This 5-ingredient oven baked creamy salmon is the kind of practical dinner that earns a regular place in the weekly rotation: it is simple, hands-off, and surprisingly elegant for how little prep it requires. Baking frozen salmon directly in a shallow pool of seasoned heavy cream creates a rich sauce as the fish cooks, and the method is especially useful on busy nights when you have salmon in the freezer but no time to thaw. The result is tender fish with a silky pan sauce that feels a bit reminiscent of classic cream-based fish preparations, streamlined for an easy home kitchen version.
Serve this salmon with rice, buttered egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread so nothing goes to waste when it is time to spoon up the creamy sauce. For vegetables, roasted broccoli, green beans, asparagus, or a crisp salad all balance the richness nicely, and a squeeze of lemon at the table brightens the whole plate.
5-Ingredient Oven Baked Creamy Salmon
Servings: 4
Ingredients
4 frozen raw skinless salmon portions, about 5 to 6 ounces each
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a medium oven-safe casserole dish large enough to hold the salmon portions in a single layer.
2. Place the frozen salmon portions in the casserole dish. Pour the heavy cream around and over the salmon so the pieces are mostly submerged. Sprinkle the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt evenly over the top.
3. Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon portions, until the salmon is opaque and flakes easily with a fork and the cream has thickened slightly into a sauce.
4. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes so the sauce settles a bit. Spoon some of the warm cream sauce over the salmon before serving.
Variations & Tips
Add lemon: If you have a lemon on hand, a little zest in the cream before baking or a squeeze of juice at the end will cut through the richness and make the salmon taste even brighter.
Swap the seasoning: Dill, parsley, chives, or a simple mix of black pepper and paprika all work well here. Salmon is forgiving, so this is an easy place to adapt the flavor profile to what is already in the pantry.
Watch the doneness: Because frozen salmon portions vary in thickness, start checking near the 30-minute mark. The fish should flake easily and reach a safe internal temperature of 145°F at the thickest part.
Use the sauce well: The cream sauce is mild but flavorful, so it benefits from being spooned over a starch like rice or potatoes. If you want a slightly thicker sauce, let the baked dish stand a few extra minutes before serving.
Make it a complete pan dinner: If the casserole dish is large enough, you can add quick-cooking vegetables such as thin asparagus or sliced zucchini during the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking so they cook in the cream alongside the fish.