two servings of baked salmon with sun-dried tomato aioli and zucchini on pink and white plates.

This creamy, nutritious aioli sauce for baked salmon comes together in just 5 minutes, and is flavor packed with simple ingredients like fresh tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, fresh herbs and garlic. It’s the perfect low-effort weeknight dinner recipe!

I have the best aioli sauce for salmon! Passed down from my mom, this nutritious sundried tomato aioli is perfect to top your baked salmon with. It’s a flavor-packed sauce that’ll totally amp up your weeknight meal game. It also makes for the perfect easy entertaining recipe for guests!

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As a busy dietitian and mom myself, I love quick cooking salmon for the perfect low-effort weeknight win. (I’ve got a bunch more well balanced weeknight meals here for you if you need them too!) And this baked salmon with homemade aioli is a fave in my house! 

The Best Aioli Sauce for Salmon

While we all love a good dill and lemon salmon topping, sometimes you want an equally easy sauce to make this beloved dinner staple stand out. (This miso-yogurt salmon is another fan favorite!)

My 6 ingredient aioli comes together in just 5 minutes, with the entire dish taking only 20 minutes from start to finish. My favorite part? The sun dried tomatoes in this delicious salmon aioli make it feel gourmet!

All the ingredients for Lindsay Pleskot's tomato aioli in separate bowls on a counter top.

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Fresh salmon
  • Sun-dried tomatoes
  • Fresh cherry tomatos
  • Garlic
  • Fresh parsley
  • Dijon mustard
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt and pepper

No Mayonnaise Here!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a mayo fan over here, but for those of you who are looking for an alternative to a mayo based aioli, you’ve found your match! The secret ingredient to giving this sauce a creamy base is the dijon mustard!

Fresh fillets of salmon in a cast iron pan ready to go in the oven.

Hints and Tips!

Do I need a food processor to make this recipe? 

You can totally make this recipe without a food processor. Having one just speeds up the process!!

How do I prevent my salmon from getting soggy?

Because there’s a decent amount of moisture in this creamy aioli, to prevent a soggy meal, make sure your salmon is dry before baking it. Extra moisture means steam—which prevents a crisp outer crust. So I pat mine down with a paper towel after removing it from the package. Then I drizzle a bit of oil on the bottom of the pan to help it crisp up!

If you like a firmer consistency to your salmon, you can also cook it a bit longer. But test out different cook times: this one works at just 12 minutes baking time. But depending on the cut, size, and thickness, your salmon may cook in as little as 8 minutes, or up to 15 minutes or so!

two servings of baked salmon with sun-dried tomato aioli and zucchini on pink and white plates.

What Do I Do with Leftover Aioli?

If you have leftover aioli, you can refrigerate it (for up to a week) and use it for later! Plus, it’s another delicious snack to have on hand! My toddler loves dipping anything in sauce! (Well really, don’t we all?!! haha)

Dollop a bit onto crackers or sliced baguette, add to pasta as a pesto-like sauce, or spread a thin layer on some toast—it’s also nice with fried or scrambled eggs—and you’ll be drooling for days!

Now let’s get cooking!

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Baked salmon fresh out of the oven.

Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli for Baked Salmon

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Lindsay Pleskot
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Total Time: 22 minutes
  • Yield: serves 2
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: North American
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Print Recipe

Description

This creamy, healthy aioli sauce for baked salmon comes together quickly and is flavor packed. Healthy baked salmon recipes like this are the perfect low-effort weeknight win. This recipe is a favorite in my house!

Ingredients

Scale

Baked Salmon

  • 2 x 4-5 oz salmon filets
  • Freshly-cracked pepper
  • Coarse salt

Sundried Tomato Aioli

  • 3 sundried tomato halves, chopped
  • 1 tbsp garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp parsley or basil, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • Coarse salt
  • Freshly-cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Soak sun-dried tomatoes in boiling water for 10-15 mins. (Alternatively, you can use the pre-chopped ones that come in oil, then leave out the step where we add olive oil.)
  3. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and place them in a small bowl.
  4. Add minced garlic, chopped parsley/basil, dijon mustard, and olive oil to the same bowl.
  5. Mix ingredients well (or pulse in a food processor for a smoother texture). Add quartered cherry tomatoes and stir until combined. Place mixture to the side.
  6. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper and place on a foil-lined baking pan or cast iron pan.
  7. Bake for 6 mins. Remove from the oven and flip over.
  8. Add half the aioli on top and bake for an additional 6 minutes—or until easily flaked with a fork. Thicker pieces of salmon may require additional baking time.

Notes

This dish is delicious with roasted potatoes and vegetables (like baked zucchini!) or a fresh salad.

Did You Make This?

If you made and enjoyed this recipe, please tag me in your photos on Instagram @lindsaypleskot.rd so I can see your beautiful salmon plates! And if you have any questions, just pop them into the in the comments below! I love to hear your feedback!