Stephan's Broiled Salmon Pesto

This was excellent! My husband and neighbors LOVED it! I didnt use nearly as much pesto as suggested I just coated the fillet generously I didnt measure just put on a thick coat. Next time Ill broil the fish for a few min THEN put the pesto on then continue cooking so that the pesto doesnt burn and get dried up. Deffinetly will make again!!

I made this for my boyfriend who loves pesto, and it just didn't do anything for us. Because all of the pesto was on top, we couldn't flip the salmon and the fillets didn't cook all of the way through before almost burning. Definitely won't try this one again

Delicious! For those who had issues with the cooking method -- suggest you watch "Chef John's" video for pesto-broiled salmon. Once the fillets are coated with pesto, begin by placing your baking sheet on the stove burner, just for a couple of minutes to give the bottom of the fish a head start. Move to the broiler (approx 8 inches from flame) until browned. Then reset oven to 350 and bake for a few minutes til its to your liking. This is the method I've used and it's worked like a charm.

Very nice recipe. I don't think you need that much pesto, especially if you're looking for a healthier dish. It does keep it nice and moist, but the fat content in pesto is insane! Very easy to prepare, but not skimpy at all. Bravo!

Great dish! Just make sure you place the broiler pan at least 8-9" away from the broiler as to not burn the pesto before the fish is cooked.

i followed the recipe, but the pesto did not form any kind of crust, and it just came out as a big piece of salmon with pesto smeared over it. i'm not impressed.

This was very good! I took some other suggestions and baked the fish first - 400 degrees for 15 minutes - then put on the pesto and broiled it on low for 5 minutes, high for 3. HOWEVER, the pesto wasn't crispy how I would've liked - next time, I think I'll bake for 10 minutes, then add the pesto and broil on high for at least 10 minutes to make it nice and browned. The only changes I made to the ingredients was not using as much pesto as was called for. Will definitely make this again!

A different way to eat salmon. Definitely add the garlic roasted red potatoes, adding a little lemon right before serving. Yum.

Elegant and easy!! Will definitely make again. Thanks Stephan

An outstanding recipe, definitely worth repeating. What a wonderful mixture of flavors and textures. pharmboyAK

I am not a fish fan but now I am! This was great and easy.

Great presentation, and it tasted good.

My husband and I really enjoyed this meal, and I am not a huge fish fan. My son (almost 2) wasn't a huge fan, but he did eat some of it.

This sounds very good. I think I will use less pesto. This made me laugh though: Use pliers to pull out any that remain. Could only be written by a man!!!! I've never seen pliers in my kitchen !!

excellent! my only change was adding crushed toasted pine nuts over the top - gave it a good, slightly crunchy texture.

Quick, easy and delicious!

This was an excellent recipe. Will use it again. Only thing that I will change is the cooking time - fish could have used an extra 5 minutes of cooking time - since it hadn't cooked all the way thru' to the bottom 1/4" - but was still tasty. Don't think you can really "overcook" this dish - due to the fish being in the wine/lemon mixture.

Shazaaaaam!!! My family loved it. My husband doesn't like pesto and my son isn't big on fish dishes but they couldn't say anything bad about this one. I have to admit, slathering on pesto sauce as thick as this is a bit unnerving but when they tasted it and their eyes lit up.... it was all worth the anguish. I followed the recipe exactly!!! Everyone was wrinkling their noses as I prepared it and just knew it would "suck" but as soon as my husband tasted it, he said "Wow, what a great flavor this has". Thanks Stephan!!!

This was pretty good. I just spread the pesto on top to taste; it did not form a crust. I didn't have any lemon, but would have preferred having some.

This was very good - but I made a few modifications. I used the tomato based pesto and baked (not broiled) for 25 @375. I could imagine the caloric content of using regular pesto at even 1 cup! I used only 1/2 cup for 2.5lbs of salmon. Still very delicious. Topped it over "Salmon and Spinach Fettuccine" that is posted on this site. Magnifique!

I was a bit doubtful about this recipe, as I love salmon so much that I tend to like it "plain" or with very little seasonings, however the pesto stands right up to the salmon without overwhelming the flavor. My pesto crust didn't quite brown - I should have broiled it more like six inches from the broiler (at 425F) rather than the nine. But still, this was absolutely delicious - a definite repeat!

This is the best salmon recipe that I've ever cooked! Two of my guests asked for the recipe. Nice presentation and so tasty! Since I have a gas stove, the broiler cooks very quickly, so I had to bake the salmon for about 5-10 min before broiling the top. I'll definitely cook this again! Thanks for sharing!

This is definitely a keeper! So simple to prepare, but very attractive plated and tasted wonderful! It doesn't hurt at all to let it marinate longer than 15 minutes.

If I could give this recipe more stars I would! I LOVE this recipe! This is so easy and so impressive for company! I have made this for almost every guest I have over and also for 2 very elegant dinner parties I have had. I serve the salmon with a rice pilaf and some grilled vegetables. From start to finish this dinner takes me just 20 minutes! Every time I make it someone asks for the recipe! And to comment on the comment above me by LeeLee222 - the pesto is better when blackened. The flavor of the blackened pesto is to die for! When I serve it I generally tell people the pesto is suppose to be blackened. I also choose to make my own pesto because I can make it thicker and less runny than the bottled stuff.

Excellent. I made my own pesto, I only needed about a cup, slathered it on and broiled it for around 20 min. The crispy pesto melted in our mouths. I made for my folks who thought it was exquisite. I served with pasta w/ the remaining pesto and a green salad. Thanks for the idea!

I used less pesto than the recipe called for, and still thought it was plenty. Just enough to coat the salmon. I covered it with pecan panko (bread crumbs) - baked at 375 for 15 min then broiled for about 5. It was crispy on top, and the salmon very moist. Can't tell you how it was cold, there were no leftovers!

This salmon really was delish. I made it for a group of 12 women and I believe all of them liked it. I left the pesto off part of one of the filets and that was also a hit for those who don't like pesto. I read the other comments so I made the Pesto from scratch instead of using the convenient one from Costco that I had bought. Great idea as I think it did make a difference. Lemon is a necessity. I broiled it on hi mostly but lowered to lo. 8 minutes did it perfectly. I refigerated it for a few hours and we ate it cold. Awesome! I served it with the Risotto Cake from this site and Roasted Vegetables. A bikini martini was the starter drink and we had a great evening. Perfect for a hot summer day.

We made this last night and it was fantastic. I did take it off broil and bake it until it was done after the pesto had a good dark crust on it from broiling it. The crusty pesto was the best.

This is one excellent recipe for salmon. It was tough watching that expensive pesto turn brown, but it was soooo good! Forget the review that says this stinks up your house - I don't know what kind of salmon they were cooking, but there was no smell of any kind.

Great recipe! I don't even like salmon, and this was fabulous! The pesto and wine are the perfect compliment to the strong taste of the salmon. Thanks for the submission.

yummy! easy to make, too!

This is a 10-star recipe! FABULOUS!! I was only broiling a small piece, so I didn't use a ton of pesto, & I also sprinkled some seasoned breadcrumbs on top of the pesto. I baked my salmon for 15 minutes or so before turning on the broiler. The breadcrumbs helped to make a perfect crust on top! A bit of pepper & a pinch of shredded parmesan was a little added bonus on top! (I forgot my last lemon, but I didn't miss it!) Some asparagus rounded out this perfect recipe! I'll definitely be making this again!! Thanks!

Excellent recipe. It created quite a bit of smoke, and I thought it was going to be burnt, but the end result was perfect. I think the other reviewer's suggestion of using another method of cooking(grilling, stovetop) misses the point. Broiling creates a perfect crust on the salmon, and imparts a magnificient flavor. I did use quite an expensive pesto though...

Great! Great! Great! I was sceptical about this but, to my and my husband's delight, it turned out wonderfully. The pesto was delicious once nice and brown. The fish was INCREDIBLY moist, flaky, and tender. I used a .75lb piece of salmon, coated it about 1/8 of an inch thick with pesto, broiled it on the second rack from the top, uncovered, for 20 minutes and it was PERFECT!

My being from Oregon I am a Natural for this recipe - I was looking for a recipe for "The 4th" and now I've found it! What I think I will do instead of cooking this in a pan in the oven, because of our heat in Las Vegas, I will cook on the grill - either way it will be OUTSTANDING! Thank you Stephan!

I made this tonight, and my husband was not impressed. He thought the flavor of the fish (from the wine and lemon) was great, but he did not like the pesto on it at all. On the plus side, I cooked the salmon perfectly, and once my husband scraped off the pesto, he was able to enjoy his meal more. We will not be making this again.

This was fantastic. The "blackened" pesto is delicious. I expected it to taste like burned grass, but I guess the cheese, olive oil, and nuts in the pesto are enough to just sort of fry and "carmelize" the basil. YUM!

I would give this easy and delicious recipe a 10! Oh my gosh! My brother and I were so impressed with how good this was. We will definitely be making it again soon.....

These were okay; they turned out really salty though. I suppose that is only because of the pesto I used (Trader Joe's). If I used a different pesto with less salt and more garlic, I think these would have tasted much better.

I just used the pesto but no lemon and it was really good!

Very simple to make. I roasted at 425 for 7 minutes and then broiled for 7 minutes. It wasn't crispy but it wasn't soupy either. Next time I will move the pan closer to the broiler.

I decided to bake this at 375 for about 20 minutes and then broil for a few minutes to finish off. I added sea salt and black pepper to the salmon before topping with the pesto (which I used less than stated). This was really good and I will be making it again. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

My family loves salmon, so we looked forward to trying this out. However, I was very dissapointed by this recipe, which was rated 4 1/2 stars. I expected it to be very good, but we did not like this. The flavor of the salmon was nice, but my husband and kids did not like it with the pesto; they ended up taking it off before they would eat it. I didn't think it was terrible, but it certainly was not very good and I will definitely not be making this again.

I'd give this more stars if I could. I made this last night and it was outstanding! Everyone loved it! It was perfection. I would serve this to company. I had it cold for breakfast this morning and it was sensational even cold like Stephan said. Thanks so much for the wonderful and versatile recipe.

My husband I LOVE this recipe! I didn't change a thing.

This was awesome! Really easy and it didn't stink up the house (not sure why). I thought the pesto would be really strong tasting but it was not! Very yummy!

Love this recipe. It's easy, elegant and delicious. Best dish I've tried in a long, long time. Thanks Stephan!

I thought this recipe was going to be great and it was just okay. There was a nice crust from the pesto. However, I used a jarred pesto and I noticed all of the olive oil that was used in the pesto separated causing much splattering in the broiler. My fiance says for lack of a better recipe we may try it again for the salmon.

This recipe was DELICIOUS! I made it for my mom and dad and they absolutely loved it. The pesto made the salmon so delicious! The lemon juice made it taste great too! It was easy to make. I am a beginner at cooking and this was my first attempt at cooking salmon and it turned out great!! This is a recipe you don't want to miss!

My children now LOVE salmon! I broiled it on the center rack, which eliminated any smoking or stinking up the kitchen. This recipe is now a family favorite and is simple enough to cook on any day of the week.

Wonderful recipe. I prepared it, then put it in the oven (around 400F / 200C / Gas Mark 9) for 30 minutes instead of grilling (broiling) it. My family thought it was really delicious. The leftovers were great the next day as well.

Not my favorite salmon recipe, but it was pretty good. Everybody liked it.

This was sooo good, and really easy!!!

Extremely easy and very tasty! I went for the thicker layer of pesto and will go a bit easier on the pesto next time or make my own without as much olive oil in it...end result was a bit too oily, but still tasted very nice.

Absolutely delicious, especially considering the simplicity. Will be making again and again. Thanks!!

Very easy and doesn't require many ingredients. I didn't even have wine. But salmon came out real flavorful and delicious. My broiler has High and Low settings - I used Low and it was perfect - took about 25 minutes. Thank you.

I like pesto and I like salmon, but this recipe was not that great. It's just too much pesto, however I do like the light flavor of the white wine mixed with the pesto. We ate it, but I won't be making this one again.

I loved this recipe - especially great for non-fish lovers (like me). It took me at least 15 minutes to get the topping browned but my thick filet was cooked perfectly. This would be a good company dish as it is elegant and you can put it under the broiler while enjoying a first course soup or salad.

LOVE THIS!!! I love salmon and this is my favorite all time salmon recipe, and so easy. I serve this salmon over salad with goat cheese, it is wonderful!

I've used this recipe in the past (cookbook) and its a great change of pace to the everyday salmon preparation. For those who have issue with over browning, simply lower your rack or eat salmon medium to medium rare, which is how it tastes best anyway. The crust will not be crispy. It inherently goes on wet and forms a moist crust.

Fantastic! I used salmon steaks and homemade pesto. Couldn't have been easier to make. I will definitely make this recipe again. It is rare to find something so good that is so easy to make. I think this would be a fantastic dish to make when you have company--you know you wouldn't have to stress about the main course and it definitely tastes special.

Simple, fast, and delicious. My class didn't get out until 9pm tonight, and with this recipe, I was enjoying a delicious meal 20 minutes after I got home. Per other suggestions, I broiled a bit prior to putting on the pesto. The pesto didn't completely crust, but I was concerned about cooking the fish thoroughly, and it was still very good. I had a fairly thick piece of salmon, so I broiled for 5 minutes with just the lemon and wine, then added the pesto and broiled for another 5 minutes. Perfect!

Very nice way to prepare salmon. Taste is great and the presentation is nice, however, the broiling will stink up your whole kitchen. Ocassionaly it is worth it to compromise a messy stinky kitchen for a very nice dish. Not a very good dinner for guests.

It was an interesting idea (and seemed great for using up leftover pesto), but the pesto never hardened and I was left with a bunch of gloppy pesto over over-cooked salmon :( I started the pan far from the broiler and gradually brought it nearer until it was directly below-much longer than 8-10 minutes total-and it never burned :P

In the mountains for the weekend and didn't feel like waiting for the bbq to heat up to make our salmon. This recipe was so easy and delicious. My son and husband are pretty picky and they loved it! I too will try the panko breadcrumb addition that other viewers suggested. I did bake the salmon first and then added the pesto and put under the broiler. Definitely keep a close eye on it because yes, it will burn if you don't. I can't wait to make it for some neighbors at home in Newport Beach that love to cook.

I loved this salmon. The pesto really compliments it well. It was even really tasty cold from the fridge. Thanks Stephan!

My whole family loved this salmon--including my picky 3-yr-old and my even pickier 7-yr-old. I agree this dish would be very suitable for company. I used Classico Traditional Basil pesto, and it was delicious. I also used leftover chardonnay that I had previously frozen in a small plastic container. I'm so glad I hadn't poured it down the drain. I thawed it in the fridge, and it was perfect.

It can't get any simpler than this and it was very tasty.

Yum! My husband and I have made this two ways--broiling until the crust browns and also pulling it out a little earlier. We actually prefer it with the crust slightly softer. We've served this to company and got rave reviews.

My new favorite way to make Salmon!!!

Mmmmmm! That is all.

This is my husbands and my favorite recipe, we've been eating it once a week for the last few months. I only use a tail piece of salmon so there's no bones. We skip the extra slices of lemon and serve it over a rice pilaf made from a mixed wild rice blend cooked with chicken broth to give it flavor. Delicious with a spring green salad or steamed broccoli. YUM!!!!

This is SOOO good. The white wine and lemon really takes the "fishy" taste out of the salmon. For pesto, blend 2 oz. basil, 1/4 c parmesan, 1/4 c olive oil, 3 T pinenuts, 1 clove garlic, s & p. Served this with "Orzo with Parmesan and Basil" from this website, which is also awesome.

This was awesome!!!! I bought a jar of Pesto & Dill. Then, I pasted on to the salmon. Boy, they were great. My husband never eats leftover fish however he ate this one even next day!!! Thank you for the great recipe.

Very tasty. I made the pesto from scratch and ended up baking it until the fish was firm. I was afraid that browning the pesto would ruin the fresh flavors that are my favorite part of pesto.

I followed recipe for the most part. I used DeLallo Simply Pesto sun-dried tomato, basil, and cheese, little less than recipe. Broiled until well browned, almost burning top, then transferred 350 oven until done, about 1 minute. My filets not very thick. Now, my husband loves tomato but does not like salmon. He tasted and said pretty good. YAY! Serving cold to guests tomorrow and know it will be a hit.

We loved this. Great way to cook salmon. I slatheread a large tablespoon on each fillet, which was enough for our taste. Yummy.

Very good, but I was expecting the pesto to be crunchier. Yummy.

Nice balance of pesto, salmon flavor, anything cooked in wine ends to be delicious. Recipe is wonderful as it, I made my own pesto without nuts and didn't measure the amount of pesto, just spread on a nice layer. Would not alter the recipe at all. I cooked skin side up for 10 minutes, then coated with pesto and finished in the broiler. It was too long and the fish was a touch on the dry side. I would decrease cooking time or maybe broil for a few minutes then add the pesto. Will make again for sure and just adjust cooking time

This was simple and quick. I love salmon and this is one of the best ways I have found to prepare it.

Maybe just a little too pesto-ee for us, but everyone liked it and we are always looking for new salmon ideas.

we didn't like this.

This was without a doubt the best salmon I've ever had. I made this for a family dinner & there was nearly nothing left (& what was left I ate cold the next morning!) Yes, it's really that good.

This review is based on my changes/omissions. I omitted the lemon juice and wine. So basically it was pesto over salmon. Easy and good. I did take someone's suggestion and I baked at 375 for a few mins before broiling.

This was okay. Not terrible, not great. I wasn't sure what to expect from the other reviews -- seems like people either loved it or hated it. I was in the middle. I don't know that I'd make it again, but it was fairly decent. I think it is key to be sure that you are not putting the fish too close to the broiler. I baked it for about 22-25 minutes and the fish was done perfectly.

I am not a fish lover, but my husband is, so I make it for him once a week or so. I try to look for something that is not time consuming and healthy. He loves this salmon!! Bonus that it is a sinch to make. He likes it with roasted or mashed sweet potatoes and grilled veggies (eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and orange peppers) Yum!

I had a difficult time not burning the pesto. I actually had to remove the burnt parts, however my husband loved it.

I made this tonight it turned out very good but you have to watch the broiler closely Turn the broiler of when the crust is brown and let the salmon sit in the oven for 5 minutes Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe

I've repeatedly done it many times. My family loves it. And it's so easy to make. Takes no time!

Wow I loved this! I'm a total beginner and have only made salmon once before (in a pan) so I was nervous but this came out perfect. I probably could have left it under the broiler a little longer, I never got that "crust", but maybe that's because my fire alarm went off and I was impatient to eat it :) I added diced tomatoes and garbanzo beans on top just because my boyfriend is weird about fish and the more flavor to mask it the better. It was incredible!

Absolutely superb!

simple to prepare and very tasty. Will do this again for sure.

This recipe is WONDERFUL! My husband and I tried it, loved it, and several days later made it for 2 of our friends. Our friends raved about it. This is the best way I have ever eaten salmon. You HAVE to try it!!!

Yum, yum!! What a wonderful combination of flavors! I only wish I had more pesto, to balance the flavors a little, because the wild salmon I used had a strong flavor. I served this with Garlic Red Potatoes (also from this site) and a green salad. Very satifying meal. This recipe is one I'll definitely make again. Thanks, Stephan.

Tasted nice, not overly excited about it.

This was very yummy. I made my own pesto as I had overcooked broccoli I didn't want to toss out as well as lots of fresh basil. I made mine with the basil, broccoli, walnuts, a little olive oil, tofu and some seasonings. Took 2 minutes in the food processor. It was wonderful on the salmon and I'll be sure to make this recipe again

Perfect as is. Kids loved it. Needed a bit more than 10 minutes under broiler. Used 1.3 lb of salmon for 4.

This dish was average. The pesto didn't 'crust' like the recipe said it would. I'd make this again if I needed a quick dinner with little ingredients but wouldn't serve to dinner guests.

THIS RECIPE WAS UNBELIEVABLE! So incredibly easy to make, delicious cold as much as warm and makes a big impression on your guest(s). I recommend as an excellent recipe for a romantic picnic with a nice bottle of white wine.