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Home » Dinner

2-Ingredient Baked BBQ Salmon

Published: Mar 27, 2025 by Marni Katz · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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The fewer ingredients, the better, especially when dinner needs to happen fast. This 2-ingredient baked BBQ salmon came straight from a dinner table brainstorming session with my kids. They were debating all the best uses for BBQ sauce (a staple in our house), and someone casually suggested swapping it for pesto in our favorite pesto salmon recipe. One quick test later, and we had a new family favorite. 

This recipe reminds me of nother 2-ingredient wonder, my sesame ginger salmon, which is another easy way to bring big flavor with little effort.

With just two ingredients and almost no work, this salmon recipe is so easy that anyone in your house can make it, giving you a well-deserved break from dinner duty... for at least for one night. Let’s get cooking!

three pieces of bbq salmon nestled on a bed of spinach

Ingredients

ingredients for 2-ingredient bbq baked salmon
  • Salmon: I buy mine at Aldi or Costco depending on how many people I'm cooking for. To feed our family (with three kiddos) I use a piece that weighs about one pound. When I'm feeding a crowd, I use a whole side (typically around 3 lbs).
  • BBQ Sauce: We are partial to Sweet Baby Ray’s, but any bottled BBQ sauce you love will work perfectly.  Shop your pantry, don’t run out for something new.

Step by step directions 

Preheat your oven to 350℉ degrees and place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet.

three pieces of raw salmon on a baking sheet

Cut the salmon into pieces that are about 2” wide. This helps everything cook evenly.

salmon on a baking sheet with bbq sauce and a brush

Place salmon fillets onto your baking tray and pat them dry with a paper towel.

salmon filets covered in bbq sauce

Spread the BBQ sauce evenly on the tops and sides of the salmon pieces. Put the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 12-14 minutes until the fish is cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit (to get the right internal temp use an instant read thermometer).

two pieces of cooked salmon on a bed of spinach

Take out of oven and enjoy!

🔥Fire up the Grill This recipe works just as well on the grill. Just preheat to medium heat and place the salmon skin-side down on a piece of heavy-duty foil or directly on the grates (if you’re feeling bold). Brush with BBQ sauce and close the lid, letting it cook for about 10-12 minutes until the salmon is flaky and cooked through. If you like a little char, brush on extra sauce in the last few minutes. It’s just as easy, with a little smoky grill flavor as a bonus!

Avoid overcooking the salmon

Salmon can get over cooked quite easily. To make sure you get a tender flaky salmon each and every time follow these easy tips:

  • Use fresh salmon or be sure to completely thaw your salmon before cooking..
  • Make sure the pieces of salmon are all approximately the same size and thickness
  • Use a thermometer checking the internal temp as the salmon cooks, checking thinner pieces before the thicker ones.
  • If you have different sized pieces of fish, you may need to take them out of the oven at different times.  The smaller/thinner pieces will cook faster.  Keep your serving dish at the ready.
salmon flaked on a white dish

Serving suggestions

This baked BBQ salmon goes with just about anything that sounds good. If you serve it with BBQ chicken, it’ll work here too.

Roasted sweet potatoes, charred corn (or even fun little corn ribs), sautéed spinach, and smashed garlic potatoes all pair perfectly. Or go for the classics with a creamy coleslaw, a big Greek salad, or a simple Italian pasta salad or even mac ‘n cheese.

Alternatively, flake up the salmon and use it in a big spinach salad or tossed with pasta.

whole piece of cooked bbq salmon on a white plate

Storing and using leftovers

If you’ve got leftovers, just pop them into an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to five days. I wouldn’t recommend making this one ahead and freezing it—the texture just isn’t the same.

But the leftovers? So good. Flake the salmon over a salad, toss it into pasta, or turn it into another easy dinner. My family is all about BBQ salmon flatbreads (naan from Trader Joe’s is our go-to) or a BBQ salmon sandwich. Grab a pretzel roll, pile on some red onions, lettuce, and pickles, and you’ve got an incredible lunch waiting for you.

Other super easy dinner ideas!

  • artichoke baked pasta in a baking dish
    6-Ingredient Artichoke Pasta Bake (No Spinach Needed!)
  • chili lime salmon on a white plate with corn and a lime
    20-Minute Baked Chili Lime Salmon
  • spinach pesto pasta swirled in a white serving bowl
    3-Ingredient Spinach Pesto Pasta
  • noodle kugel on a white plate
    7-Ingredient Dairy Noodle Kugel

Did you try this recipe and and love it? 😍 Let me know by leaving a comment below or 5 ⭐ rating!

And make sure to sign up for my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more simple recipes! Remember to tag us on social channels when you make a recipe at #simplegraytshirt! I 💖 seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!

📖 Recipe

three pieces of bbq salmon on a bed of spinach

2-Ingredient Baked BBQ Salmon

Marni Katz
This 2-ingredient baked BBQ salmon is as easy as it gets, just fresh salmon and your favorite BBQ sauce. The oven does all the work, leaving you with tender, flavorful fish that’s perfect for a quick dinner. Serve it with a simple side, pile it into tacos, or flake it over a salad. However you enjoy it, this recipe proves that delicious doesn’t have to be complicated.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 12 minutes mins
Total Time 17 minutes mins
Course Dinner, Lunch, Simple Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 271 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb Salmon (if you have extra hungry people for dinner, you can increase the amount of fish and bbq sauce accordingly)
  • ¼ cup BBQ Sauce (use your favorite)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place a piece of parchment paper on a baking tray.
  • Portion the salmon filets into pieces that are about 2-3” wide and spread about 1 Tablespoon of BBQ Sauce onto each piece of fish.
  • Put the baking tray in the oven and bake until the fish is cooked to about 145 degrees Fahrenheit, 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy!

Notes

To make sure you get a tender flaky salmon every time follow these easy tips:
  • Use fresh salmon or be sure to completely thaw your salmon before cooking.
  • Make sure the pieces of salmon are all approximately the same size and thickness
  • Use a thermometer checking the internal temp as the salmon cooks, checking thinner pieces before the thicker ones.
  • If you have different sized pieces of fish, you may need to take them out of the oven at different times.  The smaller/thinner pieces will cook faster.  Keep your serving dish at the ready.

Nutrition

Calories: 271kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 24gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 315mgPotassium: 556mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 617IUCalcium: 59mgIron: 1mg
Keyword 30 minute meal, baked salmon
Tried this recipe?Let me know what you think!

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About Marni Katz

Marni Katz is the recipe developer, photographer and writer behind Simple Gray T-Shirt. She wants to help people keep things simple in the kitchen. With simple recipes, easy menu ideas and plenty of tips and tricks along the way, she wants getting a meal on the table to be as simple as putting on your favorite gray tee!
"I want to inspire you to get back in the kitchen and do this, because you can!"

5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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As a busy mom of three, I believe in keeping recipes simple. 7-ingredients or less is my goal, and everything is kid-tested and approved!

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