Make your weeknight dinners extraordinary with these no-nonsense, easy salmon recipes. Whether you’re looking for a zingy salmon salad, a blackened salmon steak served on a cedar plank – or a refined salmon en papillote – you’ll find it here. Eat well and get your omega-3s in the process. On tonight’s menu: tender fish and crispy skin. The best!
There’s nothing like a trip to the seafood counter at the grocery store – especially when they’ve got a special going on line-caught wild salmon. Once I’ve found a sustainable fish, I immediately start thinking about how great dinner is going to taste.
But making a dish with this delicate yet hearty fish doesn’t mean dinner needs to be complicated!
The Best Salmon Recipes for an Extraordinary Weeknight Dinner
These recipes are packed with flavor, but don’t require you to reinvent the wheel to get dinner on the table on busy weeknights.
Whether you’re working with king salmon – or even delicate smoked salmon – there’s a recipe here that you and your family are going to love!
Salmon en Papillote
It’s pretty rare that a classic French recipe (one that literally causes audible oohs and ahhs to spill out when people first see it) is ready in 30 minutes from start to finish. And consider that this salmon recipe looks and tastes refined, but is pretty much a humble one-pot-meal wrapped in paper. Yep. Amazing. Now, that paper in question is parchment paper – and it does a great job of perfectly cooking asparagus, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and salmon all at once – while dill, lemon and capers perfume the whole thing. There’s a lot of flavor in this deceptively simple French fish recipe. This one is a winner, no matter how confident you may-or-may-not feel cooking with salmon. Start here.
Japanese Salted Salmon (Shiozake)
Shiozake is an iconic Japanese salted salmon dish you’ll find in bento box lunches, as a filling in onigiri (rice balls) – or served as part of a Japanese breakfast. Wait, fish for breakfast? Oh you bet! It goes so well with a bowl of steaming miso soup and the ubiquitous natto over rice – both of which you’ll find on the breakfast table in Japan. And, aside from the fish itself, you’ll only need sake and kosher salt to make it. This one takes a while to cure in the salt solution, but it’s all passive wait time. Then you can grill or broil it quickly. The finished product is both tender and flakey – with an outer skin that is crispy and practically candied once cooked. Itadakimasu!
Oven Baked Salmon With Honey Sriracha Sauce
One bite and you’ll be hooked on this sweet, spicy and smoky salmon filet. The key is to bake the salmon for 10 minutes. Then you’ll brush on a delicious soy sauce, sriracha and honey based glaze and return to the oven uncovered so the exterior gets some real color on it. Intimidated? Don’t be! Watch this video to see how easy it is to make from start to finish in your own kitchen. From the caramelized edges to a kick of heat tempered by honey, you’ll crave this one again and again for sure.
Salmon Teriyaki Donburi (丼)
At it’s core, donburi is a Japanese dish consisting of short grain rice topped with simmered meat or seafood (or a raw preparation like this iconic tekka don). It’s full flavored comfort food. For this salmon donburi, you’ll love the crispy yet tender salmon pieces tossed in a garlicky, sweet and savory teriyaki sauce until glossy. I’ve included fresh spinach and chopped scallions for a bit of color and crunch. And if you like a little heat with your Japanese rice bowl, sprinkle on a bit of ichimi togarashi for good measure.
Warm Asian Salmon Salad
At first blush, the term ‘salad’ can seem a little underwhelming. Well, I’m not afraid to say it… This is THE BEST Asian salmon salad I’ve ever had. Sure, it’s wholesome – but it’s also a totally zingy, filling and refreshing meal. The flavors from garlic, ginger, honey, soy sauce and oyster sauce are perfectly balanced – and form the basis of the salmon marinade. Rice delivers heft, edamame brings a pop of color and the Mandarin oranges are so sweet and fresh. Geez, I feel re-energized just thinking about it!
Salmon Onigiri (Rice Balls) おにぎり
Whether you call them onigiri or musubi, there’s a lot to love about Japanese rice balls. Parcels of perfectly cooked short grain Japanese rice, wrapped in a sheet of delicate toasted nori (seaweed). Yum. But most onigiri are hiding a delicious secret inside as well. For these salmon rice balls, I’m using shiozake (Japanese salted salmon). The salty fish provides a ton of flavor to the otherwise subdued flavor profile of the nori and rice. Learn how to make perfect Japanese rice in a rice cooker or on the stovetop here. And if you’re concerned about your own rice ball making prowess, I’ve got step by step instructions. You’ll have them looking good by the 2nd or 3rd try. Plus, you get to eat the mistakes – and they’re just as delicious!
Salmon Tikka Over Quinoa
If you’re a curry fanatic (like me), you’ll want to whip this one up stat. Looks complex, but it’s not. And that’s because it only requires a short marinade in curry paste to introduce a ton of flavor to the salmon. Use a store bought curry paste for even more ease. Quinoa is my favorite grain to accompany this delectable piece of fish because it’s nutty and brings a wonderful texture to the overall dish. However, the interesting bit is the effortless balancing act the cooling cucumber and dill raita delivers. It’s truly the lynchpin to the whole thing. Get this flavor forward, easy salmon recipe in your dinner rotation!
Salmon Ochazuke – お茶漬け
Ochazuke is a humble, warming Japanese dish that consists of rice and savory toppings covered in hot green tea or dashi. And while you can use anything you’d like as a topping (let’s hear it for umeboshi – Japanese pickled plums!), one of the most iconic ingredients is flaked salmon. Now, don’t worry about following recipes for ochazuke too closely. Growing up in my house, my mom made this meal as a kind of clearinghouse for the vegetable crisper and leftovers. So feel free to step out of the box. But it works so great with leftover salmon that you might end up setting a bit of that filet aside from tonight’s dinner so you can make ochazuke tomorrow!
Ginger Garlic Air Fryer Salmon
It’s no secret that the air fryer works wonders on proteins like salmon. What I personally love is that the outside of the fish browns up and is practically crispy, while the interior remains moist and delicate. Now, the secret to these delicious salmon fillets is the soy sauce, garlic, ginger and mirin marinade. The ginger in particular delivers a slow burn, without actually being overtly spicy. And, while the flavor profile to this recipe rests squarely in the Asian realm, Ben had fresh corn tortillas the other night and used this recipe to make salmon tacos (that little cultural mash up turned out wonderfully delicious). If you like to leave the skin on (like me), place the skin side down in the cooking basket of your air fryer.
Honey Mustard Salmon
One of the easiest weeknight meals of all. And a recipe reinforcing that the classic sweet, tangy warmth of honey mustard is always a good choice when whipping up family friendly salmon recipes at home. Frazzled after a long day of work, soccer practice pick-up and PTA meetings? Aside from the 5 minutes it’ll take you to prep this dish, the 20 minutes spent cooking in the oven is all passive time. I love to top my salmon filets with cilantro just before serving – but chopped flat leaf parsley works wonders as well!
Sumac Spiced Blackened Salmon
This is one of those salmon recipes that manages to be spicy, smoky, savory, herby and sour all at once. But don’t worry, when I say spicy, I don’t mean in a melt your face off kind of way. The secret to this blackened fish is the Cajun inspired spice rub that features paprika, sumac, garlic powder and cayenne (among others). I like cooking this one in cast iron – but really, any old pan will work. Just make sure to serve this one skin up so it stays crispy. And, if presentation is a big deal to you, this one looks great served on a wooden plank or butcher’s block.
The Best Salmon Croquettes
Yeah, there are plenty of salmon croquette recipes out there. However, if you’re trying to convert salmon skeptics into fans, this is the recipe you’ve been looking for all along! You’ll make a simple mixture of salmon, breadcrumbs, shallots and capers and blend until you can easily form the croquettes. Watch this video to see how simple it is from start to finish. Serve with a creamy, slightly spicy sriracha, mayo, lemon juice and dill sauce. Oh, and btw… if you wanted to make salmon burgers, just shape into patties instead of croquettes and follow the same recipe. Trust me, one bite and you’ll be coming back for more!
Salmon en Croute
‘Flaky, buttery puff pastry cradles a tender filet of perfectly cooked salmon.’ On its own, that string of words might be enough to tempt me to rush to the dinner table. Add red onions, vine ripe tomatoes, kalamata olives, Mozarella and fresh basil to the mix and I’m leaping down flights of stairs to be the first to fill my dinner plate while the whole thing is piping hot, fresh out of the oven. I hope this classic recipe makes you feel the same way.
Salmon Na Sinigang
Sinigang is a Filipino sour soup. And it is glorious! It’s a pucker worthy, slightly spicy, fragrant and savory soup to be exact. And while sinigang can actually refer to any meat or seafood that has been simmered in an acidic, sour broth – I find that salmon is the perfect protein to introduce some real mellow richness to the otherwise assertive flavor profile. Don’t forget the fresh cilantro with this delicious Southeast Asian sour soup!
Smoked Salmon Omelette With White Sauce
Sure, smoked salmon (lox) is typically the provenience of a Sunday morning bagel with cream cheese, red onions and a few capers for good measure. But this iconic smoked fish works super well inside an omelette topped with a French inspired white sauce as well. That white sauce is actually a simple béchamel made with melted butter, flour and milk. I like to add a little powdered stock to the sauce to round out the flavor profile a bit – but salt and pepper works just as well on that front. And it only takes 15 minutes from start to finish!
Miso Salmon
I typically recommend this dish as the perfect salmon recipe for people who don’t like salmon. Why? The secret is in the simple 4 ingredient Japanese marinade. Mirin and cooking sake introduce a little sharp sweetness to the flesh, and both have the added benefit of reducing fishiness. Seriously! And miso paste not only imparts a deep umami flavor, it also tenderizes the fish. Once you’ve got the filets on a rimmed baking sheet under the broiler, it practically transforms the salmon into a flaky, glazed umami-bomb. Try it with the picky eaters in your household. They won’t believe it’s salmon!
Bonus Recipe: All-Purpose Salmon Seasoning
Need the easiest way of all to impart flavor to a salmon steak? Make this 5 minute spice blend – and keep on hand for any type of cooking situation that arises at your place. Smoked paprika, garlic powder and a handful of common pantry spices can elevate any protein. Works on all types of salmon recipes – but can also be used on tuna, arctic char or cod. Having a chicken, shrimp or tofu emergency? This simple spice blend will step in nicely!
What is the Best Cooking Method For Salmon?
The salmon recipes on this page utilize a few different cooking methods. Don’t worry! There are step-by-step instructions on each recipe page to walk you through the process. But, to recap, these are the main cooking methods:
- Grilled
- Poached
- Broiled
- Baked
- Pan Fried / Pan Seared
What’s your preferred cooking method at home? What’s your favorite salmon recipe? Sound off and let me know all about it in the comments!
How to Tell When Salmon is Fully Cooked
Use a food thermometer. To get accurate readings, it’s important to gauge the internal temperature of the fish. The external temperature is likely to be much higher since it is closer to the heat source.
- No matter which method you chose when making salmon at home, keep in mind that the FDA recommends the thickest part of the salmon fillets have an internal temperature of 145°F to ensure food safety protocols. That’s going to be very well done.
- Most restaurant chefs consider it properly cooked when the internal temperature reaches around the 125-130°F mark – and as low as 120°F for quality wild caught salmon served medium / medium rare.
Have you tried any of these delicious and easy salmon recipes? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Tell me about your personal tips and recommendations in the comments section below.
