Salmon has always been a big treat at the dining table, and the fillets are just the best.
You can easily get them fresh or frozen in any grocery store or farmer’s market. These lean, fleshy pieces can then be made into a variety of delicious dishes.
And that’s what we are here for. We have rounded up these amazing salmon fillet recipes to give you lots of ideas for your next delightful salmon meal.
How to Choose Salmon Fillet
First things first, let’s look at some easy steps for picking a good salmon fillet from the store.
It’s best to go with fresh produce. You just need to remember three things: color, odor, and texture.
If the fillet has a bright and even color, then it’s fresh and good. Then, gently press it to test its firmness and see if it snaps back in shape. It shouldn’t give off any unpleasant smell as well.
Just avoid those with mushy flesh that smells fishy and starts to change color.
Another tip to keep in mind is choosing the right part of the fish.
We have a whole fish divided into different fillet parts, so if you love to have a rich and buttery flavor with a moist texture, go for the belly. And if you prefer a milder flavor with meatier texture, you can try the tail parts.
Lastly, if you can’t buy fresh salmon fillet, you can always opt for flash-frozen ones as well.
Best Salmon Filet Recipes
Now, ready for some fabulous salmon fillet recipes? Let’s dive in!
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Lemon Pepper Salmon Recipe
You haven’t had good fish until you try this Lemon Pepper Salmon. The recipe is as simple as the name suggests, and is served with an ultra creamy white wine sauce that’s minimal effort. Every now and then, when you crave a restaurant-esque meal without all the drudgery, reach for this dish and you’ll be a happy diner.
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Air Fryer Salmon Recipe
This all-in-one Air Fryer Salmon meal is exactly what you need on busy days. Throw everything into the air fryer, including cubed potatoes, then, microwave some fresh asparagus and you’re all set to dig in. It’s so easy you can make it with your eyes closed. Ahem, full disclosure - don’t!
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Pan Fried Salmon Recipe
There are a few reasons why this Pan Fried Salmon is a dream come true. First, there’s no pile of dirty pots after cooking this dish — only one pan. Second, you’ll spend just 15 minutes preparing it from start to finish. And third, it tastes like a delicious dream you won’t forget.
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Stuffed Salmon Recipe
Stuffed Salmon is prepared by filling salmon pockets with spinach and cream cheese for a velvety, rich center. Each filet is pan-fried skin down until golden brown and crisp, and then served with cooked asparagus for an appreciated crunch. The result is a meaty bite with a smooth cream cheese layer and a crunchy veggie finish.
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Oven-Baked Salmon Recipe
Sit down and put your feet up; this Oven-Baked Salmon requires zero effort. It’s served on a bed of potatoes and crunchy asparagus for a satiating treat. This is the dish that’ll have you covered when you’re too lazy to cook, but want a fulfilling meal. So yes, you can have your salmon and eat it too!
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Instant Pot Salmon Recipe
A silky garlic and paprika sauce takes this Instant Pot Salmon from mediocre to outstanding. Throw in some steamed carrots and potatoes for a satisfying crunch and you won’t know what hit your tastebuds. As a bonus, this meal comes together in just 30 minutes - it truly doesn’t get better than this.
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Crispy-Skin Salmon Recipe
If you’re on seafood duty, this Crispy-Skin Salmon is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Apart from the crispy, melt-in-your-mouth skin, you’ll get buttery, black pepper-seared filets that’ll be the star of any get-together. Plus, you’ll get to walk away with another excellent searing technique under your belt that you can adapt to several recipes. Truly a win-win.
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Broiled Salmon Recipe
Rev up your menu with this simplistic Broiled Salmon. All you need is 20 minutes to get a glossy, restaurant-esque meal to drool over. Start by brushing each filet with an herbed butter glaze and then broil them in the oven until cooked and tender. Serve with crunchy asparagus and quinoa to complete.
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Honey Mustard Salmon Recipe
Sometimes all you need to appease the family is a simple Honey Mustard Salmon. Everyone - kids included - will love it. It has a sweet glaze and flaky, melt-in-your-mouth salmon, which is a combination you’ll never get tired of. Finish this meal with some roasted vegetables and you’re all set for a delightful treat.
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Honey Soy Salmon Recipe
Honey Soy Salmon fuses together sweet and salty elements for an incredibly moist and savory dish. Hosting a gathering? This is the perfect meal. If your guests are not sold on the lustrous soy sauce glaze, the irresistible umami flavors are sure to win them over. They’ll soon be asking for seconds!
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Salmon Curry Recipe
Salmon Curry might be our favorite Asian seafood dish yet. Salmon is naturally rich in fats, but adding coconut milk further makes this dish velvety that one can hardly resist it. This dish is further adorned with bold Thai flavors of fish sauce and lime juice that make each curry spoonful vibrant, creamy, and downright delicious.
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Pan Seared Salmon Recipe
This Pan Seared Salmon is ideal for a tough crowd. Anyone who bites into one of these golden-brown, juicy filets will instantly mellow. The simplicity of charred fish in butter and garlic creates a pleasant experience, while healthful omega-3’s will fatten you into satisfaction, and the abundant protein will add muscle to any smile.
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Salmon Meuniere Recipe
For those days when you’re too tied up to spend more than 25 minutes in the kitchen, this Salmon Meuniere will come to the rescue. It’s inspired by “a miller’s wife” theme, hence the scrumptious flour coating. Keep it simple with some cooked baby potatoes on the side and you’re all set for a hearty meal.
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Salmon Coulibiac Recipe
This Salmon Coulibiac is uniquely Russian. And whether you call it a pie or a loaf, that’s up to you. The centre is layered with rice, salmon, kale, and mushrooms to give a bite of everything in one go. An excellent all-in-one meal when you’re too lazy to prepare a side dish.
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Salmon Teriyaki Recipe
Salmon Teriyaki is distinctly umami and true to Japanese flavors. It’s an excellent way to put a spin on your menu and impress the family with diverse Asian flavors. Finally, a bowl of steamed rice goes well with teriyaki aromas like red on a rose, so you’d be amiss to leave it out!
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Miso Salmon Recipe
If bold, unapologetic flavors are what you seek, you’ve found your winner. Miso Salmon has a basic soy, sesame, and mirin base that is deeply umami. Some say the fish sauce essence is too strong, others say it’s just the right amount of punch. Either way, there’s only one way for you to find out: make it today.
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Pecan Crusted Salmon Recipe
Elevate your meal repertoire with this delicious Pecan Crusted Salmon. This is perfect for an off the cuff meal that looks like you made a huge effort. Crank the oven up to 370℉, glaze the salmon with a mayo paste, coat with pecans and breadcrumbs, and bake until golden crispy.
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Parmesan Crusted Salmon Recipe
This Parmesan Crusted Salmon with Asparagus is next-level good. The crispy exterior contrasted by a smooth, juicy centre creates a droolworthy meal anyone can enjoy. And because we love a striking finish, we serve the filets with baked carrots and asparagus for a semi-sweet touch. But, of course, you can enjoy it with roasted vegetables of your choice.
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Lemon Butter Salmon Recipe
It’s no secret that fish and citrus go well together, hence this Lemon Butter Salmon is a total success. And the beauty is in the simplicity of this duo: fresh salmon is light; citrus is zesty. And, when you relish the unfettered taste of seafood with minimal seasoning, you won’t get enough of it.
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Poached Salmon Recipe
There’s an abundance of easy recipes out there, but none like this one for Poached Salmon. Fresh fillets simmer in a pool of white cream sauce until they’re tender and flaky. Next, you serve them with mashed potatoes and enjoy the creamiest, most buttery dish of your life. What more can you want?
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Salmon Salad Recipe
This Salmon Salad is so texture-rich and tasty you’ll want to eat it all week long. Salmon, by itself, is easily enjoyable, and including it in a salad is a simplistic way to make its flavors shine through. Here we added lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and radish to accompany salmon with crunchy textures that complement it flawlessly.
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Salmon Piccata Recipe
If you love creamy textures and lemony flavors, you’ll love this Salmon Piccata. It’s the perfect bright dish to amp up your recipe repertory. Brined capers, parsley, and white wine give this dish an overall vibrancy and tang that makes it so addictive that you’ll be making it every week.
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Honey Garlic Salmon Recipe
Two opposing flavors reconcile to form a magical dining experience in this Honey Garlic Salmon recipe. So sit down, dig in, and prepare yourself for an assault of heavenly flavors. While treading the spectrum of sweet to sour, this dish will take your taste buds for an exciting joy ride you’ll appreciate.
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Salmon Alfredo Recipe
It’s hard to imagine a more convenient meal than this Salmon Alfredo. It includes a simple, 1-minute broth that’s essential to combining the pasta and salmon, transforming it from basic to elegant. The result is a dish classy enough for special gatherings yet simple enough for a random lunch or dinner.
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Lemon Dill Salmon Recipe
If you need a fancier presentation but minimal prep, use this Lemon Dill Salmon recipe. It’ll save you the trouble of a tiresome cook. Dill flatters seafood extremely well, including salmon. And with hints of Cajun and paprika seasoning to further spice things up, you’ll be serving this every other day.
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Salmon en Croute (Wellington) Recipe
Need something unique to break your routine? Try this Salmon En Croute. It has that sought-after, light and tender pastry you get from a classic French pie. The center is stuffed with spinach, salmon, and mushrooms to deliver an all-in-one chunky and filling bite each time. And all this in under one hour.
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Maple Glazed Salmon Recipe
This Maple Glazed Salmon will make you rethink that takeout order. Even busy nights are no excuse - this dish takes just 20 minutes to prepare. Salmon filets are seared in a thick, syrupy glaze that leaves them deliciously glossy. They’re then served with cooked broccoli and rice for a healthy, better-than-takeout meal.
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Cedar Plank Salmon Recipe
This Cedar Plank Salmon recipe is a quick way to make your meal special. It’s the scented board, the smokey aroma, and the elegant browned filet display that are enough to adorn the atmosphere. All this before biting into the Italian-seasoned salmon to seal the deal on an exceptional seafood treat.
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Tuscan Butter Salmon Recipe
This Tuscan Butter Salmon recipe is proof that your meal doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious. In just 30 minutes, a simple spinach, tomato, and heavy cream mix will convert your filets into a restaurant-worthy dish. Serve the salmon with cooked rotini to really drive home the Italian theme.
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Baked Salmon in Foil Recipe
Baked Salmon in Foil is a timeless classic because it creates the juiciest filets you’ll bite into. Plus, it’s easy to prep. Everything, including the seasoned vegetables, is wrapped in foil and baked together until cooked and tender. That’s it. Seriously, it’s hard to imagine an easier cook.
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Pesto Salmon Recipe
Pesto Salmon. If that isn’t enough to get you salivating then we don’t know what is. Homemade pesto is easy to make, and after slathering it atop each filet, bake until moist and tender. Next, layer a bed of crunchy asparagus and cherry tomato halves neatly before finally placing the salmon on top. Impressive.
Get the recipe.Can You Eat Raw Salmon Fillet?
Raw salmon can have an awesome taste to many, but is it safe to eat?
You can choose to have these luscious orange salmon pieces on your plate, but be aware that raw fish may be an environment for parasites, bacteria and other contaminants.
The elderly, children, pregnant women, and those with a weak stomach or other illnesses should not consume uncooked fish for ultimate safety.
Still, if you love eating raw salmon, as in sushi and sashimi, then make sure it is properly processed. Remember to check for the firmness of the salmon, as well as its color and odor before eating.
Best Ways to Cook Salmon Fillet
So, if you prefer to have your salmon cooked, let’s take a look at some cooking options:
- Poaching: Poaching gives you a light, healthy, natural-tasting salmon dish, which pairs beautifully with roasted vegetables and is super simple to make.
- Pan-searing: Pan-searing is a great way to give your salmon fillet an ultimate crispy exterior while keeping the center moist and juicy.
- Roasting: Roasting helps cook your salmon evenly inside out, making sure that your fillet is perfectly flaky, tender, and well-cooked.
- Broiling: Broiling uses the oven just like roasting, but using a higher temperature in a quicker time period. This gives the salmon a nice golden brown surface and a smoky flavor.
- Grilling: Grilling is a fantastic way to cook your salmon fillet, giving it a lovely flaky texture and a beautiful charring on top.
How to Prepare Salmon Fillet
Usually the salmon fillet you buy from the stores have been nicely handled.
However, there may be leftover tiny bones in it, so you can use a tweezer or a needle-nosed plier to pluck them out.
If you buy fillets that still have their skin and flakes on and wish to remove them, then doing it after it has been cooked will be much easier.
After that, rinse your fillets under cold water. If you don’t cook it yet, then pat it dry with a paper towel. Store your fillet in a sealed bag or air-tight container in the fridge right away, or freeze them for longer use.
How to Marinate Salmon Fillet
The quickest and simplest way is to mix lemon juice with salt and pepper and marinade your fillets in it. Feel free to get creative and try with different herbs and sauces as well.
Plus, you can cook your fillets right away after seasoning or marinade them overnight depending on how you love your salmon to taste like.
A writer and entrepreneur, Luna’s day doesn’t start at the computer keyboard, but in the kitchen.
Half of her working hours are spent on mixing ingredients for her recipes. The other half involve working with the tech team to research and test the tools and appliances that promise to make kitchen work effortless and mess-free. From a kitchen knife or water filter to the Instant Pot, if it can help save time and effort for the home cook, Luna and her team are on it.
Luna’s extracurricular pastimes include camping, travel, and photography.