Chances are, even if you don’t consider yourself a “fish person,” you like salmon. For starters, this oily, ray-finned fish is mild. It’s also super versatile and comes from the same family as trout, char and whitefish. Salmon works well in place of chicken in a lot of meals (if you’re cutting back on meat) and it’s extremely healthy, which is why you can always find it on restaurant menus and nutritionist-approved foods lists. It’s rich in vitamins D, E and B3, 5, 6 and 12, and an excellent source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Plus it’s known to reduce inflammation and support heart health.
Salmon works for breakfast or lunch—in dishes like salmon egg scrambles, smoked salmon bagels, salmon salads and salmon sushi—or as a healthy dinner idea baked, steamed and broiled. For a more decadent meal, there’s always salmon in creamy sauces, salmon Wellington (baked en croute in puff pastry) and salmon pasta.
More on our favorite salmon recipes below, but first things first: the best ways to cook salmon.
Related: How Much Salmon Should I Buy for Dinner?
How to Cook Salmon
Salmon is one of the easiest fish to cook, because it can be done in many different ways. You can steam salmon, grill it, sauté, bake and air fry salmon. You can also cook salmon in the slow cooker and Instant Pot, or make salmon kebabs on skewers and throw them on a grill pan. Salmon can also be cooked on cedar planks for an out-of-this-world smoky flavor, baked in papillotecooked in tin foil over an open flame—even prepared sous vide style.
How Long to Bake Salmon In the Oven
Baked salmon made in the oven is so simple and requires practically zero effort. Place the salmon on a sheet pan (either on parchment paper or a Silpat silicone baking mat sprayed with a little olive oil), then bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes. Cook a little longer for more well-done salmon, or a little shorter for rarer salmon in the center.
Related: The Best Canned Salmon Recipes
Best Salmon Recipes
In addition to baked salmon, some of the top recipes include: salmon patties and cakesgrilled salmon, salmon croquette, blackened salmon, teriyaki salmon and honey glazed salmon.
There are a million ways to marinate salmon and then there are no-cook dishes like salmon ceviche, salmon poke bowls, salmon tartare, raw, hamachi, sushi, etc. We’ve included plenty of these recipes below as well.
Related: The Best Sides for Salmon
Give these 65 best salmon recipes to try the next time you’re scrolling through Instagram or Pinterest, looking for inspiration. We promise you’ll have so many delish salmon suppers in your future, that you won’t know where to begin!
Oven-Steamed Salmon
This salmon is cooked briefly in a very low-temperature oven filled with steam, emerging tender and incredibly moist. Pass a fork through the fish and you’ll meet no resistance. Pro tip: a center-cut piece of wild-caught Alaskan king or sockeye salmon yields the best results.
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Pan-Seared Salmon w/ Sweet & Spicy Orange-Coconut Sauce
This Pan-Seared Salmon w/ Sweet & Spicy Orange-Coconut Sauce comes together in less than 30 minutes and will have your guests thinking they’ve been magically transported to some gourmet, five-star dining establishment. The sauce is quite simple; combine all the delicious ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for about 10 minutes until it becomes syrupy and intensely flavored.
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Savory Smoked Salmon Bagel Bake
A classic breakfast—bagels and lox—gets an easy one-dish spin with just a handful of ingredients in this Savory Smoked Salmon Bagel Bake. Feel free to swap in diced ham or chopped bacon instead of salmon.
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Bridget Jones’s Pan-Fried Salmon with Pine Nut Sauce
“This is the dish Patrick Dempsey’s character tells Renée Zellweger’s Bridget Jones that he would have brought her on their imaginary second date in Bridget Jones’s Baby,” says Israeli-British chef Yotam Ottolenghi. “The recipe didn’t even exist on our menu, so this is a retrospective acknowledgment.” It’s life imitating art, deliciously.”
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Fresh Salmon Burger
Pro tip for making the best salmon burger: when pulsing the salmon in the food processor, do not let it get mushy. Allowing some texture to remain will make a better burger.
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Smoked Salmon Dip
For University of Washington Huskies fans, tailgating is truly unique. They take to Lake Washington for “sailgating” in Husky Harbor, sandwiched between the Olympic Mountains and the Cascade Range in what’s arguably one of the prettiest game-day settings. So when it comes to food, it’s no surprise that menus are inspired by the water. And this being the Pacific Northwest, salmon is a particular favorite—grilled on a cedar plank, in burgers and smoked in a dip.
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Super Greens and Grains with Roast Salmon
This wintery dish pops with flavor, color, texture and heart-healthy nutrition, thanks to the salmon, kale, quinoa, avocado, orange and nuts. Pro tip: massaging the kale with the dressing helps make it tender for the salad. Wild Alaska salmon is a particularly good choice, nutritionally speaking. It’s it has fewer calories and less fat overall (especially saturated fat), and is higher in minerals, than farmed salmon yet boasts comparable protein.
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Smoky Salmon Dip
Jennifer Segal (Once Upon a Chef) serves this creamy dip during the holidays. It comes together super quickly, so you won’t miss out on the party.
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Al Roker’s Grilled Salmon with Maple-Ginger Glaze
“When it comes to cooking, I’m pretty much a traditionalist,” says Roker. “I’ve been making this dish for at least 10 years. Salmon’s a flavorful fish, and it stands up well to other flavors. So if you put a little maple on it, plus salt and pepper, you get a sweet and savory dish. And it’s family-friendly—kids like it.”
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Smoked Salmon Potato Bites
Smoked Salmon Potato Bites are made with simple ingredients in this easy-to-make appetizer and yogurt takes the place of the cream cheese that’s traditionally used with smoked salmon.
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Soft Scrambled Eggs with Avocado, Chia Seeds, Salmon and Kale
Even though this dish can come together quickly on a weekday morning, it’s perfect for a leisurely weekend brunch. Chia seeds give the eggs an especially creamy texture, as does just a bit of grass-fed butter. The combination of avocado and salmon makes this satisfying enough to hold you over until dinner.
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Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon
Nothing beats grilled seafood for dinner! It’s so much better, and better for you, than hamburgers and hot dogs. This Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon has a nice, smoky flavor, but make sure you keep a spray bottle of water next to the grill in case of flare-ups.
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Crispy Salmon Skin “Bacon”
Crispy. Salmon. Skin. Bacon. We’ll let those words sink in for a moment. “If you love crackly crisp salmon skin, make this recipe,” says Diane Morgan, author of Salmon: Everything You Need to Know + 45 Recipes.
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Salmon Kebabs
Get in the swim of eating more fish with this quick dinner-on-a-stick (perfect for Lent). Let everyone pick their own dipping sauce—choose from bottled teriyaki, hoisin or sweet chili.
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Salmon Masala
Tandoori masala is a blend of ground spices—typically paprika, cumin, coriander, ginger, garlic, turmeric and cayenne—but it varies a bit from one cook to the next. It’s delicious on this salmon (especially wild Alaska salmon), as well as on lamb, chicken and vegetables.
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Cashew-Crusted Salmon Skewers
Salmon, nuts and seeds are a home-run combo of flavor, nutrition and simplicity in this recipe from the cookbook The Game of Eating Smart: Nourishing Recipes for Peak Performance Inspired by MLB Superstars.
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Heart-Healthy Salmon Tacos
This taco recipe swaps fried fish for sautéed salmon, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids known for reducing blood pressure and triglycerides. The slaw adds extra crunch and nutrients, thanks to vitamin K-packed collard greens and vitamin C-rich jicama.
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Hearty Salmon Salad
The salmon has a delicate flavor, but it’s still very hearty. The fennel and apple provide the perfect crisp and flavor and the blue cheese and walnuts add just enough fat to make this salad satisfying.
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Maple-Glazed Salmon
This recipe was Army Sergeant Sarah Deckert’s go-to recipe when serving the army surgeon general, because it’s both healthy and delicious.
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Teriyaki Salmon
Try this teriyaki salmon recipe for a healthy and delicious dinner idea. This meal does require a bit of prep time, since you’ll need to leave time for the fish to marinate in the fridge prior to cooking. But, once it’s done marinating, you’ll be ready to eat within 15 to 20 minutes!
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Kevin McKidd’s Salmon in Pastry
“My mum would make this on special occasions, and my dad, brother, and I would do the dishes. The aroma of the pastry would fill the tiny house we lived in. It was lovely. The mixture of the soft salmon and the crispy pastry is so decadent it almost feels like you’re having dessert!”
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Southwestern Maple-Glazed Salmon with Pineapple Salsa
In this easy and elegant recipe, salmon fillets are generously dusted with a Southwestern spice rub, then broiled and glazed with maple syrup. The spices create a delicious top crust with a hint of heat and bitterness that balances out the sweetness of the syrup and richness of the salmon.
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Smoked Salmon and Dill Goat Cheese Grilled Cheese
Everyone knows grilled cheese, the simple sandwich with melted cheese between two buttery, toasted slices of bread…the grilled cheese is a classic staple of the American diet! So how can we take such an iconic sandwich and take it to the next level of gourmet goodness? This Smoked Salmon and Dill Goat Cheese Grilled Cheese.
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Easy Fish Tacos
These salmon tacos are simple to prep and quick to bake, while the salsa just requires a little bit of chopping and throwing together in a bowl.
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Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs
All the elements of a traditional salmon platter are here—cream cheese, dill, capers and onion—and they combine together flawlessly in this hand-held appetizer bite.
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