19 Super Simple Weeknight Salmon Dinner Recipes

5 from 1 vote

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Salmon lends itself perfectly to flavorful, fast, and easy weeknight fish dinners. Try this 30-minute citrusy salmon with a creamy sauce for your next salmon meal.

Thai Salmon / Carrie Crow / Katie Workman / themom100.com

We never get tired of salmon, but we always need new, easy salmon recipe ideas for dinner! Salmon has great flavor and silky richness, and it’s extremely versatile. It’s my go-to fish for weeknight meals. And it’s definitely considered a superfood with its high levels of healthful Omega-3 fatty acids (the good-for-you fat).

And so many great sides go with salmon. Of course, it depends on how you are seasoning or saucing your fish, what season it is, and whether you’re using the oven or firing up the grill. Below, you’ll find a slew of ideas for weeknight salmon dinners and 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?

You’ll also discover lots of sides paired with the salmon recipes. But you can never go wrong with rice and a simple green salad.

Baked salmon filets with Thai-inspired marinade on baking pan with blue napkin.
Thai Salmon

Salmon is extremely versatile, and these easy dinner recipes will perk up the weeknight dinner rotation.

Tweet This

Kitchen Smarts

Make sure you are buying salmon at a market with high turnover or, better still, a fish store or grocery with a good fish counter. See How to Cook Salmon for lots of salmon cooking tips, including how to choose the most sustainable and freshest salmon when you shop.


19 Easy Salmon Dinner Recipes

Here are a bunch of salmon recipes to keep dinner interesting for a while!

Simple Asian Salmon with Sautéed Corn and Zucchini / Carrie Crow / Katie Workman / themom100.com
5 from 1 vote

Simple Asian Salmon

Four ingredients, not including the salmon…Wow, right?
Seriously, by the time you preheat the oven, the marinade will have been made, and the salmon will have its quick 15 minutes of soaking time. And, you’d better have started the rice and made a salad or whatever because dinner is about to be ready!
View Recipe

Tarragon vinaigrette atop a Salmon filet.
4.25 from 4 votes

Salmon with Tarragon Vinaigrette

Fancy enough for company, easy enough for a weeknight. Serve this with Grilled Corn Salad for a summery dinner.
View Recipe

Poached Salmon with Cilantro Sauce
5 from 3 votes

Poached Salmon with Cilantro Sauce

An extremely easy, foolproof method for poaching salmon, paired with a pretty, creamy herby sauce.
View Recipe

Thai Salmon / Carrie Crow / Katie Workman / themom100.com
5 from 1 vote

Thai Salmon

The terrific combo of ingredients in this marinade give salmon a sweet, salty, sour Thai vibrancy.
View Recipe

Hoisin glazed salmon with quinoa and salad on a gray plate next to pink napkin.
5 from 2 votes

Hoisin-Glazed Salmon

When in doubt about how to get kids to embrace fish, head over to the Asian part of your pantry and cook up hoisin salmon.
View Recipe

Two green plates on table with teriyaki salmon, greens, and rice.
5 from 4 votes

Teriyaki Salmon

Salmon is a perfect base for this much-loved, sweet-and-salty Japanese teriyaki glaze.
View Recipe

Air Fryer Salmon
5 from 5 votes

Air Fryer Salmon

You will be amazed at how easy and delicious this air-fried salmon is — moist, tender, not at all dry, and ready in about 10 minutes!
View Recipe

Miso Salmon on a plate with broccoli and rice.
5 from 1 vote

Miso Salmon

Not counting a flexible marinating time, this miso salmon recipe takes 5 minutes to pull together and 10 minutes to cook. The miso glaze is a perfect pairing with the rich salmon.
View Recipe

5-Ingredient Honey Ginger Salmon
5 from 1 vote

Honey Ginger Salmon

A handful of ingredients and under 30 minutes of time get you a delicious dinner that the whole family can get behind.
View Recipe

Salmon, Potato and Broccoli Sheet Pan Supper
4.67 from 3 votes

Salmon, Potato, and Broccoli Sheet Pan Supper

A one-sheet supper is one of the most appealing and accessible ways to make dinner on a weeknight.
View Recipe

Salmon with Dill Sauce
5 from 18 votes

Crispy-Skinned Salmon with Dill Sauce

This classic fish pairing is ideal for special occasions or weeknight dinners, and takes about 30 minutes to make.
View Recipe

Orange Salmon with Leeks and Mushrooms / Katie Workman / themom100.com / Photo by Cheyenne Cohen
5 from 52 votes

Orange Salmon with Leeks and Mushrooms

This is one of my favorite salmon dishes ever. I actually missed the leftovers when I left for a business trip.
View Recipe

Ginger and lemongrass salmon filets piled on yellow plate.
5 from 1 vote

Ginger Lemongrass Salmon

Inspired by Vietnamese cuisine, this salmon recipe is full of flavor and a quick weeknight dinner option.
View Recipe

Fork, knife, and Salmon with Polenta and Warm Tomato Vinaigrette on a colorful plate.
4.80 from 5 votes

Salmon with Polenta and Warm Tomato Vinaigrette

Frankly, if you served a shoe over polenta I would be happy. But this salmon is so much better.
View Recipe

Sheet Pan Salmon and Broccoli Rabe
5 from 2 votes

Sheet Pan Salmon and Broccoli Rabe

A simple sheet pan supper saves the day, and this one-pan wonder is a gorgeous weeknight dinner.
View Recipe

Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce
5 from 3 votes

Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce

Flaky, moist salmon is drizzled with a simple lemon butter sauce for an easy but elegant dinner. A 20-minute recipe!
View Recipe

Dedie’s Herbed Salmon
5 from 2 votes

Dedie’s Herbed Salmon

An eclectic and interesting blend of herbs, spices, citrus, and maple syrup makes this a very memorable salmon dish.
View Recipe

Plates of rice, salad, and salmon topped with creamy Tuscan sauce.
5 from 4 votes

Creamy Tuscan Salmon

Perfectly cooked salmon is amazing topped with creamy sauce studded with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and fresh herbs.
View Recipe

Salmon with Chimichurri Sauce
5 from 1 vote

Salmon with Chimichurri Sauce

Baking salmon with a generous slathering of flavorful herby sauce turns everyone's favorite fish into a special meal.
View Recipe

Side Dishes for Salmon Dinners

Obviously, the side dishes you choose will depend on the salmon recipe itself. When in doubt, go 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!

Pin this now to find it later

Pin It

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.

Citrus Marinated Salmon with Zesty Sauce on white plate with yellow napkin.

Serve this with rice or potatoes and some Brussels sproutsgreen beans, or a crisp salad (maybe with some roasted veggies tossed in) for a colorful and healthful meal.

5 from 1 vote

Easy Weeknight Citrus Salmon Dinner

Salmon lends itself perfectly to flavorful, fast, and easy weeknight fish dinners. Try this 30-minute citrusy salmon with a creamy sauce for your next salmon meal.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 People
Save this recipe!
We’ll send it to your email, plus you’ll get new recipes every week!

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, along with 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

Calories: 533.29kcal, Carbohydrates: 6.45g, Protein: 45.74g, Fat: 35.48g, Saturated Fat: 5.33g, Cholesterol: 130.62mg, Sodium: 189.44mg, Potassium: 1207.84mg, Fiber: 1.54g, Sugar: 3.99g, Vitamin A: 164.41IU, Vitamin C: 31.73mg, Calcium: 47.33mg, Iron: 2.04mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

About Katie Workman

Katie Workman is a cook, a writer, a mother of two, an activist in hunger issues, and an enthusiastic advocate for family meals, which is the inspiration behind her two beloved cookbooks, Dinner Solved! and The Mom 100 Cookbook.

You May Also Like:

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating