Capsaicin Free Basil-Pesto Salmon Fillets
Bright, herbaceous, and genuinely impressive on the plate, this salmon dish is built around a creamy avocado-basil pesto that comes together in minutes. The pesto leans on fresh basil, lemon juice, garlic, and a touch of ground ginger for warmth — delivering bold, layered flavor without a single hot pepper or spicy ingredient in sight. That makes it a natural fit for anyone who needs to avoid capsaicin, since so many restaurant sauces and store-bought pestos sneak in chili flakes or pepper-based heat. Here, every ingredient is straightforward and easy to verify. The technique is just as satisfying as the flavors: a quick stovetop sear locks in a golden crust before the oven finishes the fillets gently, keeping them moist and flaky all the way through. Spooning the vibrant green pesto over the salmon just before roasting lets it meld into the fish and caramelize slightly at the edges. Finished with a squeeze of lemon and a few fresh basil leaves, this is the kind of weeknight dinner that looks like you tried much harder than you actually did.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- ½ medium avocado, pitted and scooped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
For the salmon
- 4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each), skin-on
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
For serving
- lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
- fresh basil leaves, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
- 2
Combine the basil, avocado, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and ground ginger in a food processor or blender. Pulse several times to break everything down, then stream in the 1/4 cup olive oil with the motor running until the pesto is smooth and bright green. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Set aside.
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