This fast lemon dill salmon takes just 10 minutes to bake! Mix up the zesty dill sauce while the salmon cooks. It’s the ultimate healthy, easy weeknight meal.
Looking for an easy weeknight meal? Enter: lemon dill salmon. It’s fast, it’s easy, and it’s even fancy enough for a dinner party. Now: Alex and I are all about whole food plant based meals. But the way we eat is better described as the Mediterranean diet. It’s plant based most of the time, but seafood every once in a while. When we do eat seafood, this is the recipe we go to! The baked salmon is perfectly savory, and doused in a zingy lemon dill sauce it’s pretty irresistible. We just brought it to some friends who just had a baby and it got rave reviews. Here’s how to make it!
How to make lemon dill salmon
This healthy dinner recipe is so easy and versatile, it could really work anytime. It’s perfect for fast & easy weeknight meals, and it’s also special enough for dinner parties. Alex and I brought it to friends who just had a baby, and it would be great for Christmas dinner. Here are the basic steps for how to make this lemon dill salmon:
- Season with salt and pepper. All you need to do is sprinkle on a bit of salt and pepper! Place it on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for about 10 minutes at 450 degrees. Bake until it’s flaky and just cooked, about 10 minutes.
- While it bakes, mix up the dill sauce for salmon. The sauce takes just 5 minutes to mix up (see below).
Want a faster method? You can also make Pan Seared Salmon and top with this sauce!
5 minute dill sauce for salmon…that works on anything!
The hands-down best part of this lemon dill salmon is the sauce! This lemon dill sauce takes only 5 minutes to mix up and is so tasty, you’ll want to use it on just about anything. Many dill sauces for salmon are cooked, but this one is just a matter of stirring it up! Here are the main ingredients you’ll stir together:
- Fresh dill. It’s important to get fresh dill for this recipe. If you’re in a pinch, though: you could substitute 2 teaspoons dried dill for the 2 tablespoons fresh.
- Mayonnaise & Greek yogurt. Dill sauce is traditionally very rich: we’ve cut the richness a bit with Greek yogurt.
- Lemon. Fresh lemon is key for the zingy flavor.
- Garlic powder & onion powder. These spices add big flavor.
Take a taste, and you may want to use this on lots of other things too! This dill sauce for salmon would also be great with:
- Shrimp
- Trout, cod, halibut, or other fish
- French fries or baked potato wedges!
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
Buying sustainable salmon: what to look for
Are you looking at buying sustainable fish for this lemon dill salmon? (If so, kudos!) Here are a few pointers for buying sustainable seafood:
- Look for wild-caught fish if possible. If you live in the US, look for US caught. 90% of the seafood we eat in the US is imported. Imported seafood runs the risk of being overfished, caught under unfair labor practices, or farmed in environmentally harmful ways.
- How your fish is caught matters. Look for hook and line as one example of a sustainable gear type. Bottom trawling is considered the most destructive and least sustainable method.
10 sides to go with lemon dill salmon
There are lots of ways to serve this lemon dill salmon to make it a healthy meal! Here are our top 10 sides to go with salmon, for weeknights or entertaining:
- Spinach Apple Salad This salad is so easy, and the tangy apple pairs perfectly with zingy balsamic vinaigrette.
- Best Steamed Broccoli This easy steamed broccolli takes just 10 minutes to whip up: top with feta crumbles.
- Lemony Steamed Green Beans A perfect easy side dish with a tangy lemon flavor.
- Parmesan Truffle Fries Lemon dill salmon would be insanely good paired with truffle fries. Just saying.
- Farro with Mushrooms & Parmesan A great option for entertaining, this whole grain farro makes for a perfect dinner party side.
- Quick Baked Sweet Potato or Quick Baked Potato Pair salmon with a quick baked sweet potato: this recipe has a time-saving trick.
- Best Brussels Sprouts Recipe Crispy Brussels sprouts work for an easy weeknight meal: they take 30 minutes total.
- Roasted Carrots These easy carrots taste amazing: bake them until tender with lemon wedges and fresh thyme.
- Best Roasted Vegetables Another option for entertaining, these really are the very best roasted veggies.
- Parmesan Potato Wedges Our favorite way to make potatoes! These crispy wedges take about 45 minutes but are well worth the time.
Looking for more? Here are all our salmon recipes.
Want a meal plan?
This recipe is included in our Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan! Check it out for recipes for 1 month, including a meal planning spreadsheet download.
This lemon dill salmon recipe is…
Pescatarian and gluten-free.
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Lemon Dill Salmon (Fast & Easy Dinner!)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This fast lemon dill salmon takes just 10 minutes to bake! Mix up the zesty dill sauce as it cooks. It’s the ultimate healthy, easy weeknight meal!
Ingredients
For the salmon
- 4 salmon fillets (skin on or off)
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
For the lemon dill sauce (makes about ¾ cup)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.*
- Generously sprinkle the salmon with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the salmon for about 10 minutes until flaky and just cooked; test it with a fork to assess doneness. Watch the salmon to make sure not to overcook; the timing can vary based on the thickness of the salmon and variations between ovens.
- While the salmon bakes, mix together the sauce ingredients, adding the water last. Use the water to bring it to a loose, drizzle-able consistency. (You may need a touch more depending on your yogurt brand.)
- Serve the salmon and garnish each fillet with 2 tablespoons of the lemon dill sauce. Save leftover sauce refrigerated.
Notes
*You can also pan sear or broiled the salmon to make a quicker recipe. Go to Pan Seared Salmon or Broiled Salmon.
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: Lemon Dill Salmon, Baked Salmon
Hi! My family loved this recipe. That sauce! Wow! It makes about 1 cup so I’m glad I didn’t double it and even with 5 pieces of salmon, we still had about 1/2 cup extra. I’m thinking it would make a good chip dip too. :) Thank you for this — it was fast, easy, and oh so delicious.
Cant wait to make this recipe for my girlfriends next week,
Sounds wonderful
ok
★★★★
Great recipe! I got a huge bunch of fresh dill at the farmers market and this was a perfect way to use some up! The sauce was delish! I used less mayo and more yogurt because of what I had on hand, but it was still great! I made the salmon on a sheet pan with asparagus and cubed white sweet potatoes. The potatoes went in first for about 15 minutes, the I added the rest to the pan for just 10 more minutes. Easy, healthy, and so tasty!
★★★★★