Steamed Salmon with Garlic, Herbs and Lemon

Steamed Salmon with Garlic, Herbs and Lemon is quite possibly the easiest way to cook salmon EVER, even easier than my broiled salmon. End of story.

Why I Love This Recipe

1. there's basically no clean up due to the parchment paper... a major win there.
2. you don't risk your kitchen smelling fishy because there's no opportunity for the salmon to splatter all over your counter when you sear it.
3. it's a one-pot dish and we all LOVE that.

If there's one cookbook that's stayed in the front of my mind recently (besides my own) it's 100% Istanbul from Cookbook Club #10! There's a steamed salmon recipe in the book that drives me WILD. And I'm convinced it's 100% the best way to cook fish.

All of that boils down to a recipe for success! I've been making this for dinner parties for ages. Add to that the fact that Poppy LOVES it! I'll serve it up with some steamed white rice that I've tossed with plenty of mint for extra flavor. And then a veggie, like roasted broccolli or avocado kale caesar, on the side. It's simple, incredibly flavorful, and I am 10000% positive you guys will be obsessed!!

Ingredients & Substitutions

For the Salmon:

• Skin on Salmon cut into 4 equal sized pieces
• Yellow Onion thinly sliced
• Garlic Cloves thinly sliced
• Parsley roughly chopped
• Dill roughly chopped
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper freshly cracked
• Olive Oil
• Lemons sliced as thin as possible
• Dry White Wine

For the Green Yogurt Sauce:

• Shallot roughly chopped
• Basil Leaves stems removed
• Garlic
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Olive Oil
• Red Wine Vinegar
• Kosher Salt
• Greek Yogurt or Labneh full fat

*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below

How to Make Steamed Salmon

Step 1: Put the fish, onion, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss to combine.

Step 2: Cut a 2 foot length of parchment paper and center it in a 10-inch heavy bottom skillet that has a lid. Transfer all of the fish and combined ingredients to the lined skillet with the fish skin side down.

Step 3: Arrange the lemon sliced in a single layer over the fish and drizzle with the remaining olive oil and wine. Fold the paper over to cover the fish and crimp the edges together to seal.

Step 4: Cover the pan with the lid. Cook over medium high heat for 5 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE PAN. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook for another 8-10 minutes depending on if you want your fish medium to well done. Remove the pan from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes

Step 5: Blend everything together in a blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 6: Remove the lid, carefully open the paper and serve directly from the skillet so you can get all the juices at the bottom. Serve alongside a bowl of steamed white rice with mint

How to Store Steamed Salmon

While I recommend eating it fresh, steamed salmon can be stored in the fridge for a couple days. To re-heat, use the microwave or warm it on the stovetop.

How to Freeze Steamed Salmon

Like I said, prefer to eat it fresh, but if you must, you can freeze steamed salmon once completely cooled, in freezer bags. Make sure you date them and eat them within 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight when its time to eat, and warm it through on the stovetop or oven. It might be better to use previously-frozen salmon in a spread or to make salmon cakes than to eat on its own.

Tips & Tricks

This recipe is perfectly PERFECT and you could serve it on it's own but... I also included a really delish herby yogurt sauce for drizzling on top if you want to add even more flavor. It also make an appearance in these Loaded Steak Salad Bowls which I can't get enough of!

FAQs