17 Easy Salmon Recipes for Busy Weeknights

Simple to prepare and quick to cook, salmon is the ideal go-to protein for a quick and easy weeknight meal.

By
Rachel Knecht
Rachel Knecht
Rachel Knecht
Rachel Knecht turned her home baking into a career in 2016 when she began working as the head baker at The Greenbean Coffeehouse in Seattle, WA. Afterwards, she started Baking with Rachel (her blog), began teaching kids' cooking classes, and recipe tested for the cookbook "Let's Stay In" by Ashley Rodriguez.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
and
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves is a food and beverage writer.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated November 10, 2024
sheet pan salmon topped with lemon and capers next to asparagus

Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

Salmon is really easy to prepare at home. It’s quick enough for a weeknight dinner while also worthy of any special occasion and holiday. Salmon can be cooked in a skillet, roasted in the oven, poached, or grilled. Leftover salmon is easy to use up, too! Try using it in fried rice or hash.

These 17 simple salmon recipes—that you can pair with a glass of wine if you'd like—are quick, easy, and delicious. Enjoy!

Robin Shreeves joins Rachel Knecht in compiling this list.

  • Easy Grilled Salmon

    Grilled salmon with a forkful taken out alongside asparagus and lemon on the plate.
    Ciara Kehoe

    Choose from a teriyaki, soy sauce, or yakatori marinade, and grill these fillets for a couple of minutes per side. Oiling the grill grates helps ensure that the fillets don’t stick. Serve with Broccoli Stir Fry with Ginger and Sesame.

  • Sheet Pan Salmon With Asparagus

    sheet pan salmon topped with lemon and capers next to asparagus

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    Simply Recipes Contributor Sheela Prakash says, "If asparagus isn’t in season, another thin, quick-cooking vegetable like skinny green beans or broccolini can be used instead."

  • Quick and Easy Jerk Salmon

    Side view of a fillet of broiled jerk salmon. The salmon has juices pooled at the bottom of it. A mixed green salad with citrus, two lime wedges and rice are visible on the plate behind the salmon. The plate is on a blue linen.
    Alison Bickel

    Pacific salmon works well in this recipe because of its firmer texture. Look for wild caught if at all possible. Mix up a spicy jerk seasoning and broil the salmon for a quick and flavorful meal. Broiling happens quickly so don’t walk away from the oven. The salmon is cooked once the seasoning is a little crusty and the fillet flakes when lightly touched. Serve with Coconut Rice and Beans.

  • Easy Baked Salmon

    Honey Garlic Butter Roasted Salmon topped with herbs and set on foil.
    Kalisa Martin

    Instead of buying individual fillets, pick up a whole side of salmon from the fishmongers at the market or seafood counter. A flavorful honey lemon butter sauce is poured over the fish before wrapping it in foil and baking in the oven. The foil keeps the moisture in and helps ensure the salmon doesn’t dry out.

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  • Air Fryer Salmon

    Air Fryer Salmon on a Plate with Lemon Wedges

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    Simply Recipes Contributor Nick Evans says, "For this recipe, it's important to keep the skin on the salmon, which will keep it from drying out."

  • Poached Salmon

    Poached Salmon
    Elise Bauer

    When it's too hot to turn on the oven, make poached salmon instead. White wine, dill, and onions make a flavorful poaching liquid for the salmon to cook in. Plus, it’s on the table in 15 minutes!

  • Microwave Red Curry Poached Salmon

    Microwave Red Curry Poached Salmon Topped with Cilantro and Lime Wedges in a Microwavable Glass Bowl

    Simply Recipes / Tara Omidvar

    Simply Recipes Recipe Tester and Devloper Liz Mervosh says, "If your salmon filets are on the thinner side (ours were about an inch thick), you can cook them for less time, about a minute less."

  • Salmon Picatta

    overhead view of platter of Salmon Piccata fillets

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    Simply Recipes Contributor Sheela Prakash says, "This salmon piccata is indeed saucy, but not overly so. I love serving it over farro, orzo, or garlicky sautéed spinach, which catches extra sauce drippings but doesn’t steal any away from the fish itself."

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  • Panko-Crusted Baked Salmon

    Panko-crusted Salmon
    Elise Bauer

    A Panko topping adds a crunchy element to salmon and a seasoned honey mustard ties the dish together. Feel free to use Dijon mustard if that is all you have on hand. Serve alongside a Summer Vegetable Risotto.

  • Smoked Salmon Pasta Salad

    Smoked Salmon Pasta Salad
    Elise Bauer

    Smoked salmon is sold ready to eat and makes a tasty addition to this pasta salad. Look for hot smoked salmon instead of cold smoked (such as lox). Hot smoked salmon is flaky and comes in a variety of flavors. This pasta salad would also be a great way to use up any leftover salmon.

  • Fresh Salmon Cakes with Spicy Mayo

    Fresh Salmon Cakes with Spicy Mayo
    Sheryl Julian

    Fresh salmon makes light and tender fish cakes. It’s a great way to try salmon for those unsure if they like it or not. Salmon cakes are also a great way to use up leftover salmon. Sauteed in a skillet, these patties are on the table in about 30 minutes.

  • Salmon Fried Rice

    A bowl of salmon fried rice ready to serve
    Elise Bauer

    Simply Recipes Founder Elise Bauer says, "Fried rice is what we make when we have leftover rice, vegetables, and protein. So, throw in whatever veggies you have in your fridge, freezer, or pantry. Feel free to add or substitute with chopped celery, carrots, bell peppers, edamame, chopped water chestnuts, or pineapples. If you're really pressed for time, you can add a standard frozen stir-fry veggie mix."

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  • Salmon With Fennel Baked in Parchment

    Salmon and Fennel Baked in Parchment
    Elise Bauer

    Salmon with fennel baked in parchment is a classic French dish—saumon au fenouil en papillotte. But just because it's French doesn't mean the recipe is complex. Simply add individual servings of salmon and sliced fennel to parchment with some butter, lemon, and seasonings, fold the parchments into packets, and bake.

  • Salmon with Brown Sugar Glaze

    Plate of Salmon with Brown Sugar Glaze and a Side of Green Beans

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    With this quick and easy salmon recipe, dinner is ready in 25 minutes. A simple glaze of dijon, honey, and brown sugar with a slight kick from red pepper flakes tops salmon before it goes in the oven. The result is a simple, delicious, healthy main dish for dinner.

  • Honey Mustard Baked Salmon

    Baked Honey Mustard Salmon on a white platter
    Elise Bauer

    Six ingredients and 20 minutes are all you need to make this delicious honey mustard baked salmon. While the salmon is cooking, throw together a salad, and dinner is done!

  • Salmon With Lemon Cream Sauce

    Salmon with Lemon Cream Sauce
    Elise Bauer

    A fresh lemon cream sauce comes together in 10 minutes on the stovetop. It tops salmon that you've pan fried in 10 minutes or less. Easy, quick, and delicious.

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  • Angel Hair Pasta with Salmon, Arugula, and Creamy Lemon-Parmesan Sauce

    angel hair pasta in a sauce with arugula topped with salmon
    Marta Rivera

    While the pasta cooks, sear salmon on the stovetop. After the salmon cooks, make a simple lemon-Parmesan sauce in the same pan then add spicy arugula until it wilts. Combine the pasta, salmon, and sauce in one pot and serve.

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