Salmon recipes that will transform your weeknight dinners
From an Ottolenghi tray bake to a David Herbert classic, discover a range of delicious and easy salmon recipes to make for dinner tonight.
Baked, fried, poached or grilled, these salmon dishes — courtesy of chefs and home cooks like Nathaniel Smith, Elizabeth Hewson and David Herbert — are the perfect recipes to make you feel like you’re a professional at cooking seafood, whilst also giving you your daily recommended dose of omega-3s.
Want more seafood ideas? Try our collection of fish recipes or a delicious prawn and cray roll, or pair your perfectly cooked salmon with a vegetable side dish.
How to cook salmon in three easy steps
There are several different ways to cook salmon, however this is a quick guide to preparing, pin boning and pan-frying salmon fillets perfectly – whether you’re cooking for a dinner party or weeknight meal.
- Step 1: Use tweezers to pull out the bones. Remove them in the same direction they sit so you don’t tear the flesh.
- Step 2: Run a sharp knife between the flesh and skin, at a slight angle holding one end of the skin for grip.
- Step 3: When pan-frying the salmon, turn it just once. If you turn it too often, the salmon can fall apart.
Our top salmon recipes
To save you time, we’ve collected our best salmon recipes and put them all in one spot. Whether you’re craving a salmon tray bake, a roasted stuffed salmon or an easy salmon salad, these go-to salmon dishes make choosing what to cook tonight easy.
Salmon with broccoli with sesame and ginger
This healthy traybake dinner comes together in just 20 minutes. Brushing a simple sesame-ginger glaze onto the salmon before it roasts promotes caramelisation on the fish, a feat not easily accomplished when roasting salmon fillets.
Get the recipe for Lidey Heuck’s Salmon with broccoli with sesame and ginger.
Bridget Jones’s pan-fried salmon with pine nut salsa
This is the dish Patrick Dempsey’s character tells Renée Zellweger’s Bridget Jones he would have brought her on their imaginary second date in Bridget Jones’s Baby. “From Ottolenghi,” he says, “delicious and healthy!” What sounded like product placement wasn’t even on Ottolenghi’s menu at the time.
Get the recipe for Yotam Ottolenghi’s pan-fried salmon with pine nut salsa.
Lemon and herb crusted trout
Elizabeth Hewson makes this fish bake with trout fillets but these can easily be substituted with salmon. This easy dinner party recipe doubles as a glam midweek dinner.
Get the recipe for Elizabeth Hewson’s lemon and herb crusted trout.
Chilli butter baked salmon
Salmon is one of my go-to fish, it tastes bloody amazing and it’s so easy to cook even if you think you don’t know what you’re doing.
Get the recipe for Nathaniel Smith’s chilli baked salmon.
Baked Salmon with orange, dill and pistachio
Simply pop this salmon in the oven for 25-30 minutes and dinner will be on the table in no time.
Get the recipe for Matilda Brown’s baked salmon with orange, dill and pistachio.
Salmon niçoise and lemon-crusted salmon
This recipe breaks down how to make fresh salmon niçoise, the dressing, and how to cook the lemon-crusted salmon — starting off with mixing breadcrumbs, parmesan, chilli, lemon zest and herbs together.
Get the recipe for David Herbert’s salmon niçoise and lemon-crusted salmon.
Roast stuffed salmon
A roast salmon recipe that’s packed full of flavour. The stuffing gives it an extra boost. And if you’re making this to impress friends, you can prepare the salmon the night before.
Get the recipe for David Herbert’s roast stuffed salmon.
Gin-cured Gravlax
Gravlax is fresh salmon or ocean trout cured with a combination of salt and sugar, a process that helps preserve the fish and bring out its natural flavours. Though curing might seem daunting, it’s surprisingly simple.
Get the recipe for Elizabeth Hewson’s gin-cured gravlax.
Puttanesca-style salmon tray bake
If you make the tomato anchovy oil a day ahead here, you can then delight in the fact that a midweek supper can be on the table within 20 minutes.
Get the recipe for Yotam Ottolenghi’s puttanesca-style salmon tray bake.
Grilled salmon with steamed vegetables
Marinated for 4-5 hours in regular and extra dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, fresh crushed garlic and black pepper. Cooked in an air-fryer on aluminium foil, skin side down for 8 minutes, same again skin side.
Get the recipe for Sean Turnell’s grilled salmon with steamed vegetables.
Salmon and broccolini tray bake
The vegetables and fish are all cooked on the one tray in these colourful dishes.
Get the recipe for David Herbert’s salmon and broccolini tray bake.
Salmon burgers with Asian dipping sauce
These burgers can be made ahead of time just chill them before cooking to keep their shape.
Get the recipe for David Herbert’s salmon burgers.
Salmon & Citrus Salad
Pair this fresh salmon, fennel and orange citrus salad with a dry Italian white such as the 2009 Carbonare Soave Classico from the Veneto.
Get the recipe for David Herbert’s salmon and citrus salad here.
Salmon fillets with spring vegetables
The salmon is cooked at a low temperature, which keeps its colour bright. Pair with some vegetables for a perfectly balanced meal.
Get the recipe for David Herbert’s salmon fillets with spring vegetables.
Smoked trout, fennel, radish and labneh salad
A great alternative to salmon, this smoked trout salad sings with fresh flavours from the fennel and radish. The labneh gives it a slightly zingy touch.
Get the recipe for Amelia Wasiliev’s smoked trout salad.
Salmon Teriyaki With Noodle Salad
Mirin, a rice wine, adds great flavour to the marinated salmon. Soba noodles are made from buckwheat, a delicious alternative to wheat, but you could always use medium egg noodles.
Get the recipe for David Herbert’s salmon teriyaki with noodle salad.
Prefer lamb or chicken? See our roast recipes or complete the meal with one of our salad recipes. For more food ideas, go to theaustralian.com.au/life/food-drink or sign up to our weekly food and wine newsletter.
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