Remember that time I recapped how much poor C suffers being in a relationship with me? Well I mentioned how I insisted on reminding him every 10 seconds that the salmon he was eating was fresh. I rarely splurge on fresh fish (when it isn’t on sale), but when I do you better bet I’m gonna tell you allllll about it. What I failed to mention was how when I got home from the store my motivation to cook was at an all-time low.
This is sooooo typical. I spend way too money at the grocery store only to come home and be too lazy to cook. I have high standards so if I know I’m gonna half-ass a meal, I’d rather just order in from one of the 100000 restaurants around me.
But not this time! NO! I was determined to make a minimal effort meal that tasted as legit as it cost. I threw some rice in the rice cooker, chopped up some brocs and then proceeded to stare at the beautiful salmon trying to decide what to do with it for a solid 5 minutes. I decided to squeeze a lemon over it but quickly got sucked in by Game of Thrones and totally forgot about the fish.
An hour later I returned to the kitchen and had a slight freak-out that I forgot about the salmon before ransacking my spice cupboard for what to put on it. My brain power was minimal so I stuck to a basic Italian seasoning blend and was a little heavy handed. 500 degrees and 10 minutes later DELICIOUS salmon!
Not only did I spend the entire meal talking about my fresh fish splurge but also repeatedly patted myself on the back for mastering salmon with just 3 ingredients.
Then C reminded me I used salt and pepper and those technically count as ingredients too. Dreams shattered! Here I was thinking I was the queen of 3 ingredient salmon when in reality it was 5. I’m choosing to ignore salt and pepper for today because that’s basically like counting oxygen as an ingredient. I don’t care what you say, this is 3 ingredient salmon!
Print3 Ingredient Salmon
- Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs of fresh salmon (cut into 4 pieces)
- juice ½ large lemon (at least ¼ cup)
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place salmon a shallow pan and squeeze lemon juice over pieces. Make sure each piece is coated.
- Let marinate in fridge for 1 hour (optional but if you have the time let it marinate)
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
- Place salmon pieces, skin side down on a parchment lined baking sheet or pan.
- Cover each piece with italian seasoning and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 10 mins.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
Do salt and pepper count as ingredients? What’s your go-to 3 ingredient meal?
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45 Comments
Arman @ thebigmansworld
April 24, 2014 at 5:35 amSalt and pepper do NOT count as ingredients. Ever. Ever ever ever. Even cooking oil and red pepper flakes and garlic salt don’t count in my books.
Three ingredients. Toast + butter+ cheese. Let’s ignore the obvious here..
Davida Kugelmass
April 24, 2014 at 8:35 amNeither do potatoes or cheese right? Oh and blowdryers…
Tim
May 29, 2020 at 9:41 pmI would like to know why this recipe does not show the calorie content?
Christele @ health n horizons
April 24, 2014 at 6:18 amDefinitely three ingredient salmon 🙂 I started making salmon this way when I introduced it to my girl and wanted an upgrade from steamed bland salmon. It was, however, orange juice , rosemary and olive oil. Four ingredients, but who’s counting when it’s that easy, good-for you and delicious?
Kim @ BusyBod
April 24, 2014 at 6:50 amSalt and pepper totally don’t count. Victory is yours!
Our go-to three ingredient meal is actually John’s, not mine. Frozen asian veggie mix + eggs + soy sauce = super easy and delicious stir fry. Not as classy as salmon but still delicious!
Davida Kugelmass
April 24, 2014 at 8:35 amHilarious that salmon would be considered classy lol. You know what’s not classy? The guy in front of me at the fish counter asking the smell the salmon before buying it haha
Amanda @ .running with spoons.
April 24, 2014 at 7:43 amO
Amanda @ .running with spoons.
April 24, 2014 at 7:45 amStupid iPad! Disregard that first comment…
Oats, almond butter, and yogurt are my go to meal 😉 And we never count salt because that’s a given, and then I would have to count the water that I cook my oats in too, and that’s just goofy.
Is it horrible that I don’t like fish?
Davida Kugelmass
April 24, 2014 at 8:34 amI hate to say this, but yes! You are seriously missing out!!!
lindsay
April 24, 2014 at 7:56 ami think we are flavor twins, i just made this last night. Salmon is so hearty and it just needs a few ingredients. LOVE the aroma of the spices too!
p.s.
can we ferment salmon? JK!
Davida Kugelmass
April 24, 2014 at 8:12 ambahahahahaha I bet someone has done that somewhere…top it with enough Kimchi and I might eat it!
Alex @ Alex Runs For Food
April 24, 2014 at 8:30 amSalt and Pepper never count as ingredients!!! They are freebies 🙂 The salmon makes me wish I was on the coast where I could get amazing fresh seafood…. dang minnesota… at least for a price we can get it at the grocery store… but it’s still not the same!
Davida Kugelmass
April 24, 2014 at 8:34 amThat and the snow are the only reasons I’m not living in Minnesota! My bf is from Edina so I looooove visiting. But your winters make our Canadian winters look like summer! Can’t wait to visit again in June when it’s nice 🙂
Alex @ Alex Runs For Food
April 24, 2014 at 8:38 amJune is one of my favorite months in MN!! It’s warm, sunny and not humid yet!!
Kim @ Hungry Healthy Girl
April 24, 2014 at 8:39 amI was just thinking the other day about how I need more salmon in my life. I used to eat it all the time, but haven’t had it in a while. Love how easy this is and I’m going to be giving it a try this weekend!
Holly @ EatGreatBEGreat
April 24, 2014 at 9:03 amLove the simplicity of this recipe, but it still sounds so flavorful and yummy!
Nope, salt/pepper definitely don’t count as ingredients. They’re kind of just a given!
Amy @ Long Drive Journey
April 24, 2014 at 9:09 amCan you believe that I have never had salmon? This is so easy that I want to try it now, especially if it means I can eat it over a giant bed of rice! My favorite three ingredient meal is greek yogurt, chicken, breadcrumbs…yummmmm!
Samantha @ The Faithful Runner
April 24, 2014 at 9:11 amYum! I would agree that it’s three ingredients. 😉 Thanks for sharing this. I love having more Paleo recipes for my book! 🙂
Sam @ Better With Sprinkles
April 24, 2014 at 9:16 amReplace italian seasoning with dill and you have my go-to 3 ingredient recipe 😉 And salt and pepper are up there with using oil to cook something in for a recipe – they’re freebies!
Meghan @fitnesscrEATures
April 24, 2014 at 9:16 amSalmon is my jam and this is actually a recipe I will try because it’s so simple. My tiny little brain can’t handle many more than 3 ingredients. 🙂 Salt and pepper don’t count………
Megan @ The Skinny-Life
April 24, 2014 at 9:17 amAgree! Salt and pepper are like adding water to a recipe, besides it’s your recipe you can call it what you want. I love how versatile salmon is. I do mine with garlic powder (instead of Italian seasoning). My other go to for dinners is cod. Toss in the oven frozen and it’s done in 20-30 minutes.
Erin @ The Almond Eater
April 24, 2014 at 9:27 amHaha ohhh C.. what a dream crusher! Salt and pepper totally do NOT count as ingredients. This looks delishhhhhhh.
Brittany
April 24, 2014 at 9:57 amHell nawwww S&P never count! Those are just extras. This is such a classic, and delicious way to make salmon. My mama makes a lot of salmon and this is her go to also. Back when I ate the swimming creature I would opt for this kind of recipe, with the occasional grilled/BBQ salmon. My go to 3 ingredient meal would be some kind of base (rice/quinoa/beans) with tomato and avocado topped with salsa. In this case the salsa does not count. HA. And then with more cayenne…so again..I guess mine is 5 ingredients, but two don’t count! OH and chips on the side to dip…OK I fail.
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health
April 24, 2014 at 10:36 ameven though they are technically an ingredient, salt and pepper are just automatically assumed right..this is a legit three ingredient dish 🙂 i likey.
Cailee @ http://hellohealthyeating.com
April 24, 2014 at 11:13 amThis looks amazing! I love love LOVE salmon! Sadly, being in college and on the meal plan, I rarely get it! But when I go home sometimes my mum makes it because she knows how much my brother and I love it! Have you ever tried salmon salad? You can get some from Whole Foods… or make it with leftovers!! It’s sooooo delicious! YUM!
Christine@ Apple of My Eye
April 24, 2014 at 11:55 amMhmm simple recipes are totally the best, especially with salmon! I feel like if you do too much to the fish, it totally overwhelms it. And I agree, this is definitely a 3 ingredient recipe ;).
Britt@MyOwnBalance
April 24, 2014 at 1:02 pmI do the EXACT same thing. I sometimes even end up throwing things out. I am the worst! This salmon looks so good and easy!
Kelly - LEFT SIDE OF THE TABLE
April 24, 2014 at 2:37 pmI don’t think you need a laundry list of ingredients to make a wonderful dish!! Plus it can be annoying to purchase 10 weird ingredients you never use to make 1 stinking dish!! Thanks for the lovely salmon recipe. Isn’t salmon awesome?!? I LOVE it grilled 😀
Alicia S
April 24, 2014 at 3:57 pmYou are so funny! Sending this post to my sister, she loves salmon and this is super simple with only 3 ingredients! I agree with you that salt & pepper are like oxygen…you don’t count it 🙂
Nikki @ The Road to Less Cake
April 24, 2014 at 4:00 pmSometimes the simple things are best!
Alexis @ Hummusapien
April 24, 2014 at 5:03 pmThree ingredients is my jaaaaaam. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come home from the store with every bean and green under the sun only to plop on the coach with a plate of scrambled eggs. If C doesn’t want you, I’ll gladly date ya. We can BUI whilst eating special brownies and not feel bad about it.
Polly @ Tasty Food Project
April 24, 2014 at 5:36 pmThat salmon looks delicious! I love how it only requires 3 ingredients!
I like to use salt, pepper, and granulated garlic a lot when I cook!
Amanda
April 24, 2014 at 8:39 pmPB&J 🙂
Gabby @ the veggie nook
April 24, 2014 at 8:53 pmSalt and pepper count because they are crucial BUT they do not count in ingredient numbers because they are a given. Don’t worry. 3 ingredient salmon is yours to claim!!
Anna
April 24, 2014 at 9:51 pmMade this tonight and it was so delicious! We make salmon a couple of times a week, but often throw it on the skillet with some spices. For some reason I’ve always found it a bit too bland out of the oven but this one was just so easy and so good. Thanks for making dinner easy tonight!
Lexi @ Lexi's Clean Kitchen
April 24, 2014 at 10:19 pmTHIS IS SO DELISH!!!! Love Italian seasoning on everything. Will definitely make this.
Nicole @ Foodie Loves Fitness
April 24, 2014 at 10:47 pmSolid question…. I’m going with no, so I agree that your salmon recipe is indeed 3 ingredients!
Miss Polkadot
April 25, 2014 at 5:43 amNever mind that I don’t like fish but still need to chime in. Because no, salt and pepper aren’t ingredients. Can we just agree that no spices are ingredient? Not to get into counting or anything but even back in the day I’d only consider an ingredient an ingredient when it had calories. And I never bothered counting spice calories though I’ve heard some dieters do. No calories = no ingredient. Because techincally Italian seasoning itself would have more than three ingredients already if spices counted so … you get my point. Wow, look at me just rambling about spices in a whole paragraph.
My go-to three ingredient meal is banana oat bran with almond butter. If we don’t count cocoa as an ingredient because it’s a must.
Chelsea @ Chelsea's Healthy Kitchen
April 25, 2014 at 7:07 amSalmon with lemon and herbs is one of my go to easy meals too! It’s so simple, but always so good. My sesame soy tofu is another easy 3 ingredient favourite of mine.
Mary Frances
April 25, 2014 at 9:43 amI’m ok with you telling me all about it – there are only three ingredients! Which means, I totally got this. Salmon is a favorite around here, so this is a winner!
Tina @ Tina's Chic Corner
April 25, 2014 at 10:22 amHaha…I’ve been guilty of the same. I guess I spend all my engergy excited about the ingredients at the store and then get pooped out when it’s time to actually use them.
Love love love salmon and this is my favorite way to prepare it. Simple but the most delicious. 🙂
Have a lovely weekeend! 🙂
Lucie@FitSwissChick
April 25, 2014 at 11:16 amNo they don’t. Just as desserts don’t count as meals. Actually, dinner doesn’t count as a meal, it’s only a reason to have the real meal which is dessert.
So sorry. My brain is kind of in weekend mode (you know what that means)….
3 ingredients: greek yogurt, almond butter, raw cacao and stevia. AB doesn’t count.
Cassie
April 25, 2014 at 8:51 pmSalt and pepper do not count as ingredients. I would say I also have a 3-ingredient salmon: salmon, coconut aminos, and this Asian blend I have from Costco. Why is salmon SoOoOoOoOo DELICIOUS?
Consuelo @ Honey & Figs
April 26, 2014 at 5:08 amOoooohh this is genius! I love how easty to make it is!
And salt and pepper definitely don’t count as ingredients, duh!
Kimberlee Sanders
February 25, 2018 at 11:20 amSounds wonderful. What’s the calorie count per serving?