Baked Salmon Nuggets

We serve these baked salmon nuggets with the most delicious basil ranch dipping sauce. These nuggets bake in less than 15 minutes, use ingredients you probably already have, and will please even the pickiest of eaters.

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• Why We Love This Recipe
• Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Top Tips
• Frequently asked questions
• Great Side Pairings
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why We Love This Recipe

• It's easy: This recipe is so easy. Cut your salmon into nugget-sized chunks, toss them in some oil and spices, and pop them in the oven. The optional basil ranch is also super easy—you just have to throw everything in a food processor and blend it until it's smooth.
• It's fast: These nuggets take around 10 minutes to bake, and the basil ranch takes minutes.
• It's fun: Salmon nuggets are a great alternative to basic chicken nuggets. Looking to change up your favorite easy weeknight meal? Look no further.
• It's inexpensive: Most of the ingredients needed for this recipe are pretty basic and probably already hanging out in your pantry.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

For the salmon nuggets:

Salmon: We prefer the taste (and health and environmental benefits) of wild-caught salmon. Use whatever you prefer. If you use frozen salmon, make sure it's completely defrosted before cooking. We often buy a bag of frozen salmon from Costco so we always have some on hand.

Seasoning blend: Brown sugar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, ground cayenne, salt, and black pepper. If you follow a Paleo diet or prefer to eat unrefined sugars, coconut sugar is a good substitute for the brown sugar.

For the basil ranch dipping sauce:

Mayonnaise: We use a mixture of mayonnaise and greek yogurt for our base. If you don't like mayonnaise, you can replace it with greek yogurt.

Greek yogurt: We like to use greek yogurt because it adds some protein to the ranch and we like the flavor (plus we always have it on hand!). If you don't like greek yogurt, you can substitute sour cream.

Basil: Make sure you use fresh basil. Dried basil isn't a good substitute in this recipe.

See recipe card for full ingredient list and amounts.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Step 2: Place salmon nuggets in a large mixing bowl. Add olive oil, brown sugar, paprika, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, and ground cayenne, and mix to combine. Then place the nuggets on a sheet pan, leaving space in between each one.

Step 3: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked to your preferred temperature (we like ours at about 125°F). The nuggets should flake easily when prodded with a fork.

Step 4: To make the optional basil ranch dipping sauce, add mayonnaise, greek yogurt, basil, lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper to a food processor and process until smooth.

Top Tips

• Don't overcook the salmon. Depending on how big you cut your salmon chunks and how thick your salmon is, yours might cook faster or slower than ours. Check it often to make sure it's not overcooking and drying out. Perfectly cooked salmon should flake easily. We like ours cooked to about 125°F.
• Get thick salmon fillets if you can—thick fillets are easier to cut into nuggets and you'll get a more even cook.
• Don't skip the basil ranch. It's so delicious and the perfect fresh dipping sauce for these nuggets. Alternatively, you could use our lime aioli.
• These salmon nuggets are also great in the air fryer. Air fry them at 400°F for 7-9 minutes.
• Check out this tutorial on removing salmon skin if you're having trouble cutting your salmon.

Great Side Pairings

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