Looking for a show-stopping centerpiece for your Christmas feast that's both elegant and easy?
This Christmas Baked Salmon recipe delivers impressive flavor with minimal effort, making it the perfect dish to wow your guests and free up your time.
Let's dive in!
Ingredients
Let's gather everything we will need—I promise it's worth it! For the pasta, you're gonna grab 500g of spiral pasta! I'm using that shape because it's classic, but if you fancy something different, go wild! You'll also want 1 tbsp of cooking salt for the water.
Next up, for the creamy avocado ranch dressing, we need 1 1/3 cups of avocado—smush it into the measuring cup, okay? Get ~1 1/2 avocados for this. We'll also need 1/2 cup of buttermilk or a mix of yogurt and milk! And don't forget 1/3 cup of whole egg mayonnaise—just a little bit! Making it with avocado helps eliminate mayonnaise.
Grab 3 tbsp of lemon juice, 1 1/2 finely grated garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp of onion powder, 1 1/4 tsp of cooking salt, 1/2 tsp of black pepper, and 1/4 cup of finely chopped dill! Almost there!
Preparation
Alright, I am excited to immerse myself into the preparation of our pasta salad extravaganza! We are talking a symphony of chopping and measuring that'll make your inner chef sing.
First things first, let's get that bacon sizzling. Place the streaky bacon slices on a rack set on an oven tray. While that is happening, grab those chicken breasts – 2 x 250g/8oz – and pound them to roughly 1.5 cm thick. Remember to use baking paper for easy cleanup!
Next, chop your veggies. Half those cute cherry tomatoes, finely slice a quarter of a red onion, and a celery stem into tiny pieces about 0.5cm.
Now, for the creamy dressing and it's avocado (1 1/3 cups)! Into a container, all ingredients except the dill goes. Blitz, add dill. Also, start boiling those eggs for 9 minutes – don't let 'em bounce too much! Everything's prepped and ready to mix!
Baking Instructions
Now we're talking – into the oven we go for some seriously tasty baking! I find that the secret lies in a two-step approach that guarantees a moist, flaky salmon every time.
First, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). I'm not kidding; it's gotta be right! Gotta get that oven hot!
Next, gently place the salmon – skin-side down, if it has skin – on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; that way, it doesn't stick!
Now, carefully slide the baking sheet into the preheated oven. I bake it for around 12-15 minutes. Gotta watch it! Basically, you're aiming for an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C). Trust me, it's worth it!
Serving Suggestions
I think you will agree with me that serving up this Christmas Baked Salmon is where the fun really begins! I've got a perfect suggestion – creamy avocado ranch pasta salad!
Make my Avocado Ranch Pasta Salad — it's a no-brainer. I am confident that your guests will keep asking for it! We're talking pasta, creamy avocado ranch dressing, chicken, bacon, and egg. Yes, please!
For the dressing, you'll need 1 1/3 cups of avocado – that's like, maybe 1 1/2 avocados! Grab 1/2 cup of buttermilk, and like 1/3 cup of mayonnaise — just a lil' bit. It's easy to make – just blitz it all together!
Don't forget to cook the pasta perfectly — overcook it. Seriously, cook it longer than the directions say! You'll thank me later when it doesn't get so firm when it's cold!
Short Recipe Version
Christmas Baked Salmon
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 13 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lbs Salmon fillet
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 1 Lemon, sliced
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Place salmon on a baking sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Top with lemon slices.
- Bake for 13 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C).
Nutrition (per serving, estimated):
- Calories: 350
- Protein: 40g
- Fat: 20g
- Carbohydrates: 2g