What can I make with salmon?
Salmon is the fastest protein in most kitchens: usually under ten minutes, start to finish. The recipes below use salmon, and the notes after them cover the timing and heat that keep it tender rather than rubbery.
8 recipes with salmon
Teriyaki Salmon
Glazed salmon fillets with a sweet-savory sauce.
Japanese20m2
Sushi Rolls
Nori-wrapped rice with fish and vegetables.
Japanese25m4Creamy Salmon Soup
A delicious and comforting salmon soup made with fresh salmon, potatoes, and a touch of cream.
American75m4Gravlax with Mustard-Dill Sauce
Cured salmon with a sweet and tangy mustard-dill sauce
Scandinavian120m8
Salmon noodle soup
step 1 Pour the stock into a large pan, bring to the boil, then stir in the curry paste.
Vietnamese4Honey Teriyaki Salmon
Mix all the ingredients in the Honey Teriyaki Glaze together.
Japanese4
Noodle bowl salad
step 1 Drop the noodles into a large bowl, then pour over enough boiling water to cover.
Vietnamese4
Baked salmon with fennel & tomatoes
Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
British4
How to cook salmon the easy way
- 1Dry the salmon thoroughly and season just before it hits the heat, so the salt does not draw out moisture.
- 2Use a hot, well-oiled pan and lay it away from you. Leave it alone until the edges turn opaque.
- 3Flip once. Most fillets need 3-4 minutes on the first side and barely 1-2 on the second; shrimp cook in about 90 seconds a side.
- 4Take it off while the centre is just translucent. Carryover heat finishes it, and overcooked seafood cannot be rescued.
What goes well with salmon
Salmon is at its best with lemon, butter, garlic, dill, chili flakes and white wine. Any two or three of those, plus salmon, is already a dinner rather than an ingredient list.
Storing salmon
Fresh salmon should be cooked the day you buy it, or the day after at the latest, stored over ice in the coldest part of the fridge. Frozen is often the better choice - thaw it overnight in the fridge, never at room temperature. Cooked leftovers keep two days.
Substituting salmon
If you are out of salmon, look for something that behaves the same way in the pan rather than something that tastes the same. Match the moisture level, the cooking time, and the richness, and adjust the liquid slightly if your substitute releases more water. When in doubt, describe what you actually have in the chat and Mr. Chef will rewrite the recipe around it.
Salmon recipes: common questions
- What can I make with salmon and not much else?
- Plenty. With salmon plus an onion, garlic, oil, and salt you already have the base of a skillet dinner, a soup, or a simple sauce. Add a starch - rice, pasta, bread, or potatoes - and it becomes a full meal. The recipes above are ordered so the ones needing the fewest extra items come first.
- What is the quickest salmon recipe?
- Look for the entries above marked 20 minutes or less. As a rule, anything cut small and cooked in a hot pan beats anything roasted whole, and one-pan recipes save more time in cleanup than in cooking.
- Can I substitute salmon?
- In most recipes yes, as long as the replacement plays a similar role - similar moisture, similar cooking time, similar richness. Swapping across roles (a watery vegetable for a starchy one, for instance) usually needs a change in liquid or cooking time too.
- How do I use up leftover salmon?
- Fried rice, a frittata, a grain bowl, a soup, or a quesadilla will absorb almost any leftover salmon without a recipe. If you want something specific, tell Mr. Chef exactly what is in the fridge and it will build a recipe around it.
- What temperature should salmon be cooked to?
- Use an instant-read thermometer rather than timing: 165F for poultry, 160F for ground meat, 145F for whole cuts and fish, all measured at the thickest point away from bone. Rest larger cuts for five minutes before cutting.