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We never get tired of salmon, but at the same time, we always need new ideas for easy salmon recipes for dinner! Salmon has great flavor, silky richness, and it’s extremely versatile. It’s my go-to fish for weeknight dinners. And it’s definitely considered a superfood with its high levels of healthful Omega-3 fatty acids (the good for you fat, according to the Cleveland Clinic).
On a busy weeknight, a salmon dish can be one of the fastest dinners around. It takes well to almost every kind of cooking treatment — sautéing, baking, roasting, poaching. And, you can’t get bored of it because you can shower it with seasonings from any cuisine: Asian, Mediterranean, and any version of “New American” ingredients (I don’t even know what I mean by that, but I guess I’m thinking of salmon dishes that you would find in a cool neighborhood restaurant).
Below you’ll find a slew of ideas for weeknight salmon dinners and also a recipe for a simple citrus-marinated salmon with a bright creamy sauce that takes less than 30 minutes to get on the table. Plus, it includes only 3 ingredients beyond the salmon! What are you waiting for?
Table of Contents
Salmon is extremely versatile, and these easy recipes will make weeknight dinners interesting for a while.
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What Kind of Salmon to Buy
Salmon is available everywhere because it’s so damn good and so damn popular. You can use farmed salmon or seek out wild Alaska salmon when it’s in season (there are a whole bunch of varieties to choose from Coho to King to Sockeye — check here to see the differences.
Different types of salmon have different levels of sustainability. Seafood Watch is a good resource for checking to see if the fish you are buying is environmentally friendly. You can buy sustainably raised fish that is line caught and also some that are farmed, but where it’s harvested and how it’s farmed make a difference, so get to know the market!
Wild Alaska salmon has a more pronounced flavor than farm-raised, so you’re getting the full salmon experience. And because the Alaskan seafood folks are so vigilant about sustainability and harvesting practices, you know you’re eating salmon that has no growth hormones, artificial coloring, preservatives or added stuff that you might be wondering about in your fish.
How to Cook Salmon
Let’s start with three of the most popular ways to cook salmon. Here’s everything you need to know about:
How to Cook Salmon Without Flipping It
I love starting fish in a pan, then transferring it to the oven to finish cooking. Make sure your fish is fairly thick for this method (about 1 inch, or even thicker) so it doesn’t overcook or dry out. Here are the three main reasons why:
- You can use the oven to cook something else to go with the fish — whether it’s roasted potatoes or other vegetables. They can be started before the fish finishes cooking in the oven.
- Starting the fish in the pan means that if you are cooking fish with the skin on it, you can get that pan screaming hot before you add the fish. When the skin hits the pan, it starts to crisp up immediately and then stays crisp and delicious and great to eat. Soft fish skin = not good. Crisp fish skin = a truly fabulous counterpoint to a well-cooked, soft, delicate fish.
- You don’t have to flip the fish, which, even for the most confident and experienced cooks, doesn’t always end well.
Salmon Cooking Tips
- If possible, buy filets of similar thicknesses so they cook at the same time. If you have some thinner filets, know that you will probably want to take them off the heat earlier.
- If you spend a few extra dollars, you can buy the filets from the center of the fish, which are thicker, and more uniform in size.
- To thaw frozen salmon, place it well-wrapped in the fridge overnight to defrost. If the packaging isn’t airtight, place a plate under the salmon to catch any drips. If you are in a rush, place the salmon in an airtight zip-top bag and place the bag in a bowl or sink of ice water. The salmon should defrost in a couple of hours. Do not defrost salmon at room temperature; that could encourage bacteria to grow.
Tips for Marinating Salmon
One of the many good things about seasoning fish and seafood is how quickly they absorb flavors. Therefore, you never want to marinate any fish or seafood for too long because you don’t want to overpower the delicate deliciousness of the fish itself.
- Most salmon recipes should marinate in the fridge for between 1 and 2 hours, but follow the recommendations in your specific recipe.
- Any acidic ingredients in the marinade (like citrus juice or vinegar) can also start to cure or “cook” the fish after enough time goes by. That can affect the firm and flaky texture of the salmon.
- If you don’t have the hour-plus to marinate the salmon in the fridge, just leave it out for 15 minutes at room temperature. A short room temperature marinating is safe; just don’t let it sit out for much longer than that.
Salmon Cooking Times
The chart below shows the approximate cooking times for (6 to 8-ounce) salmon filets, about 1 ½ inches thick, to different levels of doneness.
| Level of Doneness | Total Cooking Time |
|---|---|
| Rare (dark pink in the center) | 7 to 9 minutes |
| Medium-Rare | 12 to 16 minutes |
| Medium | 10 to 13 minutes |
| Medium-Well | 11 to 14 minutes |
| Well Done | 12 to 15 minutes |
If you like your salmon cooked all the way through, that’s super fine, cook it how you like it. I have a vivid memory of being at a very fancy restaurant, and the waiter brought my friend a brick-sized cut of barely seared tuna. My friend sent it back, asking that it be cooked all the way through. The waiter huffily removed the fish and returned it several minutes later. Cooked exactly the same way. Clearly, the chef was having none of this “cooked through” business, but here’s the thing — who was eating the fish, the chef or my friend?
FAQs
No, and please don’t! Some cooks worry that there might be bacteria on the fish, but any bacteria will be destroyed when the fish is cooked.
In actuality, washing your fish increases the risk of spreading bacteria because the sink and anything that gets splashed by the salmon-rinsing water could get contaminated. A secondary argument against washing salmon is that unless you dry it completely, it will make prevent the marinade from sticking to the fish.
The answer is really: “How much time do you have?” If you need to get that fish into the oven or the pan pronto, then try to marinate the fish for 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature, which will allow the fish to absorb some of the marinade flavors.
When you don’t even have time for that, still coat the fish with the marinade; you’ll be able to taste the flavors, but it just won’t penetrate the fish as deeply. You can also reserve some of the marinade (don’t let it touch the fish) and drizzle it over the cooked fish at the end as a kind of sauce.
It depends on the recipe! If you are cooking the fish in a pan, you may need to flip it for even cooking. Another option is to cover the pan for part of the cooking to trap the heat and allow the top to cook through before the bottom overcooks.
If you are transferring the pan to the oven, then, no, you do not need to flip the salmon. And if you are cooking fish in the oven, then no need to flip in most cases.
That also depends! I like cooking the fish in the oven at a higher temp, which is nicely hands-off. It’s also great to start the fish in the pan and transfer it to a preheated oven (and usually, something else is roasting in there already!).
Either one is fine, though the salmon will bake a bit faster at the higher temperature (that stands to reason, right?). I usually make the decision based on what else I am cooking in the oven since all you have to do is adjust the cooking time, and you’ll still get perfectly cooked salmon at either temperature.
Fully cooked salmon will be opaque throughout and flake easily with a fork. Or, you may want to cook it to medium-rare, with a bit of dark pink in the middle.
The FDA recommends a safe internal temperature of 145 degrees for fish and shellfish. However, if you are using fresh, high-quality fish, you can cook it to medium-rare (135 degrees internal temperature).
Of course, it depends on what flavors you are using to prepare your salmon, but you can’t go wrong with a salad or simply cooked vegetable like sautéed broccoli rabe, green beans, or roasted cauliflower. For a starch, think about white or brown rice, roasted potatoes, or creamy polenta.
18 Easy Salmon Dinner Recipes
Here are a bunch of salmon recipes to keep dinner interesting for a while!
Simple Asian Salmon
Poached Salmon with Cilantro Sauce
Horseradish Ginger Salmon
Thai Salmon
Hoisin-Glazed Salmon
Teriyaki Salmon
Miso Salmon
Honey Ginger Salmon
Salmon, Potato, and Broccoli Sheet Pan Supper
Crispy-Skinned Salmon with Dill Sauce
Orange Salmon with Leeks and Mushrooms
Salmon with Polenta and Warm Tomato Vinaigrette
Sheet Pan Salmon and Broccoli Rabe
Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce
Dedie’s Herbed Salmon
Creamy Tuscan Salmon
Salmon with Chimichurri Sauce
Side Dishes for Salmon Dinners
Obviously, the side dishes you choose will depend on the salmon recipe itself, but you will never go wrong with a simple starch like rice, roasted potatoes, or orzo and a simple sautéed, steamed, or roasted green vegetable. Here are a few basics to consider!
What to Serve with Salmon
How to Cook Perfect Rice on the Stove
How to Make Perfect Roasted Potatoes
Herb Orzo Salad
Sautéed Broccoli
Sautéed Green Beans with Thyme Butter
How to Saute Spinach
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Citrus Salmon
This recipe couldn’t be easier. If you don’t have the time to marinate the fish, it will still be delicious though the flavors won’t penetrate so deeply. And the creamy citrusy sauce comes together in 5 minutes and echoes the flavors of lemon and orange in the marinade.
Serve this with rice or potatoes and some Brussels sprouts, green beans, Air Fryer Green Beans, or a crisp salad (maybe with some roasted veggies tossed in) for a colorful and healthful meal.
Easy Weeknight Citrus Salmon Dinner
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 1 orange
- 4 6 to 8-ounce salmon fillets
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup mayonnaise (regular or low-fat)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Zest and juice both the lemon and the orange. Mix together two zests, then remove 1 teaspoon of the combined zest and set aside. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, and the citrus juices and the remaining zest. Season the marinade with salt and pepper. Place the salmon fillets in a baking pan, and pour the marinade over the fish turning to coat evenly. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise and the reserved teaspoon of zest, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Preheat the broiler. Transfer the salmon to an oiled rimmed baking sheet, separating the pieces. Discard the marinade.
- Broil the salmon for 8 to 10 minutes until it is just cooked through (the fish will continue to cook a bit after it is removed from the oven, so take it out just before it’s done to your liking), and remove from the oven. Transfer to individual plates, and top each piece with a spoonful of the sauce.
Notes
- Any acidic ingredients in the marinade (like the citrus juice in this recipe) can start to cure or “cook” the fish after enough time goes by. That can affect the firm and flaky texture of the salmon. Don’t let your salmon marinate too long.
- If you don’t have the hour-plus to marinate the salmon in the fridge, just leave it out for 15 minutes at room temperature. A short room temperature marinating is safe; just don’t let it sit out for much longer than that.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
