This easy, oven-baked salmon recipe comes together beautifully with well-seasoned salmon and a delicious, easy dill lemon yogurt sauce.
This recipe takes me straight back to my childhood, as it was one my dad frequently made. Every time he made baked salmon, I seriously looked forward to this sauce that went along with it!
Cooking the Salmon
Although I give directions for oven-baked salmon in this recipe, you really can cook your salmon however you’d like.
When it’s a large piece of salmon, such as this 1-pound filet, I prefer to bake it in the oven or grill it. When I pick up smaller portioned filets, I love to cook my salmon on the stovetop by getting a large pan nice and hot, adding some oil, and cooking the salmon skin side up until the fish has turned color halfway up the filet. Then, I flip the salmon and continue cooking until it’s cooked all the way through, usually about 5 more minutes. A meat thermometer is a great tool to use for this! It completely takes the guessing work out of it.
If you’re going the baking route, I suggest completely drying off the fish using paper towels, lay it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and baking at 400 for about 10 minutes per 1-inch of thickness. In my experience, most pieces of salmon need about 12-15 minutes!
Easy Dill Lemon Yogurt Sauce
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, sauces are key to creating a meal that is both healthy AND flavorful. Luckily for me, my dad is quite the “sauce master” and I’ve learned so much from him over the years. When I was younger, he would make this sauce every time we had baked salmon (which was actually quite frequently). HIs had a bit of horseradish in it, which I omitted for this recipe, but I’m definitely going to share that one soon because it is to-die-for!
I love that this sauce just uses a few super flavorful ingredients and comes together so quickly. For the base, I like to use plain Greek yogurt, although you could use sour cream or a dairy-free version of your choice.
All you have to do is combine the sauce ingredients together and whisk. I suggest letting it sit in the fridge for an hour or two to really let the flavors mingle, but you can definitely make it right before eating if you’re in a pinch.
The fresh dill is SO yummy, but feel free to use dried dill if that’s what you have. I suggest adding a teaspoon to start, tasting, and adjusting from there! If you are using dried dill, it’s best to make the sauce ahead of time and allow it to chill in the fridge for at least an hour so that the dried dill rehydrates and the sauce flavors meld really nicely. The hot sauce provides the perfect amount of heat, but feel free to add more if you want to really crank the spice up.
Serving the Oven Baked Salmon
My favorite way to serve this dish is alongside roasted asparagus, which is so easy to make, especially because the oven is already on. Just wash & trim the asparagus, lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment, season with salt & pepper, and bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes. The asparagus is also fantastic with the sauce!
When serving, I prefer to pour the sauce right over the salmon, but it can definitely be left on the side and used as a dipping sauce instead.
Oven Baked Salmon with Lemon Dill Yogurt Sauce
Equipment
- sheet pan
- parchment paper
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- knife
- mixing bowl
- whisk
Ingredients
- 1 pound wild-caught salmon
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tsp Simply Organic Lemon Pepper Seasoning, divided
- 5 oz container plain Greek yogurt (or dairy-free yogurt of choice)
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp hot sauce (Cholula)
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped dill (sub 1 tsp dried)
- 1 tbsp capers
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Prepare the salmon by patting dry with a paper towel and lay on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Lightly spray or rub salmon with a bit of your avocado/olive oil. Season with 1 tsp of Lemon Pepper seasoning and 1 tsp salt. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes per inch of thickness of the salmon.
- While salmon is cooking, prepare lemon dill yogurt sauce by whisking together yogurt, 1 tsp of Lemon Pepper seasoning, lemon juice & zest, hot sauce, dill, capers and salt, to taste. Be sure to taste before adding additional salt once the capers have been added.
- Serve by either pouring the sauce over the salmon, or serving the sauce on the side as a dipping sauce.
Thanks so much for visiting! I hope you enjoy this one. If you’re looking for another healthy dinner option, check out my 9-Ingredient Honey Jalapeño Chicken & Broccoli!
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