39 Salmon Recipes to Master

Rye berries have a wonderfully aromatic, tangy flavor that goes well with the caraway in this Scandinavian-style dish from chef Marco Canora. Pair the meal with a boldly fruity Sauvignon Blanc from California.

This simple salmon recipe from Ben Towill is a great crowd-pleaser, and it also makes stellar leftovers. The mustard sauce can be made one day in advance and refrigerated overnight.

In this clever take on the summertime classic, salmon replaces lobster and yogurt stands in for mayonnaise. Topping the rolls with potato chips adds a nice crunch.

Quinn Hatfield stuffs pickled ginger into slits in the salmon to infuse it with flavor. To keep the sliced fish intact and the ginger in place, he cleverly skewers the fillets before cooking.

Chef Maria Hines turns salmon buttery-soft and rare in just 12 minutes by cooking it via sous vide. For more-well-done fish, increase the water temperature. Serve the salmon with steamed couscous, and pour a glass of Greek white wine to sip with it.

This luxe appetizer from chef Wolfgang Puck is perfect for dinner parties. A fresh chive garnish adds a pop of color and brightness.

This refreshingly crunchy, tangy salad makes for an excellent spring lunch or super-quick dinner. It's ready in just 15 minutes.

A center-cut salmon fillet is best for roasting because it is uniform in shape and thickness and cooks more evenly than an end piece. Served on a bed of lentils that have been simmered with vegetables and bits of bacon, it makes for a hearty meal.

The magic combination of miso with lemon, garlic and butter creates a fast and fantastic glaze for roast fish, whether it's salmon, cod, or hake.

If you aren't sure if you like raw fish but are game to try it, this is a great tartare to start. It combines both fresh and hot-smoked salmon, which, along with cucumber, cornichon, and crème fraîche, give it an appealing range of textures.

Curing raw salmon fillets in a combination of salt, sugar, dill, and lemon zest for 90 minutes, then soaking them in sake for an hour, gives the fish an exceptionally silky texture and delicate flavor. Depending on the size of your grill, you might need to cook the salmon in two batches.

Chef Ricardo Zarate coats salmon fillets with an extra-crunchy, slightly nutty crust of quinoa, a staple in his native Peru. He served a version of this dish at the now-closed Picca in Los Angeles

Here, former Food & Wine editor Kay Chun pairs crisp salmon with a warm, smoky eggplant salad that's tossed with cubes of sesame bread. The dish is finished with a garnish of dill and sesame seeds.

Chef Gerardo Valenzuela uses seafood in dishes that can pair beautifully with whites and reds, such as this recipe for Salmon with Mashed Peas and Tarragon Butter. If you're looking for a wine pairing recommendation, we suggest a wild berry-scented Pinot Noir.

In this playful riff on a bagel with cream cheese and lox, Food & Wine's Justin Chapple makes a custardy rye bread pudding with capers, then tops it with smoked salmon and red onion. It's warm, comforting, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

In this recipe from chef Michael Romano, a myriad of vegetables — corn, spinach, shiitakes, and tomato — sing of late summer, and pair perfectly with seared salmon. This recipe serves three to four as a main course and can easily be doubled.

Food & Wine's Kelsey Youngman loves making these Spicy Chipotle Salmon Cakes for an easy weeknight dinner. Using pantry staples and some fresh lemon, the cakes come together quickly and get some bold spice from the chipotle in adobo. Feel free to use any citrus you have on hand; lime would work particularly well.

Jen Pelka of Une Femme Wines makes super-crunchy and delicious waffles using tater tots. Here, she tops the waffles with caviar and smoked salmon, creating a casual and elegant dish that is ideal with Champagne.

"I get excited making this dinner because it's easy, full of flavor, and a good balance of sweet, sour, and spicy — depending on how much cayenne pepper you add," says Klancy Miller, cookbook author and editor/founder of For the Culture. "Start with a small pinch to start, then add more if you prefer a spicy kick."

"Tart and just barely sweet, the pomegranate molasses cuts through the richness of the fish while creating a gorgeous, shimmering glaze; the olives balance the bright flavors of the salad with their soft salinity and luxe butteriness," cookbook author and F&W Cooks contributor Andrea Slonecker says.

Homemade barbecue spice seasons both a dry brine and pineapple-based mop sauce for a double dose of flavor in this salmon recipe. Hot-smoked salmon makes a showstopping centerpiece for your meal any time of day.

Originally served at Seattle's Hotel Sorrento by chef David Pisegna (and published in The Best of Food & Wine collection from 1988), this throwback salmon dish stands the test of time. We simplified the original recipe, but didn't change a thing about the velvety, wine-blushed beurre blanc; keep it warm and serve it immediately for the best results.

Grains of jasmine rice take on a toasty, crispy crust in this perfect pot of rice topped with salmon, bok choy, and corn. To achieve the crust at the bottom of the pot, use a squeeze bottle to drizzle oil around the edge of the pot, or apply it precisely with a spoon.

Floral and lightly acidic salsa brings out the buttery, rich flavors of grilled King salmon. Salmon is meaty enough to stay intact on a grill and gets meltingly tender as it cooks. Serve leftover salsa with grilled lamb, chicken, or pork.

"With this recipe, you have just enough time to prep each step as ingredients each take their turn in the oven," cookbook author and F&W Cooks contributor Susan Spungen says. "Get the radishes, carrots, and shallots going while you work on the mustard glaze (which takes less than a minute!) and season the salmon, and then prep the asparagus and snap peas while the fish cooks."

The narrow salmon tails are often overlooked at the fish counter because they are quite thin, which makes cooking them a bit tricky. Here, the tails remain intact, which results in evenly cooked meat that stays juicy because it's cooked on the bone. Plus, the fin gets delightfully crispy.

The collar of salmon — as well as other rich fish — is full of flavorful meat that's hidden among the bones and fins. When broiled, it stays succulent and stands up well to bold flavors like the soy-based sauce here.

Salmon steaks are essentially two fillets attached by the spine of the fish. Less expensive and easier to grill than a fillet, these steaks are quickly cured in a brown sugar-based dry cure that's also wonderful on fillets.

Once the centerpiece on the tables of czars, coulibiac has a storied past. The pastry-wrapped parcel of fish and various layered fillings started its life as kulebyaka, a Russian delicacy, before being commandeered by the French and rechristened coulibiac. This modern update on the classic swaps labor-intensive brioche with store-bought phyllo, which bakes into an ethereally crisp parcel that encases lemony rice, mustard-brushed salmon, pickled beets, and garlicky kale. Each slice reveals clean, vibrant layers, packed with bold flavors.

Chef Erick Williams recommends thick cuts of salmon for this recipe; they cook quickly while remaining juicy and tender and are well balanced by the sweet, gingery glaze. If delicata or acorn squash aren't available, substitute six cups of peeled and diced butternut squash.

Tender salmon, briny olives, crisp-tender green beans, and satisfying potatoes all soak up the zippy, perfectly balanced dressing in this variation on a classic tuna Niçoise. Don't skip the anchovy garnish — it provides pops of umami saltiness that take this salad over the top.

Shallow poaching under a cartouche, a circle of parchment paper, yields tender fish in minutes. This method works with any mild fish, such as flounder, rockfish, or grouper. If any fillets are of uneven thickness (such as tapered portions near the tail), fold the thin portion underneath to achieve an even 3/4-inch thickness.

A vinaigrette bolstered with chopped olives, toasted walnuts, and fresh parsley is a bold finishing touch for roasted salmon basted with smoked paprika and lemon. The combination of basting and slow roasting yields incredibly tender salmon; the walnut-olive vinaigrette adds a briny, buttery crunch.

Cook these simple salmon-and-tomato kebabs created by Food & Wine Culinary Director-at-Large Justin Chapple on skewers or even on sturdy rosemary sprigs for extra flavor. The whole meal comes together in 40 minutes, making it perfect for weeknights.

Mayonnaise spiked with tart Granny Smith apple and a jolt of jarred horseradish is the secret to these fantastic salmon sandwiches. They're also ready in just 40 minutes.

In this elegant sheet pan supper, salmon fillets are slathered with a flavor-packed butter of smashed garlic and salty, oil-cured olives. Simply seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper, fingerling potatoes get a head start roasting on the sheet pan; the salmon joins them for the last 10 minutes of cooking. A simple chilled yogurt sauce flavored with lemon and capers adds a cool, fresh contrast for this speedy yet impressive dish.

Chef Eric Adjepong uses salmon two ways in his pesto-infused frittata, topping the eggs with cooked fresh salmon before baking it, then garnishing the frittata with thinly-smoked salmon just before serving. Adjepong likes to serve the frittata with crisp greens drizzled with fresh lemon juice.

In this creative salmon Caesar salad, Caesar dressing is spread on the salmon before grilling, creating a rich crust that keeps the fish succulent as it picks up delicious smoky flavors from the grill. For a perfect wine pairing, Master Sommelier Andy Myers says to reach for a bottle of Roero. "Roero manages a great balancing act next to the mélange of flavors in a good salmon Caesar. The crunchy apple and pear flavors make the cheese sing; the fresh acidity cleanses the palate of the anchovy."

For this sheet pan dinner, baby potatoes, red onion, and spring onions get a head start in a hot oven, before they are joined by a side of salmon that has been slathered with mustard and drizzled with toasted garlic oil. The salmon cooks alongside the vegetables for a seamless finish. Sommelier Erin Miller, of Charlie Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, California, who provided the inspiration for this dish, notes that it tastes even better when served with a great wine. She recommends a glass of Hirsch Vineyards Raschen Ridge Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, noting, "The bright acidity of the Hirsch Pinot Noir is a perfect foil for the fresh, fatty fish and flavors of garlic and lemon."