This Keto Baked Pesto Salmon is what I make when I want dinner to feel like more effort than it actually was. A creamy pesto and spinach sauce goes under the salmon instead of over it, so the fish bakes right in all that flavor.
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I buy pre-portioned salmon fillets for this one, so there’s no cutting a whole side of fish, just grab what I need for however many I’m feeding. It also works well for a mixed table, since I can serve rice or noodles alongside it for the non-keto eaters in the house while the salmon itself stays entirely low-carb.
Check your pesto’s label before you buy it. Jarred pesto sometimes hides added sugar or starch you wouldn’t expect in a savory sauce.
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Chef Jenn’s Take on Keto Baked Pesto Salmon
A lot of home cooks avoid cooking salmon altogether because they’ve dried it out one too many times. That fear is usually about heat, not skill. The biggest mistake people make is cooking salmon at too high a temperature, which pushes the fish past done before you even notice.
Baking the salmon directly on top of the sauce, rather than serving the sauce alongside afterward, is what keeps the fish from drying out here. The sauce insulates the bottom of the fillet while it bakes, and pulling it at 145°F internal, not a minute later, is what keeps it moist and flaky instead of dry. For more low-carb seafood dinners like this one, check out my Seafood collection.
What You’ll Love About Keto Baked Pesto Salmon
- It comes together in about twenty minutes, which matters on a weeknight when a fancy-tasting dinner still needs to happen fast.
- The pesto and spinach sauce alone is worth making this for, and it works just as well soaked up by a fork as it does over rice for anyone else at the table.
- It uses pre-portioned fillets, so there’s no cutting or guessing involved, just grab what you need and go.
Ingredients
- Salmon fillets – 4 to 6 ounces each, or whatever size you have on hand.
- Chicken broth – Low or no sodium works best so you can control the salt level.
- Cream cheese – Half a block, softened.
- Spinach – Steamed and squeezed dry, or thawed frozen spinach squeezed dry works too.
- Basil pesto – Check the label for hidden sugar or starch before buying.
- Lemon zest – Optional, but it adds real brightness.
- Fresh parsley – Optional garnish.
How To Make Keto Baked Pesto Salmon
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat the chicken broth until very hot, then whisk it into the cream cheese until fully dissolved and smooth.
Stir in the basil pesto, lemon zest, and cooked spinach until well combined.
Spread the sauce evenly across the bottom of a baking dish large enough to hold the salmon in a single layer. Lay the salmon fillets over the sauce and season liberally with salt and pepper.
Bake for about 10 minutes, until the salmon is flaky and reaches 145°F internally on a digital thermometer. Don’t guess on this one, an actual thermometer reading is the difference between moist and overcooked.
Serve with a generous spoonful of sauce over each fillet, finished with fresh parsley.
Make It A Meal
I serve this over zucchini noodles most nights to soak up the sauce, or alongside Grilled Veggies for something with a bit more char. If you want more salmon dinners in your rotation, Salmon Lemon Herb Butter Sauce and Salmon with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce both make good alternates for a different sauce on a different night.
Storage
Leftover fish is best eaten within 1 to 2 days, so store it in an airtight container in the fridge and don’t push past that window. Reheat gently in a low oven rather than the microwave, which tends to overcook salmon and make a mess in the process.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Use a digital thermometer and pull the salmon at 145°F internal temperature. Cooking past that point, even by a minute or two, is what dries salmon out.
Yes, thaw it first and squeeze out as much liquid as possible before adding it to the sauce, or it will water down the finished dish.
Check the ingredient label for added sugar or starch, which sometimes shows up in jarred pesto even though it reads as a savory sauce.
Yes, the salmon and sauce stay entirely low-carb on their own, so serving regular rice or pasta on the side for anyone else at the table doesn’t change the dish itself.
Add Preferred SourceKeto Baked Salmon Pesto
Ingredients
- 4 salmon filets 4-6 ounces
- 1 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 ounces baby spinach wilted
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest optional
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400-F.
- Heat the chicken broth until it is very hot and mix it with the cream cheese until the cream cheese is dissolved.
- Add the basil pesto, lemon zest, and cooked spinach to the sauce. Mix well to combine.
- Transfer the sauce to a baking dish large enough to hold the salmon. Spread it evenly on the bottom.
- Lay the salmon filets over the top of the sauce and season them liberally with salt and pepper.
- Bake the salmon and sauce in a 400-F oven for about 10 minutes or until the fish is flaky and cooked, or has reached an internal temperature of 145-F on a digital thermometer.
- Serve the salmon with a generous amount of sauce and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe Card Tips
- Use a digital thermometer and pull the salmon at 145°F. The most common reason salmon dries out is simply cooking it a minute or two too long.
- Squeeze the spinach dry, whether fresh or thawed from frozen. Extra liquid waters down the sauce and can leave it thinner than intended.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed. Erythritol carbs (sugar substitutes) are not included in the carbohydrate counts as they have been shown not to impact blood sugar, and they have zero calories and zero carbs. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
WANT EVEN MORE EASY KETO DIET RECIPES?
I’m always in the kitchen creating new recipes, and while some of them are big hits, I get some misses, too. But these are some of my favorite all-time recipes:
- Crack cauliflower
- This dump-and-go Instant Pot recipe
- Tex-Mex beefy goodness
- Grilled vegetables
- Keto French dip chaffwich
Ummm…Yummmm! Salmon is my all time favorite! I don’t cook it often because I tend to dry it out and I appreciate the internal temperature that is given in the recipe! It’s clear that you are a professional chef and it’s something that shows in your recipes and Blog! I cook and I cook…meh okay. I’m gonna give this one a try for sure! okay… a little better than meh, but, you know…
Please do try it! Don’t be afraid of cooking salmon. The biggest mistake is people tend to cook it at too high a heat and it dries out! I hope you love this recipe. Thanks for stopping by to comment! ~Jenn
This was absolutely delicious – I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfect. Loved the cream cheese, pesto and lemon zest combo. Will be adding to my keto recipe rotation!