Creamy Salmon Dill Sauce With Lemon and Garlic

This bright, creamy salmon dill sauce with lemon and garlic is an easy and healthy way to jazz up your fried or baked salmon at dinner. It's a classic flavor combination, it's dairy-free and made with simple ingredients!

Salmon is one of the easiest things to make for supper. It's my favorite fish- so delicious!

Seriously, if you have some in the freezer, you can defrost it in about 15 minutes and cook it up in under 10. A simple salmon dish is the perfect go-to for busy weeknights or if you forgot to thaw meat!

Salmon is amazing just with salt and pepper. But if you want to dress it up a little, whip up this easy recipe for creamy dill sauce while your salmon cooks. It takes almost no time and adds a little something special to your fish.

You could also eat this sauce over salmon patties if all you have is canned salmon flakes to work with.

Serve with a simple side salad and a vegetable, perhaps green beans, sauteed kale or peas. Warm lemon quinoa is also a fantastic addition to this main course.

Is Salmon Dill Sauce Healthy?

This sauce is made with simple, whole-food ingredients that are all dairy-free, so it is a healthy thing to drizzle over top of the salmon at dinner!

Salmon is full of great nutrients. It's high in omega 3 fatty acids, protein, B vitamins and much more! It can reduce the risk of heart disease, decrease inflammation in the body, protect the brain, promote bone health and a lot more. It's a fabulous food to have regularly in your diet, especially if you're into healthy eating.

Salmon Dill Sauce Ingredients

Garlic - Adds some depth of flavor that goes so well with dill and lemon.

Olive oil - Use extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil. This makes it a really creamy sauce and adds more healthy fats to the recipe.

Coconut milk - The "lite" kind provides a wonderfully creamy base, but there isn't an underlying coconut flavor. Coconut milk is high in many vitamins and minerals. It's important to look for canned coconut milk without any additives (like guar gum) and packaged in cans that do not contain BPA (a chemical that can lead to cancer and reproductive problems...). The more simple and natural the better, so make sure you read the label!

Lemon zest - Gives a bright flavor to the sauce that pairs so well with dill. You could also use 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice if you don't have fresh lemons, but the flavor won't be quite as good.

Dill - Use fresh dill for best results! Frozen or dehydrated herbs just don't provide the same flavor as fresh herbs do.

Flour - For thickening the sauce.

Salt - To bring out all the flavors!

How to Cook Salmon

Bring fresh salmon to room temperature before cooking for most even cooking.

My go-to method for cooking salmon is in a cast iron skillet on the stove. I preheat the pan over medium heat, add some olive oil, salt and pepper the salmon fillets or salmon steaks and place them in the pan. Cover with a lid and cook for about 4 minutes, or until the bottom is golden and crispy, then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes, covered, or until the salmon is cooked through.

Alternatively, you could bake it in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees f. Season salmon generously with salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet. Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until salmon is an opaque orange colour all the way through.

Either cooking method will work! Top with the lemon dill sauce right out of the oven or pan! Garnish with lemon slices and dill sprigs if desired.

How to Know When Salmon is Done Cooking

When salmon is cooked it will turn from a translucent pink to an opaque orange. If you aren't sure if salmon is done, simply cut it in half at the thickest point to check if it's orange all the way through. If there is some pink in the middle, cook it a little longer.

Salmon should reach an internal temperature of 145°F to be fully cooked, but you can easily tell if it's cooked by looking at its color and opacity.

Tools You May Need

Small saucepan

Spoon

Immersion blender

How to Make Salmon Dill Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon flour or cornstarch
• ¾ cup "lite" coconut milk
• 3 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
• zest of 1 lemon
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

Combine garlic and olive oil in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low until garlic just starts to brown.

Sprinkle with flour and stir to combine.

Turn heat to low and stir in milk, dill, lemon zest and salt.

Stir for about one minute, or until sauce thickens.

(Optional) Use an immersion blender to chop the dill finer, which will result in a better dill flavor, but also a greener sauce color.

Transfer to a small bowl or gravy boat for serving. Serve over pan-fried or oven-baked salmon that's been seasoned with salt and black pepper.

Makes about 4 servings.

How to Store Salmon Dill Sauce

Store leftover salmon dill sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Did you try this recipe? If so, I would really appreciate a 5-star rating and your comments below! You can also take a photo and tag me on Instagram @thehomeintent. Thanks!

Side Dish Ideas

• SAUTEED KALE & SPINACH
• GARLIC OLIVE OIL MASHED POTATOES
• OVEN ROASTED CARROTS & ASPARAGUS
• WARM QUINOA WITH LEMON & HERBS

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