Salmon for baby? Definitely! Introducing a variety of foods to your baby is so important in their first year, and while salmon might not be the first food you try, it’s a great choice to include once they’re ready for new flavors. Salmon can easily be made into a smooth baby-food puree, flaked for finger food, or served in larger pieces for baby-led weaning. Great for 6 months and up!

Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Purple baby plate sitting on my white kitchen counter with roasted salmon for baby.

After you check off the more conventional first foods for baby – apple, sweet potato, and broccoli – salmon is a great addition to your baby’s growing list of foods. In fact, salmon has a more savory, rich flavor and is often described as buttery, thanks to its high fat content. This, combined with salmon’s soft, flaky texture, makes it a great choice for beginning eaters.

We love roasting salmon in the oven because it yields yummy, evenly cooked fish that doesn’t require the constant attention of pan-searing. Once cooked, you can blend the salmon into a smooth baby puree, flake it into bigger pieces so your baby can use their palmar grasp to fist it as they gnaw on it, or mash the salmon with a bit of ricotta and serve it to your baby on a self-feeding spoon.

Anyway you serve it, salmon is a great food to introduce to your baby before their first birthday.

Salmon for Baby Video

How to Cook Salmon for Baby Food

2 fillets of salmon sitting on a baking sheet covered in foil.
Line a baking sheet, and place the salmon, skin side down, on top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle on the paprika.
2 salmon fillets on a baking sheet that is covered in foil, baked in the oven.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and easily flakes with a fork.

Salmon Baby Puree

Small blender filled with pureed salmon for baby.
Gray bowl sitting on a blue baby plate. The bowl is filled with a smooth salmon puree.

Salmon can be made into a smooth baby puree and is great for your baby’s first bite. Sometimes, babies may find the salmon puree a tad too intense for their developing taste buds. In that case, you can mix in a spoonful of two of the salmon purees into any other flavorful fruit or veggie puree your little one prefers.

Salmon for Baby-Led Weaning

Salmon for baby-led weaning. Graphic showing different sizes you can serve salmon to a baby.

Salmon is a great food for your baby to self-feed, whether for baby-led weaning, which happens around 6 months of age, or during the finger foods stage at 9 months.

Big Pieces – 6+ months: It’s best to start your baby with either a large piece of salmon, without the skin, that has been roasted, steamed, poached or sautéed until tender. You can also serve your baby a mash of salmon and ricotta on a self-feeding spoon.

Small Pieces of Flakes – 9+ months: when your baby’s pincer grasp has developed, you can serve thin flakes of salmon, without the skin, to your baby.

Combination Purees

Feel free to mix these salmon baby food purees into another puree for an even tastier combination of goodness. Give these fun flavors a try!

Tips for Feeding Salmon to Baby

  • Make sure it is free from bones that could get stuck in your baby’s airway
  • Always cook salmon all the way through and avoid raw fish that increases the risk of foodborne illness
  • Avoid serving cured, smoked, dried or salted salmon, which will likely have too much sodium for baby
Purple baby plate sitting on my white kitchen counter with roasted salmon for baby.

Get the recipe: Roasted Salmon with Paprika Baby Food (puree or BLW)

5 stars (2 ratings)
Salmon for baby? Definitely! Introducing a variety of foods to your baby is so important in their first year, and while salmon might not be the first food you try, it’s a great choice to include once they’re ready for new flavors. Salmon can easily be made into a smooth baby-food puree, flaked for finger food, or served in larger pieces for baby-led weaning. Great for 6 months and up!
Yield: 6 small servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Author: Michele Olivier
Course: baby food
Cuisine: American
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Ingredients 

  • 1-2 fillets of salmon, patted dry with a paper towel
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • pinch seasoning of choice, paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, chili powder, onion powder or dried thyme

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
  • Place the salmon on the baking sheet and drizzle with oil and rub in any seasoning (I used paprika and oregano).
  • Place the baking sheet into the oven, and cook for 8-10 minutes or until it is opaque, easily flakes off with a fork, and reaches an internal temperature of 125-130° F. Let cool slightly.
  • For a Baby Puree: remove the skin and place the salmon into a blender. starting on low and working your way up to high speed, puree the salmon until you reach your desired consistency, adding in a liquid (fresh breast milk, formula, water or no-sodium veggie broth) in 1/4 cup increments if needed. I had to add in just 1/4 cup of broth to get the consistency seen in this photo. Serve by itself or mix with your favorite fruit or veggie puree.
    Gray bowl sitting on a blue baby plate. The bowl is filled with a smooth salmon puree.
  • For Baby-Led Weaning: flake off salmon age-appropriate chunks and serve to baby. You can also mash 2 tablespoons of salmon with 2 tablespoons of whole milk ricotta and serve to your baby on a self-feeding spoon.

Notes

Age: 6+ months
Storage: you can store the salmon puree in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can store the salmon pieces in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

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