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This soft and delicious baked chimichurri salmon recipe is ready in just 25 minutes. Chimichurri is a fresh parsley sauce made with oregano and red wine vinegar. It’s quick, easy, and nutritious – the perfect weeknight dinner idea!

A serving of baked chimichurri salmon with a side of vegetables.

Chimichurri is a parsley-based sauce that is popular in Argentinian and Uruguayan cuisine. It’s commonly served with meats, but it happens to taste SO good with seafood and veggies too!

This salmon with chimichurri sauce is such a fun and delicious way to change up the flavour of a simple baked salmon dinner. All you need are 7 simple ingredients and about 25 minutes to make it.

As a dietitian, I’m happy to share that both salmon AND parsley are awesome sources of nutrition. This recipe is also a great way to use up any parsley you may have in the fridge.

As always, I’ve included a handful of serving ideas for you to make this a complete, nutritionally-balanced meal below as well. Enjoy!

Want more salmon recipe inspiration? Check out my roundup of simple, healthy salmon recipes for more ideas!

Recipe ingredient flatlay on a wood cutting board.

About the ingredients you need

All you need to make this chimichurri salmon are 7 simple, nutritious ingredients:

  1. Salmon: I like to use fresh rather than previously frozen salmon whenever possible. I find the texture is SO much more soft and tender! You can ask the people behind the fish counter to cut you 4 nice pieces of salmon for this recipe – I usually aim for somewhere between 4-6 ounce per piece.
  2. Parsley: Fresh parsley is the main component for the chimichurri sauce. You are welcome to use either flat or curly parsley. Unfortunately, this won’t work well with dried parsley.
  3. Garlic: I used fresh garlic in this sauce as it adds a nice texture to it, but you are welcome to use garlic powder if needed!
  4. Olive oil: Olive oil is used to blend the parsley together, while lending a source of healthy fat to bake the salmon in.
  5. Oregano: Dried oregano is a common component of chimichurri and it adds a lovely flavour to the sauce.
  6. Thyme: I decided to add some dried thyme to the chimichurri as well, as it goes together beautifully! If you enjoy a little kick, some chimichurri recipes also call for a pinch of red pepper flakes.
  7. Red wine vinegar: The acidity from red wine vinegar helps to balance out the flavours in the sauce. Red wine vinegar is what is typically used in chimichurri, but you could use a white vinegar (like apple cider or white wine vinegar) if you’re in a pinch! Some recipes also use lemon juice, which adds acidity as well.

Full ingredient measurements and detailed instructions are located in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!

Step-by-step: how to make baked chimichurri salmon

Chimichurri ingredients in a food processor before blending.

Place parsley, garlic, olive oil, oregano, thyme, and red wine vinegar along with some salt and pepper into a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, you can chop the parsley and garlic by hand!

Blended chimichurri ingredients in a food processor.

Pulse and blend all the ingredients together to make the chimichurri sauce. Note that the sauce is meant to have texture to it – it’s NOT a smooth, silky sauce.

Uncooked salmon fillets topped with chimichurri sauce on a baking sheet.

Evenly spread the chimichurri sauce on top of salmon fillets. The salmon should be placed on a lined baking sheet or in a baking dish.

Baked salmon fillets topped with chimichurri sauce on a baking sheet.

Transfer to the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes, according to desired doneness. I recommend checking at the 15-minute mark, then putting it back in the oven for a couple more minutes if needed!

While this recipe is for baked salmon, you may also do this with grilled salmon or pan-seared salmon! Simply add the chimichurri sauce at the end, before serving. The sauce does not need to be cooked.

What to serve with chimichurri salmon

With the salmon and chimichurri sauce being good sources of protein and healthy fats, I recommend serving this dish with a side of non-starchy veggies and/or complex carbs to round out the meal!

For some simple veggies:

Some ideas for starches:

  • cooked whole grains like farroquinoa, or brown rice – you could even add this salmon to a yummy grain bowl or rice bowl!
  • pasta, couscous, or orzo – keep it simple by tossing with some olive oil, garlic, chopped herbs, and freshly-grated parmesan
  • mashed, steamed, or roasted potatoes OR sweet potatoes

Looking for more ideas? Check out my post on salmon side dish ideas for more inspiration!

A serving of baked chimichurri salmon half eaten on a white plate.

Salmon nutrition benefits

Salmon is an excellent source of quality, complete protein, which helps to protect bone health and prevent muscle loss, among many other functions.

  • a 3-ounce serving provides 17 grams
  • a 6-ounce piece will give you 34 grams

In addition to protein, salmon is rich in heart-healthy unsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3s. Omega-3s are known to support heart health, brain health, and to reduce inflammation overall.

On the micronutrient side, salmon is a great source of B vitamins like:

  • vitamin B12
  • vitamin B6
  • thiamin
  • riboflavin
  • niacin

B vitamins act as coenzymes in many important metabolic processes throughout your body, such as turning the food we eat into energy!

Salmon is also a good source of minerals like potassium and selenium.

Parsley nutrition benefits

Sometimes we forget that fresh herbs are an awesome source of nutrients, just like veggies.

This salmon recipe uses a lot of parsley to make the chimichurri sauce, so you’re able to reap the benefits of parsley much more than when you just use it as a garnish!

1 cup of fresh parsley provides 2 grams or about 8% of your daily needs of dietary fiber.

It’s also rich in vitamins like:

  • vitamin K
  • vitamin C
  • vitamin A
  • vitamin B6

…and minerals like:

  • iron
  • potassium
  • calcium
  • magnesium

More baked salmon recipes:

Did you give this Baked Chimichurri Salmon Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!

If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!

Get the Recipe: 25-Minute Baked Chimichurri Salmon

This soft and delicious baked chimichurri salmon recipe is ready in just 25 minutes. Chimichurri is a fresh parsley sauce made with oregano and red wine vinegar. It's quick, easy, and nutritious – the perfect weeknight dinner idea!
A serving of baked chimichurri salmon with a side of vegetables.
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Ingredients

  • 4x 4-6 oz salmon fillets

Chimichurri Sauce:

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Place salmon fillets on the baking sheet.
  • In a food processor, add parsley, garlic, olive oil, oregano, thyme, and red wine vinegar along with some salt and pepper.
  • Pulse and blend all the ingredients together to make the chimichurri sauce, scraping down the sides of the food processor as needed. Adjust seasonings to taste.
    Please note that the sauce is meant to have texture to it – it's NOT a smooth, silky sauce.
  • Evenly spread the chimichurri sauce on top of the salmon fillets.
  • Transfer salmon to the oven and allow to bake for about 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness and desired doneness.
    When done, the insides of the fish should be opaque and no longer a translucent pink colour – I recommend checking at the 15-minute mark, then putting it back in the oven for a couple more minutes if needed.
  • Remove salmon from oven and serve with desired sides. Enjoy!

Notes

*NO FOOD PROCESSOR? No problem. You can finely chop the parsley and garlic by hand before stirring it together with the rest of the ingredients. This is the way the sauce is traditionally made, I just use a food processor to make things a little quicker!
*LEFTOVERS:
  • Leftover cooked salmon will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
  • If you have leftovers that you don’t want to reheat (I know that can compromise the texture of salmon), I’d recommend keeping them cold and adding them as the protein component of a grain bowl or salad the next day. It would make the perfect, healthy lunch!
 
*RECIPE MODIFICATIONS & TIPS:
  • While this recipe is for baked salmon, you may also do this with grilled salmon or pan-seared salmon! Simply add the chimichurri sauce at the end, before serving. The sauce does not need to be cooked.
  • I like to use fresh rather than previously frozen salmon whenever possible. I find the texture is SO much more soft and tender.
  • I used fresh garlic to in this sauce as it adds a nice texture to it, but you are welcome to use garlic powder if needed.
  • Red wine vinegar is what is typically used in chimichurri, but you could use a white vinegar (like apple cider or white wine vinegar) if you’re in a pinch! Some recipes also use lemon juice, which also adds acidity.
  • If you enjoy a little kick, some chimichurri recipes also call for a pinch of red pepper flakes.
 
*SERVING IDEAS: This recipe is a source of protein and healthy fats. I’d recommend pairing it with a starch (like a complex carbohydrate) and some non-starchy veggies to make a complete, nutritionally-balanced meal. I’ve included a handful of pairing ideas for you in the blog post above!

Nutrition

As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.

Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!

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Pinterest graphic for a baked chimichurri salmon recipe.
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