No. 19 · Protein Passport food
When can babies have salmon?
Can babies eat salmon?
Babies can have salmon from about 6 months, as soon as they are ready for solids. Salmon is low in mercury and rich in omega-3 fats, but fish is a Top 9 allergen, so introduce it early, watch for a reaction, and keep it in your baby's diet regularly.
How to serve salmon by age
Shapes and textures change as your baby’s grasp and chewing grow.
6 months
Bake, steam or poach salmon until it flakes easily and is opaque all the way through, then check carefully for bones. Mash it smooth with sweet potato, avocado, rice or a little breast milk or formula and serve it on a spoon. Leave the skin off at this age.
7–8 months
Mash salmon more roughly into lumpy vegetables, or offer large soft flakes that squash easily between your fingers for your baby to pick up. Soft salmon patties that fall apart easily are good too; check every flake for bones.
9–12 months
Offer smaller flakes of cooked salmon your baby can pick up with a pincer grasp, or make soft salmon patties or fish cakes cut into strips. Mixing salmon with mashed potato or a little plain yogurt keeps it moist.
12 months +
Serve flaked or bite-size salmon at family meals, in pasta, rice bowls, tacos or patties. Season lightly with lemon and herbs instead of salt, soy sauce or teriyaki.
Why it’s good
Salmon gives babies omega-3 DHA, a fat that supports brain and eye development, plus high-quality protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, selenium and some zinc and iron. Salmon is one of the few foods that naturally contains vitamin D. It is low in mercury, which makes it one of the best fish choices for young children.
Safety notes
- Remove all bones. Run your fingers over every piece of cooked salmon to find pin bones, which are a choking hazard.
- Cook salmon to 145F (63C), until it is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Raw or undercooked salmon, sushi, sashimi and cold-smoked salmon (lox) are not safe for babies and young children.
- Smoked salmon is very high in salt and cold-smoked salmon carries a listeria risk. Avoid it for babies.
- Fish is a Top 9 allergen. Offer salmon for the first time at home, early in the day, and watch for 2 hours for hives, swelling, vomiting or breathing trouble.
- Choose no-salt-added canned salmon, or rinse regular canned salmon. Mash the soft canned bones completely or remove them.
Introduce salmon on its own, then keep it in
Fish is one of the Top 9 food allergens. Introduce salmon early and keep offering it a few times a week if tolerated, since regular exposure helps maintain tolerance. If your baby has severe eczema or another food allergy, talk to your pediatrician before the first taste.
Salmon for babies: questions parents ask
Quick answers about salmon for babies and toddlers.
When can babies have salmon?
Babies can have salmon from about 6 months, once they are ready for solids. Salmon should be fully cooked, checked for bones, and mashed into other foods at first, then served as soft flakes from 7–8 months.
Can babies eat salmon?
Yes, babies can eat salmon from around 6 months. Salmon is one of the best fish for babies because it is low in mercury and rich in omega-3 DHA, protein and vitamin D.
Is salmon a choking hazard for babies?
Salmon is a low choking risk for babies when it is cooked soft and all bones are removed. Fish bones are the main choking hazard, so check every flake carefully with your fingers before serving.
Is salmon a common allergen?
Yes, salmon is a fish, and fish is one of the Top 9 common food allergens. Introduce salmon on its own the first time, watch for hives, swelling, vomiting or breathing trouble, and keep it in your baby's diet regularly if it is tolerated.
How do I serve salmon to a 6 month old?
To serve salmon to a 6 month old, bake or poach it until it flakes easily, remove all skin and bones, and mash it smooth into sweet potato, avocado or rice for spoon feeding. Large soft flakes and soft salmon patties can follow at 7–8 months.
Is salmon high in mercury?
No, salmon is low in mercury and is on the FDA list of best choices for children. Both wild and farmed salmon are low in mercury, unlike high-mercury fish such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel and bigeye tuna.
Can babies eat canned salmon?
Yes, babies can have canned salmon, which is an affordable and convenient option. Choose no-salt-added canned salmon if you can, and mash the soft canned bones until smooth or remove them before serving.
Can babies eat smoked salmon?
Smoked salmon is best avoided for babies. Smoked salmon is very high in salt, and cold-smoked salmon such as lox is not cooked, so it carries a listeria risk; save it for older children and serve it in small amounts.
How much salmon can a baby eat?
Babies can eat salmon a few times a week as part of a varied diet. For children 1 to 3 years, the FDA suggests about 2 servings of low-mercury fish a week, with a serving of around 1 ounce, and babies under 1 often eat a little less.
Is wild salmon better than farmed salmon for babies?
Wild and farmed salmon are both healthy, low-mercury choices for babies. Farmed salmon is usually higher in fat and omega-3s, while wild salmon is leaner, so pick whichever fits your budget and serve it fully cooked.
Is salmon good for babies?
Yes, salmon is one of the best fish for babies from about 6 months. It is low in mercury and rich in omega-3 DHA, protein, vitamin B12 and vitamin D. Cook it until it flakes easily, remove every bone, and offer about 1 to 2 small servings of low-mercury fish a week.
The takeaway
- Babies can have salmon from about 6 months, as soon as they are ready for solids.
- Bake, steam or poach salmon until it flakes easily and is opaque all the way through, then check carefully for bones.
- Choking risk is low. Fish is one of the Top 9 allergens: offer a small amount first, watch for a reaction, then keep it in the diet regularly.
Read next
Sources
This guide follows current advice from these organizations.
- Starting Solid Foods American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)
- When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Choking Hazards Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Advice about Eating Fish U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Preventing Listeria Infection Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Iron Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- The Effects of Early Nutritional Interventions on the Development of Atopic Disease in Infants and Children Greer FR, Sicherer SH, Burks AW; American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatrics. 2019;143(4):e20190281
Recipes with salmon
Stamp salmon in your baby’s passport
Track the first 100 foods and the Top 9 allergens. 7 days free.
More protein foods for babies
Updated November 2026. Reviewed by our dietitians. Based on AAP, CDC and NIAID guidance. Written for healthy, full-term babies; not a substitute for your pediatrician. If your baby was born early, has a medical condition, feeding difficulties or a known allergy, check with them first (medical disclaimer). Always stay with your baby while they eat.