This salmon with dill sauce recipe is so incredibly flavorful and easy to make, that it’s a dinner worth sharing with your family tonight! The salmon is pan-seared until the skin is amazingly crispy and beautifully golden brown. Then it's topped with a creamy, fresh dill and lemon sauce that makes it over-the-top delicious!
Pan Seared Salmon With Dill Sauce
Salmon is probably the easiest dinner ever! It’s quick to make, light, and so satisfying. What I love about this recipe is that it’s so easy, but searing the salmon makes it so delicious with the crispiest skin!
I serve it with a creamy dill sauce that combines Greek yogurt, fresh dill, lemon juice, and seasonings. The sauce complements the salmon perfectly – serve it with a light side, and you’ve got an amazing dinner!
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This meal comes together in just 10 minutes! It’s perfect for busy weeknights but special enough for weekends when you don’t feel like putting in a ton of effort.
Say no to takeout and make some healthy, amazingly tasty salmon for dinner!
❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
So Healthy! Salmon simply seared in coconut oil and served with a Greek yogurt sauce – sign me up! This meal is light, delicious, and full of healthy Omega-3s, probiotics, and Vitamin D!
So Fast! This dish can be on your table in just 10 minutes! It’s such a fast and easy meal – so it’s perfect for busy people!
Crispiest Skin! My recipe always yields super yummy, extra-crispy salmon skin! Follow my step-by-step instructions to make the crispest salmon skin every time!
🥘 Salmon with Dill Sauce Ingredients
My amazingly crispy salmon with dill sauce uses just a few simple ingredients! This meal is so easy – and healthy too!
- Salmon Fillets – 8 ounces of salmon fillets. This is equivalent to 2 4-ounce portions. You can use farm-raised or wild-caught, whatever your preference! (See Tips & Recipe Notes).
- Coconut Oil – 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. I use coconut oil to sear the salmon! It’s not only healthy, but it also has a high-smoke point which makes it perfect for frying (See Tips & Recipe Notes)
- Salt & Pepper – Season according to your taste preference!
Greek Yogurt Dill Sauce
- Greek Yogurt – ⅓ cup of Greek yogurt. I prefer to use whole fat or 5% Greek Yogurt for the best consistency. You can use whatever percentage you prefer, but make sure it is plain and unsweetened!
- Fresh Dill – ½ tablespoon of fresh dill. Dill and salmon pair perfectly! Make sure to use fresh chopped dill weed for this recipe, as dried does not have much flavor.
- Lemon Juice – ½ teaspoon of lemon juice. A splash of fresh-squeezed lemon juice thins the Greek yogurt into more of a sauce consistency.
- Garlic Powder – A pinch of garlic powder is all you need for this recipe. You could alternatively use a small amount of grated or crushed garlic if you’d like a stronger garlic flavor.
- Salt & Pepper – 1 pinch of each, salt & pepper. This amount can also be adjusted according to your taste!
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Salmon with Dill Sauce
This easy-to-make salmon recipe comes together in 10 minutes. Prep your salmon beforehand, and dinner will be made even faster!
- Prep salmon. You want to first prepare 8 ounces of salmon fillets by checking to see if the scales have been removed. Simply scrape a chef’s knife back and forth over the salmon skin (be careful, as scales tend to fly around) until you have a netting appearance on the skin side. Then, rinse your de-scaled fish fillets and then dry them using paper towels. (*Note—do this diligently, repeating as needed, since the very best crispy skin results from very dry salmon!)
- Prep pan. Heat your pan or skillet to medium-high heat. Give the pan plenty of time to heat thoroughly so that the entire surface of the pan is evenly heated. Then, add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan lightly (you may need to add more if you have a pan that likes to stick).
- Get ready to sear. Pat the prepared salmon fillets dry again just before cooking, then season the skin side with salt and pepper RIGHT before placing it into your heated pan. Once the coconut oil in the pan shatters and slightly smokes, the pan is ready (reduce the heat slightly if your oil is smoking too much).
- Sear salmon. Place the salmon into your fully heated pan with the skin side down (Test an edge of the salmon in the pan, it should sizzle/hiss if the pan is sufficiently heated). Next, cook on the skin side for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillets.
- Finish salmon. When the salmon is almost entirely done, season the top with salt and pepper, then flip and just ‘kiss’ the flesh side in the pan for about 15-30 seconds. Then, remove it from the pan and serve the salmon immediately with the sauce.
Dill Sauce
- Make sauce. In a small mixing bowl, combine the sauce ingredients: ⅓ cup of Greek yogurt, ½ tablespoon of fresh, chopped dill weed, ½ teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, and a pinch of the garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Then, stir until the sauce is smooth and refrigerate until ready to serve with your pan-seared salmon.
Juicy, crispy-skinned pan-seared salmon with dill sauce is such a quick and healthy dinner! Serve with fluffy rice, crispy oven-roasted potatoes, garlic Parmesan broccoli, or even a salad for the perfect light meal!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- When buying coconut oil to cook, be sure to buy the refined type, which is more suitable for high cooking temperatures! Unrefined coconut oil is great but save it for your hair!
- If desired, you can use sour cream in place of Greek yogurt. You can also use a 50/50 combo of sour cream or Greek yogurt with mayonnaise for the dill sauce.
- Depending on your preference, you want the internal temperature of the salmon to range between 125°F (52°C) and140°F (60°C). Anything above that will be overcooked!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Depending on how much salmon you made, you might have leftovers! I recommend placing cooled salmon in an airtight container, then storing any leftover sauce in a separate airtight container.
When stored properly, the salmon and the dill sauce will last for up to 4 days.
Freezing Salmon With Dill Sauce
I don’t recommend freezing the dill sauce, but if you’d like, you can freeze seared salmon to eat on a later date!
I recommend wrapping the fillet well in plastic wrap, then placing it in a heavy-duty freezer bag to make sure it has the best quality. When you’re ready to defrost, letting the salmon thaw in your refrigerator is your best bet!
Reheating Salmon With Dill Sauce
I recommend the stovetop to reheat this delicious salmon and re-crisp the skin! Heat another tablespoon of coconut oil in your pan over medium-high heat.
Once the pan is hot, place salmon skin side down and fry for about 5 minutes. Then, flip the salmon and fry for 45 seconds to 1 minute.
❓ Recipe FAQs
That’s totally up to you! If you prefer a more well-cooked salmon, farm-raised is great because it has a higher fat content and won’t dry out if it’s fully cooked. Wild-caught salmon is leaner and better suited to being cooked rare or medium, so it doesn’t get dry!
Personally, I love seared salmon with crispy skin, but not everyone does! If you’re not a fan of the skin, you can remove it before cooking using a sharp knife. You can also peel the skin off after cooking if you prefer – don’t salt it and feed it to your dog for a tasty treat!
Yes! You can make the dill sauce ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to use (up to 4 days). Be sure to give it a good stir before spooning it over the salmon.
🐟 More Tasty Salmon Recipes!
I have a ton of ideas for what to serve with salmon!
- Smoked Salmon Fettuccini Alfredo - A rich and flavorful salmon fettuccine alfredo main course that is made with simple ingredients!
- Salmon In White Wine Sauce - A quick and easy salmon dinner that combines a pan-seared salmon with a wonderfully tangy cream sauce!
- Crab Stuffed Salmon - This delicious recipe features salmon stuffed with a tasty crab meat filling that's topped off with Panko breadcrumbs!
- Baked Salmon In Foil - A healthy and versatile main dish that combines salmon with lemon, butter, and garlic all in one foil packet!
- Hibachi Salmon - If your family loves hibachi as much as mine does, then this easy hibachi salmon recipe is a must-try!
- Air Fryer Salmon - This salmon is so quick and easy, it's perfect for any busy night of the week!
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📖 Recipe Card
Salmon with Dill Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 oz salmon fillets (2 4 ounce portions)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (for frying)
- each, salt & pepper (to taste)
Greek Yogurt Dill Sauce
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
- ½ tablespoon dill weed (fresh, chopped)
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
- 1 pinch garlic powder
- 1 pinch each, salt & pepper (to taste)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Prepare your salmon fillets by checking to see if the scales have been removed. Simply scrape a sharp chef's knife back and forth over the salmon skin (the scales tend to fly around) until you have a netting appearance on the skin side. Rinse your de-scaled fillets then dry them using paper towels. *Do this diligently, repeating as needed, since the very best crispy skin results from starting with very dry salmon!
- Heat your pan or skillet to medium-high heat. Give the pan plenty of time to heat thoroughly so that the entire pan surface is evenly heated for best searing. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan lightly. *You may need more oil if your pan likes to stick at all.
- Pat the salmon dry again just before cooking, then season the skin side with salt RIGHT before placing it into your heated pan. Once the oil is shimmering and slightly smoking, the pan is ready. *If your oil is smoking a lot, reduce the heat slightly.
- Place the salmon into your fully heated pan with the skin side down. *Test an edge of the salmon in the pan, it should sizzle/hiss if the pan is sufficiently heated. Cook on the skin side for 4-5 minutes depending on the thickness of your fillets.
- When the salmon is almost entirely done, season the top then flip and just 'kiss' the flesh side in the pan. This is only for a short 15-30 seconds. Remove from the pan and serve immediately with the sauce.
Dill Sauce
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the sauce ingredients (Greek yogurt, dill weed, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper). Stir until the sauce is smooth, then refrigerate until ready to serve your pan seared salmon.
Notes
- You can use sour cream in place of the Greek yogurt. Or use a 50/50 combo of sour cream or Greek yogurt with mayonnaise.
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