This delicious Salmon with Baked Couscous remains one of my favorite ways to make salmon. It's moist, flavorful, and ready for dinner in just an hour!
The salmon is baked under a layer of couscous flavored with olive oil, lemon juice, olives, capers, and raisins. The fish doesn't overcook since it's poached gently under the couscous.
I love how quickly the recipe comes together. Once it's in the oven, there's plenty of time to straighten up and relax before dinner. This makes it a great meal to serve to company! It easily feeds six. And leftovers make great lunches.
I first came across this recipe in grad school, back when I still printed out recipes. I didn't grow up eating fish, so this salmon with couscous was the only fish recipe I made for years. (At least now I've diversified by topping salmon with liberal amounts of Fennel Spice Rub!)
I hope you also enjoy this recipe enough to make it for years and years to come!
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Ingredients
This recipe takes salmon, couscous, and delicious, flavorful Mediterranean ingredients.
- Salmon
- Couscous
- Parsley
- Raisins and almonds
- Black olives and capers
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil
Use fresh or thawed salmon, preferably skinless.
Use regular or whole wheat couscous, but not pearl couscous, which is larger and won't cook as well. I like to get couscous at Trader Joe's as it's more cost-effective, but you can also buy it at the grocery store.
This dish is even tasty without the parsley, although I only skip it if I forget to go to the grocery store.
I don't particularly enjoy raisins in my savory dishes. Sometimes I skip them; other times I keep them in because my husband likes them.
I use almonds because they're less expensive and easier to find than pine nuts. Skip them if you'd prefer.
The unusual ingredient in this recipe is capers. They're the flower buds of the caper bush, and are usually packed in brine (much like olives and pickles). You can find capers at your usual supermarket or at Trader Joe's.
Although I don't like olives or pickles, I somehow like capers. I usually substitute extra capers for the olives. If you don't like capers, you can use extra olives instead. Green olives are what the original recipe called for, but black or kalamata should also go well in this.
This is one of the rare times when both bottled and fresh lemon juice work!
Instructions
I adapted this recipe from Salmon with a Couscous Crust from Tyler Florence on the Food Network. It purportedly served two, but I've adjusted it since we found it always served more.
To start, put up your salmon and place it in the bottom of a greased baking dish. Try to not have the fish touching, as that would slow down the cooking. Top it with salt and pepper.
- Mix together the couscous, chopped parsley, raisins, almonds, olives, capers, and lemon juice.
- Top the salmon with the couscous mixture.
- Pour on the water, being careful not to uncover the salmon. Drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake for 25 minutes, until the salmon is done.
Hint: I often use a probe thermometer (affiliate link) to take the temperature of the salmon. You want it around 140-145F; don't go past 145F. If you don't have a thermometer, scrape the salmon with a fork. The fish should flake. You can learn more about salmon doneness at Simply Recipes.
Serving and Storage
Serve immediately. I usually serve the recipe alongside peas or green beans.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator; they're delicious for a few days.
Recipe FAQ
I almost always use a thermometer to check the salmon. I aim for between 140-145F for doneness. Salmon is also done if it flakes with a fork. If the pan is crowded with the salmon, it may take a little longer to bake.
Capers are the buds of the caper bush, and they're preserved in salt or brine. I usually find them at Trader Joe's. In the grocery store, try the international foods or Italian aisle. They come in a jar, which will usually be enough to make this recipe 2-3 times.
More Favorite Meals
Here's some of my other favorite dinners!
Interested in other recipes? I save and share recipes I like or want to try on my Pinterest page - follow me there! You can also check out my Facebook page for more recipes and helpful tips. I'm also happy to try to help troubleshoot my recipes there.
Have you tried this recipe? Or have a question about it? Rate it or leave a comment below! (PS: rating my recipes helps other people find them, too!)
📖 Recipe
Salmon with Baked Couscous
Equipment
- 10x8 inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 24 ounces salmon fillets (skinned)
- salt and pepper
- 1 ½ cups couscous (250 grams)
- 1 cup parsley (1 bunch, chopped)
- ¼ cup raisins (42 grams)
- ¼ cup almonds (21 grams; slivered or sliced, and coarsely chopped)
- 3 tablespoons olives (24 grams; coarsely chopped)
- 2 tablespoons capers (17 grams; coarsely chopped)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (45 grams; the juice of one lemon)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (28 grams)
- 2 cups water (454 grams)
Instructions
- Grease a 10x8 inch baking dish (2.8 liter capacity). Place salmon on the bottom and season with salt and pepper.
- Combine couscous, parsley, raisins, almonds, olives, capers, and lemon juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spread couscous evenly over salmon fillets in baking dish.
- Pour water into the dish along the side so that the salmon stays covered by the couscous. Drizzle the olive oil along the top.
- Bake at 375F for 25 minutes. Fish will flake easily when done.
Notes
[Originally published in August 2017 and updated in April 2018. Revised and restructured August 15, 2025.]
Karen Middleton says
This recipe is absolutely delicious, and I highly recommend it for people who love seafood. I fixed it when I was by myself one night. My package of salmon contained four pieces, so dividing the ingredients by four proved an interesting experience. I left out the nuts due to my struggle figuring out the price measurement plus chopping such a small quantity didn't seem practical for one person.
I do wonder what recipes would be appealing for people who don't like seafood as much as I do.
Leona Konkel says
This remains one of my favorite recipes, even after almost 20 years. It's simple to put together, and flexible on what you add in. The salmon doesn't overcook! I hope you love it as much as we do.