipes.
If you want a non-dairy option, pork lard or beef tallow are both good choices to substitute for butter, as long as they are from organic, pasture-raised animals. Organic virgin coconut oil and Avocado oil are also good options. All four fats, as well as butter, have high smoke points and will not lose their health benefits when heated.
What To Serve With Garlic Baked Salmon
I make this recipe at least once a month, if not twice, since it’s so easy to make and it is so versatile. You can eat the salmon alone with some vegetables, but we often add a topping to it, such as a Creamy Dill Dip, Cilantro Sauce, Raspberry Sauce, or Herb Butter. Each topping creates a whole new dish, all of which are delicious!
I always have a pound or two of salmon in the freezer! This garlic baked salmon recipe is one of my go-to meals in the middle of the week, since it’s so easy to make. You just put everything in a baking dish and put it in the oven. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
Garlic Baked Salmon (Keto, Low-Carb, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Option)
Equipment
- 9 x 11 Baking Dish
- Measuring Spoons
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 1½ Pounds Salmon, wild caught
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Himalayan Pink Salt
- 2 Tbsp Butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Line baking dish with parchment paper.
- Place salmon, scale side down, on parchment paper.
- Sprinkle with seasonings.
- Top with chunks of butter.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until salmon is opaque.
- Serve alone or top with herb butter, creamy dill dip, cilantro sauce, or raspberry sauce.
Notes
- Calories 342.6
- Total Fat 22.6 g
- Saturated Fat 9.5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g
- Cholesterol 83.6 mg
- Sodium 358.5 mg
- Potassium 3.9 mg
- Total Carbohydrate 0.3 g
- Dietary Fiber 0.0 g
- Sugars 0.0 g
- Protein 31.8 g
Have you tried this garlic baked salmon recipe? How did you like it? Please share below.
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