Potato Chip Crusted Salmon (Paleo, gluten-free)

paleo baked salmon topped with crushed potato chips on a long white rectangular platter

5 from 4 votes

Potato Chip Crusted Salmon (Paleo, gluten-free)

Potato Chip Crusted Salmon is a fun and easy weeknight dinner! Succulent baked salmon is topped with a crunchy, seasoned crust made of crushed potato chips. And it can be made in under 30 minutes! Gluten-free, dairy-free and Paleo.

Prep Time15

Cook Time9

Total Time24

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 280kcal

Author: Don Baiocchi

Ingredients

4 (8 oz.) salmon fillets (2 pounds total), skins on or off depending on your preference
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons avocado oil mayonnaise, divided
2 big handfuls avocado oil potato chips
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
cooking spray, such as avocado oil spray or olive oil spray

Instructions

Heat the oven to 425°.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet (skin-side down if the fillets have skin).
Sprinkle the tops of each fillet with the salt, then spread ½ tablespoon of mayonnaise on each fillet.
To crush the chips, lay down a rectangular sheet of parchment on a cutting board. Place the chips on one side, just off of center, and fold the other side of the parchment over the chips. Use a rolling pin to crush them, rolling it back and forth or even hammering the chips with the end of the pin to break up any big pieces. Once they're crushed to crunchy crumbs (but not a fine powder), lift the parchment, keeping it folded, and aim one end into a ½ cup measuring cup. Angle the parchment so the crumbs slide into the measuring cup. If you don't have a ½ cup worth of crumbs, crush some more until you do.
Add the chips to a medium mixing bowl and stir in the Italian seasoning and garlic powder. You don't need to add salt as the chips are salty enough.
Add about 2 tablespoons of the chip mixture to each fillet, gently patting down the crumbs so they stick.
Lightly spray each fillet with cooking spray.
Bake for 7-9 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Let rest for a few minutes, then enjoy!

Notes

Make ahead and storage

Baked salmon with mayonnaise and potato chips is best eaten immediately.

You can make the potato chip crust up to 2 weeks in advance and keep in air-tight container.

Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Reheat in a low oven until warm.

You can also broil the warmed salmon for 30-60 seconds to get the topping a little crunchy again.

I do not recommend freezing the salmon.

Substitutions and variations

You can use frozen, thawed salmon fillets. Make sure you pat them as dry as possible as they tend to have more moisture than fresh fillets.

You can use mustard instead of mayo for a tangier flavor. It works well with either Dijon or grainy mustard.

You can add whatever spices you like to the crushed chips, such as paprika, cumin, dried oregano, etc.

Nutrition