Whole Salmon
cooking times
The answer
50 min – 1 hr 5 minat 375°F
At the most common temperature, 375°F, a whole salmon runs about 50 min – 1 hr 5 min at 5 lb. Pick your temperature below for the full chart. Done is always 145°F internal.
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·whole salmon row of the FSIS chart·REVIEWED JUL 2026
USDA safe zone — 145°F and above
Done is a temperature, not a time. Every figure on this page is a planning range; the green band is the only part that decides. For a whole salmon it opens at 145°F and a 5-minute rest.
Source—USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service safe minimum internal temperatures—retrieved 2026-07
How this is worked out
- Anchor. Start from what USDA FSIS publishes for a whole salmon — its safe minimum internal temperature of 145°F, and the FSIS roasting timetable where one exists for this cut.
- Rate. Convert the anchor into a planning rate at 375°F: 10–13 min/lb, cross-checked against at least three independently published sources.
- Scale. Multiply that rate by your weight. A 5 lb piece lands at 50 min – 1 hr 5 min; the range is widened to cover source disagreement rather than averaged into false precision.
- First check. The first thermometer reading is set at 85% of the low end of the range — early enough that an under-reading costs nothing and a late one cannot cost the meal.
- Gate. The time is only a plan. It is not done until a food thermometer reads 145°F in the thickest part, then rests about 5 minutes. Time never overrides temperature on this site.
- Round. Every printed figure is rounded to the nearest 5 minutes; precision beyond that would be invented.
plan_low = weight_lb × 10 min/lb
plan_high = weight_lb × 13 min/lb
first_check = plan_low × 0.85
DONE ⟺ internal_temp ≥ 145°F AND rest ≥ 5 min
(USDA FSIS — the gate, not the clock)
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·safe minimum for this cut·REVIEWED JUL 2026
Pick your temperature
Every temperature this chart room holds for a whole salmon, each with its own worked ledger.
The whole cut, temperature by temperature
| Oven temp | Time for a 5 lb whole salmon | Per pound |
|---|---|---|
| 375°F | 50 min – 1 hr 5 min | 10–13 min/lb |
| 400°F | 45 min – 1 hr | 9–12 min/lb |
SOURCE·USDA safe-temperature guidance·timing ranges derived, see method·REVIEWED JUL 2026
When it is actually done
145°F internal
The USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature for this cut is 145°F, followed by a rest of about 5 minutes. The clock estimates; the thermometer decides. Every time on this page is a planning range, not a doneness test.
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·whole salmon row of the FSIS chart·REVIEWED JUL 2026
What the ledger does not tell you
- Measure at the thickest point behind the head; the tail will always be more done — tuck foil around the tail if it matters to you.
- Stuffing the cavity with lemon and herbs barely changes the time; stuffing it densely with anything else does.
- The skin peels off in one satisfying sheet after cooking — leave it on for the oven.
The clock tells you when to start looking. The thermometer tells you when to stop.
