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This easy lemon dill salmon takes just 10 minutes to bake and features a creamy, zesty dill sauce. It’s perfect as a healthy weeknight meal or to impress at dinner parties!
Need an easy weeknight meal? This lemon dill salmon has become one of those recipes I turn to constantly: because it’s fast, it’s easy, and it always impresses everyone. The sauce alone really is one of my secret weapons for salmon recipes!
Here the baked salmon is tender and savory, and covered in a tangy, creamy lemon dill sauce. The salmon bakes in just 10 minutes while you whisk together the sauce!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I’ve made this recipe dozens of times tender, flaky salmon with a sauce that gets rave reviews. Here’s why you’ll love it:
- It has great flavor. The high heat makes perfectly tender baked salmon, and the dill sauce combines the richness of mayonnaise with the tang of Greek yogurt, herby dill, and fresh lemon juice.
- It’s a relatively fast and easy dinner. The entire recipe can be completed in less than 30 minutes.
- It’s a healthy dinner option. This recipe fits into a Mediterranean diet meal plan, and it’s one of those healthy dinner ideas that doesn’t sacrifice flavor.
5 Star Reader Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great recipe! The sauce was delish! I used less mayo and more yogurt because of what I had on hand, but it was still great. Easy, healthy, and so tasty! -JoAnna
Key Ingredients for Success
Here’s what you’ll need for this lemon dill salmon recipe:
- Salmon fillets: I like using skin-on fillets for easier handling, but skin-off works too. Look for fresh, sustainably caught salmon when possible.
- Fresh dill: This fresh herb adds a brightness that dried dill simply can’t match.
- Greek yogurt and mayonnaise: I cut the traditional all-mayo dill sauce with Greek yogurt to lighten it up.
- Fresh lemon juice: The acidity of lemon balances the richness of the sauce.
- Garlic and onion powder: These spices add depth without overpowering. In my testing, I found that fresh garlic can sometimes be too strong.
How to Make Lemon Dill Salmon
This lemon dill salmon is so easy and versatile: it works for easy weeknight dinners and is still special enough for dinner parties. When we first made the recipe, Alex and I brought it to friends who just had a baby and they loved it. Here are the basic steps for how to make this lemon dill salmon:
- Season with salt and pepper. Place the fillet on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for about 10 minutes at 450°F. Bake until it’s flaky and just cooked, about 10 minutes. You can also make pan seared salmon for an even quicker dinner.
- Mix up the dill sauce for salmon. The sauce takes just 5 minutes to mix up while the fish bakes.
More Ways to Use the Sauce
Once you taste this 5-minute lemon dill sauce, you’ll want to put it on everything. I’ve used it on so many other dishes beyond salmon:
- It would be great with other seafood like sauteed shrimp, baked trout, baked cod, or grilled halibut.
- Chicken works too, like pan seared chicken, baked chicken, or grilled chicken thighs.
- I also like it with vegetables like French fries, baked potato wedges, steamed broccoli or steamed cauliflower.
Sides to Serve with Lemon Dill Salmon
There are lots of ways to serve this lemon dill salmon to make it a healthy meal! Here are some favorite sides to go with salmon, for weeknights or entertaining:
- This apple salad or arugula salad are quick and simple.
- Try steamed green veggies like steamed broccoli or steamed green beans.
- These Parmesan truffle fries or Parmesan potato wedges are two of our favorite ways to prepare potatoes.
- Add a grain like quinoa, farro, orzo, or rice.
- Go for a quick baked sweet potato or quick baked potato, recipes with a time-saving trick.
- Use the oven for roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted carrots, or roasted vegetables.
Tip: This recipe is included in our Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan! It has recipes for 1 month and a meal planning spreadsheet download.
Dietary Notes
This lemon dill salmon recipe is pescatarian and gluten-free.
Lemon Dill Salmon (Easy Dinner!)
This easy lemon dill salmon takes just 10 minutes to bake and features a creamy, zesty dill sauce. It’s perfect as a healthy weeknight meal or to impress at dinner parties!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
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 (see Notes)
- 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°F.*
- 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.
Fresh dill is absolutely essential to this recipe, but if you’re in a pinch, you can use 1 teaspoon dried dill.
I have been reading your recipes for the past half an hour and they all sound delicious. Where can I buy one of your cookbooks? I also signed up for your weekly newsletter!
Thank you so much! You can find our books here: https://www.acouplecooks.com/cookbook/
Great recipe! Honestly though, the best thing out of this was the dill and lemon sauce. The salmon was good, but the sauce cleared it.
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!
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Cant wait to make this recipe for my girlfriends next week,
Sounds wonderful
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.