I have developed over a dozen delicious salmon recipes over the years because I’m obsessed with salmon! This dill salmon recipe is one of my top picks. It’s easy! It’s fast! And that dill sauce is to die for.
Fish can be intimidating. I get it. It gets funky really fast and sometimes the fishy smell can be off-putting. Want to know a secret? Good quality fresh fish shouldn’t have a strong “fishy” smell.
The nice thing about fish is that it’s actually really easy to prepare and it cooks really quickly getting dinner on the table fast! I’ll give you some tips on making one of my favorite salmon recipes that may win over someone who is lukewarm about fish.
Im Obsessed with this Dill Salmon Recipe
The star of the show is this creamy dill topping! The mayo adds richness and moisture and the fresh garlic, lemon, & herbs add an insane amount of flavor.
It’s easy to throw together and all of the ingredients are easy to find. I used nutritional yeast to make this dairy free, but if you’d rather use Parmesan cheese, go right ahead.
Why You’ll Love Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce
If you have people in your life who are lukewarm about fish, this would be a great one to win them over. I’m accustomed to preparing fish for finicky eaters and this one is a total winner!
My kids are picky when it comes to salmon, but they will ALL eat this. And ask for more.
Dill Salmon Ingredients
- Salmon fillets
- Himalayan salt
- Paleo-friendly mayonnaise
- Garlic
- Fresh chives
- Fresh dill
- Nutritional yeast (or freshly grated Parmesan)
- Lemon juice
How to make Salmon with Dill Cream Sauce
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Lay the salmon fillets on a parchment covered sheet pan and sprinkle with salt.
- In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients – mayonnaise, garlic, dill, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice.
- Spread a tablespoon or two of the sauce over each salmon fillet until you have used all the sauce.
- Bake the salmon for 12-15 minutes or until just barely cooked through. It should flake off fairly easily with a fork, but not be too stiff or rubbery.
- Set aside to cool, then serve.
Salmon Dill Recipe Tips
I think a big key in making flavorful fish (no matter what kind) is to season it well. Under-seasoned fish is a really sad thing. So, if you have thick fillets, give them a generous sprinkle of salt and you won’t be sorry.
Ok, let’s talk about this topping and how fresh dill is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated herbs out there.
I made a creamy mixture of fresh mayo, lemon juice, fresh herbs, and fresh garlic. I also added a big spoonful of nutritional yeast, but you could totally use grated Parmesan if you’re cool with cheese.
Speaking of mayo — making homemade mayo is super easy. I actually use my food processor every time now, but if you have an immersion blender and mason jar you could do it that way, too. I wrote a post on it forever ago — How to Make Mayonnaise. I also have instructions in both of my cookbooks for the food processor method!
Dill Salmon Recipe Substitutions
And if you absolutely can’t find any fresh dill, just use dried. (But make a valiant effort to find the fresh stuff. Promise me? Please?)
This amount of garlicky-dill spread will cover six salmon fillets nicely. You’ll want to use all of it, too.
I love how quickly this all comes together. Very minimal chopping and fish cooks quickly, so you could have an amazing roasted salmon meal ready in about 30 minutes. With a side dish, too.
What to serve with Dill Salmon
I paired this with some leftover jasmine rice and roasted broccoli (which went into the oven after the salmon because I like to roast it hotter), but you can pair it with a salad, too.
Actually Homemade Caesar Salad is fabulous with salmon. It’s one of our most favorite summertime meals! (I even wrote about our Grilled Salmon Caesar Salad shenanigans over on The Pioneer Woman: Food & Friends.
And if you’re doing Whole30, this is totally compliant! Just whip up a batch of Whole30 Caesar Dressing for a salad to go with it.
Here are a few other quick side dishes that would go well with this roasted salmon:
Syrian Salad with Za’atar Vinaigrette
Dill Roasted Cabbage (Use up the rest of your dill, too!)
Salmon with Dill
I think dill is one of the most underrated herbs out there. It really shines in this roasted salmon recipe with a creamy garlic sauce baked on top!
Ingredients
- 6 salmon fillets, about 4-5 ounces each
- pink Himalayan salt
- 1/3 cup paleo-friendly mayonnaise
- 1 clove grated or crushed garlic
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh chives (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried)
- 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast (or freshly grated Parmesan)
- Juice from 1/2 of a lemon (1-2 Tablespoons)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lay the salmon fillets on a parchment covered sheet pan and sprinkle with salt.
- In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients -- mayonnaise, garlic, dill, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice.
- Spread a tablespoon or two of the sauce over each salmon fillet until you have used all the sauce.
- Bake the salmon for 12-15 minutes or until just barely cooked through. It should flake off fairly easily with a fork, but not be too stiff or rubbery.
- Set aside to cool, then serve.
Storing leftover Salmon with Dill Sauce
Store the salmon in the fridge for up to 3 days.