Lemon Dill Salmon

This fast lemon dill salmon takes just 10 minutes to bake! Mix up the zesty lemon dill sauce as it 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 lemon dill sauce. The sauce takes just 5 minutes to mix up (see below).

5 minute dill sauce works on anything

The hands-down best part of this lemon dill salmon is the sauce! This 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 would be great with:

Shrimp
Trout or other baked 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 ways to serve lemon dill salmon

There are lots of ways to serve this lemon dill salmon to make it a healthy meal! Here are a few simple 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 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.
Best Homemade Cornbread Bake up a pan of this moist and tasty cornbread: you won’t be disappointed!
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.

This lemon dill salmon recipe is…

Pescatarian and gluten-free.