No-Fail Keto Cilantro Pesto Salmon Recipe

Keto Cilantro Pesto Salmon

yield: 4 SERVINGS

prep time: 15 MINUTES

cook time: 10 MINUTES

total time: 25 MINUTES

Ingredients

For the Cilantro Lime Pesto:

  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1 1/4 cups cilantro, packed
  • 1/3 cup avocado oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • juice from 1 lime

For the Salmon:

  • 4- 5 oz. pieces of fresh salmon
  • pinch of salt and pepper for each piece of fish

Directions

1

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.

2

For the Cilantro Lime Pesto:

To a food processor, add garlic and pine nuts. Turn on and process until finely chopped, about 3-5 seconds. Add in half the oil and all the cilantro, and process for a few more seconds. Add in the remaining oil, salt, parmesan cheese, and lime juice, and process until smooth. If it's too thick, add another tablespoon of oil.

3

Pat the fish dry and place skin side down on the prepared sheet pan. Season each piece with a pinch of salt and pepper. Spoon a couple of teaspoons of pesto over each piece of fish.

4

Bake in the oven for 10-11 minutes until the fish is flaky and cooked through. Serve warm and enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Yield: 4 pieces of fish, Serving Size: 5 oz.
Amount Per Serving: 472 Calories | 36.2g Fat | 2.6g Total Carbs | 0.5g Fiber | 0.6g Sugar | 33.9g Protein | 2.1g Net Carbs

Brought to you by Hip2Keto.

Hip2Keto may earn a small commission via affiliate links in this post. Read our full disclosure policy here.

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2 Comments
4.9 / 9 ratings
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This bakes pesto salmon recipe is too good not to add to your weekday menu!

placing pesto on the keto salmon

Could you use a fresh new way to serve salmon for dinner?

Consider baking salmon in the oven with a quick homemade cilantro pesto bursting with lime and cilantro flavors. But to any pesto purists out there, fear not, as this topping still has parmesan cheese and pine nuts like traditional pesto.

Once baked, the pesto caramelizes over the fish for a flavorful keto salmon dish!

baked keto pesto salmon

If you love eating salmon at restaurants, yet have been intimidated to cook it at home, this is the recipe for you! A flaky piece of baked keto salmon is simple to pull off any night of the week with just 10 minutes in the oven. After coating the fish with the flavorful pesto sauce, it cooks up quickly in the oven without having to give too much attention to the cooking process!

Plus, salmon is a great fish for keto with 0g of carbs and lots of healthy fats, along with nutrients like B12 and Vitamin D3.

keto cilantro pesto salmon on plate with broccoli

Hip recipe tips for this pesto salmon recipe:

  • Not a cilantro fan? You can always substitute it with basil, parsley, or other herb options to keep the pesto more traditional.
  • I’m using pine nuts here, but you can use other nuts like pecans or almonds. Check out our list of the best keto nuts!
  • Traditional pesto uses olive oil (and you can use it here, too) but I thought the combination of cilantro and avocado oil here was YUM! Avocado oil is so great for keto because of its healthy fatty acids and anti-inflammatory properties.
  • This sauce is pretty versatile, as the cilantro pesto mix would be delicious baked over chicken or steak, too!

cilantro lime pesto ingredients

making cilantro lime pesto in a food processor

cilantro pesto in a small bowl

pesto in a bowl next to salmon

placing pesto on the salmon

putting cilantro pesto salmon in the oven

cilantro pesto salmon on parchment paper


Print

Keto Cilantro Pesto Salmon

yield: 4 SERVINGS

prep time: 15 MINUTES

cook time: 10 MINUTES

total time: 25 MINUTES

Whip up this brightly flavored cilantro pesto and then bake it over a piece of flaky salmon for an outstanding keto dinner all will love!

Ingredients

For the Cilantro Lime Pesto:

  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1 1/4 cups cilantro, packed
  • 1/3 cup avocado oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • juice from 1 lime

For the Salmon:

  • 4- 5 oz. pieces of fresh salmon
  • pinch of salt and pepper for each piece of fish

Directions

1

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.

2

For the Cilantro Lime Pesto:

To a food processor, add garlic and pine nuts. Turn on and process until finely chopped, about 3-5 seconds. Add in half the oil and all the cilantro, and process for a few more seconds. Add in the remaining oil, salt, parmesan cheese, and lime juice, and process until smooth. If it's too thick, add another tablespoon of oil.

3

Pat the fish dry and place skin side down on the prepared sheet pan. Season each piece with a pinch of salt and pepper. Spoon a couple of teaspoons of pesto over each piece of fish.

4

Bake in the oven for 10-11 minutes until the fish is flaky and cooked through. Serve warm and enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Yield: 4 pieces of fish, Serving Size: 5 oz.
Amount Per Serving: 472 Calories | 36.2g Fat | 2.6g Total Carbs | 0.5g Fiber | 0.6g Sugar | 33.9g Protein | 2.1g Net Carbs

Brought to you by Hip2Keto.

plated keto pesto salmon

This fish was flaky and had so much bright & fresh flavor!

My family absolutely loved this recipe and I was excited my kids did too. It was such a simple dish to prepare and I added a side of steamed broccoli to go along with it. I think a side of cauliflower rice would be yummy, too — enjoy!


Turn a can of tuna into a tasty ceviche lunch!


About the writer:

Lina has a Bachelor's Degree from Northern Arizona University with 11 years of blogging and photography experience having work featured in Today.com, Martha Stewart, Country Living, Fox News, Buzzfeed, and HGTV.


Join The Discussion

Comments 2

  1. Amy

    How long would this pesto keep in the fridge?

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      Hi Amy! It looks like the Pesto would last 4-5 days in the fridge. Hope you love it! 💞

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