Mediterranean Salmon with Baked Couscous is a one-pan dinner where salmon fillets bake underneath seasoned couscous. The couscous steams in the oven, while the salmon underneath stays moist. This flavorful meal is ready in less than an hour, and easily serves six.
Mediterranean Salmon with Baked Couscous at a Glance
- ⏱ Prep Time: 25 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 25 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 50 minutes
- 👪 Serves: 6
- 🍽️ Calories: 417
- 🌾 Main Ingredients: Salmon, couscous, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, raisins, almonds, capers, olives
- 👌 Why You'll Love It: Salmon bakes underneath Mediterranean couscous in one pan, staying moist while couscous absorbs lemony flavor.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS RECIPE ON
This remains one of my favorite ways to make salmon. The couscous is flavored with lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, olives, capers, and raisins. It comes together easily, and once it's in the oven, there's plenty of time to straighten up and relax before dinner.
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!)
Lemon juice brings brightness to this Mediterranean-inspired salmon. For more recipes that feature the same tangy citrus, check out my Lemony Lentil Soup and Lemon Bars with a Shortbread Crust.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
You'll love Mediterranean Salmon with Baked Couscous because:
- 🐟 The salmon steams in the couscous, keeping it moist every time.
- 🍋 Lemon, parsley, and olive oil bring tabbouleh vibes to the couscous.
- 🥣 Raisins, almonds, capers, and olives make the couscous complex enough to stand on its own, and special enough to serve to company.
- ✨ Everything bakes in one dish - dinner takes care of itself once it's in the oven.
Key Ingredients
Salmon: Use fresh or thawed salmon, preferably skinless.
Couscous: Small like rice, it's actually a pasta. Use small, Moroccan-style couscous - both regular and whole wheat work. Don't use Israeli or pearl couscous, which is larger and won't cook as well. Don't include the spice packet if one's included with your couscous. I also use couscous with my Stewed Chicken and Chickpeas.
Parsley: Flat-leaf or Italian parsley is easier to cut finely than curly parsley. Only use fresh parsley - dried flakes have no flavor. I add as much parsley as I can, but I occasionally skip it if I forget to go to the grocery store.
Lemon juice: The key flavor for the couscous since we don't use broth. Fresh is best, but this is a rare time when bottled lemon juice also works. Use extra juice from fresh lemons to make my vegetarian Lemony Lentil Soup.
Raisins: Add a bit of sweet contrast and texture, but omit them if you'd like.
Almonds: Substitute pine nuts for almonds or just leave them out.
Olives and capers: Capers are flower buds of the caper bush, packed in brine just like olives. If you don't like one, replace it with the other, keeping the volume the same. Green, black, and kalamata olives all work.
Note: I recommend you omit no more than two of the mix-ins, or the dish may be bland.
How to Make Mediterranean Salmon with Baked Couscous
I adapted this recipe from Salmon with a Couscous Crust from Tyler Florence on the Food Network. It claimed to serve two, but I've adjusted it since we found it always served more.
Cut the salmon into 6 pieces and place them in the bottom of a greased baking dish with a little space between each piece - it'll slow down cooking if they touch much. Top with salt and pepper.
One: Mix together the couscous, chopped parsley, raisins, almonds, olives, capers, and lemon juice.
Two: Top the salmon with the couscous mixture.
Three: Pour on the water, being careful not to uncover the salmon. Smooth out the couscous so all of it is wet, then drizzle with olive oil.
Four: Bake for 25 minutes, until the salmon is done.
Use a thermometer to take the temperature of the salmon. You want it around 140-145F; the fish may become tough if you cook it beyond that. If you don't have a thermometer, test the salmon with a fork - the fish should flake easily.
Serving and Storage
Serve immediately. Since the dish is so flavorful, I typically serve it alongside unseasoned vegetables like green beans or peas.
Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator. Eat cold or reheated - I prefer it warm. Break up the salmon and nestle it beneath the couscous before reheating it gently in the microwave, sprinkling it with a few drops of water to keep it from drying out.
Mediterranean Salmon with Baked Couscous FAQ
Salmon is done at 140-145F on an instant-read thermometer. You can also use a fork to see if it flakes easily. Do not overbake; salmon becomes tough if cooked past 145F.
Use small, Moroccan-style couscous that cooks in about 5 minutes on the stovetop; it takes longer in the oven because the water has not boiled yet. Pearl or Israeli couscous won't cook properly due to its larger size, and the extra time needed to cook it would overcook the salmon.
Capers are the buds of the caper bush, preserved in salt or brine. Look for them in the international foods or Italian aisle at the grocery store, as well as at Trader Joe's and sometimes at Lidl. They come in a small jar, which will usually be enough to make this recipe 2-3 times.
Hands-Off Weeknight Dinners
I love recipes that take minimal effort once you get them going, like these other weeknight favorites.
I hope this becomes a recipe you'll return to. If you try it, a star rating below helps others find it - and I'd love to hear how yours turns out in the comments! 💕 Questions or trouble? Drop a note, and I'll do my best to help.
📖 Recipe
Mediterranean 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 bunch parsley (chopped, 1-2 cups)
- ¼ cup raisins (42 grams)
- ¼ cup almonds (28 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 (2.3 liter capacity). Place salmon on the bottom, without sides touching if possible, 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. Smooth out the couscous so it's all in the water, then drizzle olive oil along the top.
- Bake at 375F for 25 minutes. Fish will reach a temperature of 140-145F and will flake easily when done.
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.
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.