20+ Best Salmon Recipes for Brunch, Lunch, and Dinner - Downshiftology (2024)

These are the best salmon recipes you can count on for easy, healthy, and utterly delicious meals! From grilled salmon to baked salmon to pan-seared salmon, there’s no shortage of options. The only struggle is deciding which recipe to make first!

I’m such a fan of salmon for its flakey, moist texture, refreshing flavor, and abundant health benefits – gotta love those omega-3s. It’s honestly the fish I cook most often in my house, so I’m always devising new and creative ways to serve it. That’s why I’ve rounded up the best salmon recipes that you can serve for an ultra-satisfying meal, whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

How To Buy The Best Salmon

I know that shopping for salmon can be a bit overwhelming. There are many choices and it can be hard to choose between farm-raised or wild-caught, and fresh or frozen. Then there’s the question of which salmon variety reigns supreme. Here’s a few tips that will help you choose the perfect piece of fish.

• Best Salmon Varieties: I always recommend grabbing sockeye, coho, or king salmon. Sockeye and coho are easy to find, vibrant in color, and have a rich flavor. King salmon is a luxurious splurge with the highest fat content, which means it’s the most exquisitely moist fish.
• Wild vs. Farmed: Due to the many issues associated with fish farms (such as pollutants and various toxins), it’s best to go with wild-caught salmon. They’re caught in their natural environment, which gives them a healthier nutritional profile, better texture, and better flavor overall.
• Fresh vs. Frozen: Often times, the “fresh” fish laying on ice at your local market isn’t always the freshest. It seems counter-intuitive, but frozen salmon is flash frozen immediately when caught, which preserves its freshness straight from the water. That’s why frozen salmon is your best bet!
• Things To Look Out For: Generally, you want to look for salmon that have a bright orange or red hue and are firm to the touch. And when it comes to smell, fresh fish shouldn’t smell “fishy.” They should smell fresh and clean.

The Easiest Baked Salmon Recipes

For a fast and healthy dinner, nothing beats baked salmon. All you need is a simple sauce or marinade and a quick pop in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. The results are always moist, juicy, and perfectly flakey with the recipes below.

Best Baked Salmon: This is a foolproof salmon recipe that you should know how to master. A simple lemon garlic butter sauce is all you really need to enhance a solid piece of fish.

Dijon Baked Salmon: This herbed Dijon spread is so simple, yet so flavorful. And while this recipe calls for a whole salmon, you can also use salmon fillets.

Salmon Patties: Transform a simple baked salmon into incredibly flavorful and moist salmon patties. Mix the flaked salmon with herbs, onion, bell pepper, mayonnaise, and a few other ingredients, then bake the patties until perfectly golden.

Slow Roasted Salmon With Fennel and Orange: For an incredibly tender salmon, you can’t beat this slow roasting method. Plus, the fennel orange topping is the perfect citrus summer flavor pairing.

Pistachio Crusted Salmon: This is for all the pistachio lovers! Salmon fillets are coated in a crunchy, nutty, and semi-sweet topping that’ll instantly elevate a basic baked salmon dinner.

One-Pan Salmon Recipes

Want to cook salmon on the stovetop? Grab your favorite pan to whip up these easy recipes. They’re done in a jiffy.

Poached Salmon: Poaching is a great way to serve up healthy, super tender, and delicious fish in just 20 minutes.

Blackened Salmon: This 15-minute salmon dinner is a taste of the best kind of Southern comfort food. These filets have a buttery inside with a blackened crust loaded with Cajun/Creole spices.

Orange Glazed Salmon: With the help of orange juice, honey, tamari soy sauce, and thyme, this citrusy sweet glazed salmon comes together fast.

Grilled Salmon Recipes

For a subtle charred yet smokey vibe, try grilling your salmon. You can use an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan, it’s up to you!

Grilled Salmon Steaks: These grilled salmon steaks are super moist, have a deliciously smoky char, and taste magical with a drizzle of the creamy mustard chive sauce.

Salmon Tacos: You can thank the salsa verde and chipotle sauce in this recipe. They’re what make these grilled salmon tacos so unbelievably good!

Cedar Plank Salmon: If you’re worried about your salmon sticking to the grill – fear not! A cedar plank easily solves that issue, and results in a smokey, moist, and super flavorful fish.

Air Fryer Salmon: If you’ve got an air fryer, this is a salmon recipe you won’t want to miss. It’s quick-and-easy to make with a Dijon seasoning that enhances the salmon beautifully.

Fresh and Healthy Salmon Salads

Salmon is a delicious and light way to amp up the protein in your salads! Choose from pan-seared, smoked, or baked, and toss it with fresh veggies for a delightfully filling meal.

Salmon Salad: Mix flaked baked salmon with celery, red onion, radishes, herbs, and a creamy, lemony dressing for the best summer salad ever. Eat it with a spoon or serve it up in lettuce wraps!

Salmon Avocado Salad: With a perfectly pan seared salmon, all you really need are a few simple ingredients to let it shine. Layer it on a bed of spinach, diced cucumbers, red onion, tomatoes, and avocados tossed in a lemon vinaigrette.

Smoked Salmon, Avocado, and Arugula Salad: Come spring, this salad is always on repeat. It’s easy, flavorful, ultra refreshing and visually stunning.

Salmon Asparagus Salad with Blistered Tomatoes: This is a warm, juicy, and fresh combination that’s loaded with the best of spring vegetables.

Smoked Salmon Recipes

Sure, smoked salmon and cream cheese are the ultimate combo, but it doesn’t have to stop there. Add smoked salmon to frittatas, salads, and other fun appetizers. Your guests will be raving and going back for seconds!

Smoked Salmon Frittata: In need of a winning brunch idea? Serve this frittata filled with smoked salmon, leek, goat cheese, and tons of fresh herbs.

Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs: Smoked salmon never tasted so good! A twist on classic deviled eggs, this stunning appetizer is a mix of fresh dill, briny capers, and bits of salty and smoky salmon.

Smoked Salmon Avocado Cucumber Bites: This is what healthy appetizer dreams are made of! Just slice cucumber rounds, dollop guacamole, add a slice of smoked salmon, and top it off with fresh chives and black pepper. Now tell me that doesn’t sounds fresh.

Smoked Salmon Cheese Ball: This show-stopping appetizer is a grown-up version of everyone’s favorite party snack – cheese balls!

Smoked Salmon Pinwheels: For another crowd-pleasing appetizer, these pinwheels are always a winner. Roll up smoked salmon with spinach and a creamy chevre mixture in soft tortillas (or my cassava flour tortillas).

Sweet Potato Toast with Smoked Salmon: This is a crazy delicious way to dress up your basic sweet potato toast for breakfast! Just add avocado, cucumber, smoked salmon, and a poached egg.

For More Easy Dinner Ideas

Love the recipes you see here? Get even more inspiration to cook with simple proteins, such as:

• Best Chicken Breast Recipes
• Best Shrimp Recipes
• Best Chickpea Recipes
• Best Egg Recipes
• Best Chicken Thigh Recipes

If you make any of these salmon recipes, let me know how they turned out!I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.

Salmon recipes roundup originally published February 2021, but updated to include new recipes I know you’ll love!