Lemon Dill Salmon with just five ingredients is a bright, fresh, delicious salmon option you can enjoy warm or cold. The perfect main course or topping on a spring salad.
 Lemon Dill Salmon
Lemon Dill Salmon is my nod to wanting to celebrate that we’ve seemingly entered into the spring season! With the temperatures we’ve been having recently I am all about the fresh, easy spring recipes I’ve been dying to make all winter long.
This Lemon Dill Salmon is a back of your pocket easy recipe that you throw together anytime you need something that isn’t fussy. It’s delicious warm, like my great aunt used to make it (though she added raw onion too – not sure on that one) or cold, flaked over a salad or into a pita pocket like we do every chance we get.
The biggest hurdle for me in cooking salmon is always in finding a good salmon to buy. I am 100% against the farmed salmon with color added. Please understand that salmon would be as white as the marble above if it were not for the salmon being fed an additive to make it look pink.
We enjoy salmon less often than we would like because we only buy the wild Alaskan salmon. I am not one to spend $26 a pound for it at Whole Foods so I normally scour my circulars and Costco for a deal.
A few times a year it goes on sale, usually 13-15 dollars a pound. When it does we stock up and freeze it in vacuum sealed bags until we’re ready to use it. I normally will cut three pieces to a pound, so we end up spending 4-5 dollars a serving which is still less than a takeout meal.
How to Pick Good Salmon:
- Look for a vibrant color, the more vibrant, generally the fresher the fish is.
- Look to see how moist the salmon looks, the fresher it is the more moist and plump it will look.
- Smell it. It shouldn’t smell fishy, thats a sign it isn’t fresh.
- Avoid salmon with any brown spots on it, that’s definitely not fresh.
- Avoid salmon that’s curling up at the edges, that’s a sign it isn’t moist.
Should I use fresh or dried herbs?
I’m a huge proponent of good dried herbs, they add a lot of flavor to dishes with no smart points needed. But in this recipe we are going for brightness and freshness and I think fresh herbs are an important part of that. The flavors will be much much brighter if you use fresh herbs.
Looking for more salmon recipes? We love salmon! Honey Chili Salmon Bake, Spicy Garlic Salmon and Tomatoes, and Honey Soy Salmon are currently on the blog with more easy salmon recipes coming soon!
Tools Used in the making of this Lemon Dill Salmon:
Vacuum Sealer: This is how we save our fresh salmon when we buy it in bulk. Freezing without the air preserves the integrity of the food and eliminates freezer burn.
Lemon Zester: Using a good zester means you get all the zest and natural lemon oils with none of the bitter pitch, I use this for cheese and chocolate too.
Ingredients
- 4 salmon filets skin on (roughly 6-8 ounces each)
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lemon zested
- 1/4 cup chopped dill
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Season the salmon with the salt, pepper and olive oil in a small bowl, then place onto a baking sheet (I line with parchment paper).
- Add on the dill, parsley and lemon zest topping pressing down lightly.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes.
- Serve with the lemon sliced into wedges for additional lemon if desired.
Nutrition
I just love salmon! And this looks so fresh & healthy. 🙂
LOVE this fresh and healthy meal. Â Also that tip for buying salmon at good prices is great!
Love how easy and healthy this dinner is! Perfect for busy weeknights!
That’s the idea behind it – make it easy to get dinner on the table without having to worry about your points!
Loving all that dill flavor!
Lemon dill is one of my favorite flavors. Can’t wait to try this!
this looks incredible. perfect easy weeknight meal!
Thanks, Jessica!
This looks really good! I would love to try this! Such a great way to cook salmon!
This is so simple to make and was delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks, Richard! So happy you liked it!