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.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- there's basically no clean up due to the parchment paper... a major win there.
- 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.
- 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
Can I take the skin off for steamed salmon?
Yes, you absolutely can!
How do I tell if the salmon is done?
A medium to well done salmon should be opaque outside and still a bit translucent in the center. It should also flake easily when pressed down gently without completely crumbling down or being very dry.
Similar Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
Steamed Salmon with Garlic, Herbs and Lemon
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs skin on salmon cut into 4 equal sized pieces
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup roughly chopped parsley
- ⅓ cup roughly chopped dill
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 lemons sliced as thin as possible
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
Optional Green Yogurt Sauce
- 1 shallot, roughly chopped
- 2 cups tightly packed basil leaves, stems removed
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ cup full fat greek yogurt or labneh
Instructions
- Cut a 2 foot length of parchment paper and center it in a 10-inch heavy bottom skillet that has a lid (Le Creuset or something of the sort)
- Put the fish, onion, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss to combine. Transfer all of it to the lined skillet with the fish skin side down. 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. 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.
- 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
To make the Sauce
- Blend everything together in a blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste
Okay, well I'm making this salmon. Sounds great. Thanks.
Light, fresh, flavorful. What's not to love??!!
I LOVE this recipe for salmon. I decided to try it with halibut and I suspect I should have shortened the cooking time cuz it’s not so fatty, but I had a thick piece. Which is to say that it was a little tough but still very flavorful. Also subbed shallot for onion as halibut more delicate. And I had a shallot.
Thoughts? Husband loves halibut. I prefer salmon. O well
Can I use aluminum foil instead of parchment paper?
no it wouldn't really steam that way
This was easy and so delicious! I substituted a T of capers since I didn’t have dill. I will make this again and again!
Sounds amazing Gaby! What veggies would you suggest to pair with this?
I could do asparagus!
This is a go-to summer recipe! It is so easy and the clean-up is even easier. We add potatoes, green beans, tomatoes - any veggie we have - to the pot as well. The flavor is incredible.
If you make a larger amount, by how much do you increase the cooking time?
Is there a good rule of thumb for figuring that out?
The aroma from this recipe is amazing. We love it! One question I have is that theres always white residue around the salmon. Am I over cooking it? How do I stop this from happening?
that's normal - its just the fat from the salmon! happens to me too
Yes if u see the white it is overcooked
Fresh filets of salmon, halibut need to be cooked lightly for best texture & taste.
We actually like ours medium rare !
Hi! I have the parsley but not the dill.
Can I use dried dill? If so how much? Or should I just ommit it since I don't have any other fresh herb on hand? Thanks
just skip the dill and will still be delish!
So yum. I had frozen cauli rice so I used that with mint per your suggestion, and the sauce really upped the game. Gaby, you’re a show stopper!
This was insanely good! I didn't have parsley so omitted it, and I didn't have dry white white so used brut Prosecco. Turned out delicious. And extra stars for the easy clean up.
What oven temp? Am I missing it?
it's all done on the stovetop!
Which size Le Creuset would you use for this salmon recipe? (10” bottom?)
10 inch would be great! just needs to be big enough to fit the salmon in an even layer
Hello,
Two questions.
1) If you cook this in a dutch oven do you need to modify the cooking time or amount of liquid used?
2) I'm not a big fan of parsley- would dill and basil be okay to use together?
Thank you!
nope, same amounts. the circumference of the bottom of the pan is roughly the same. and yes those herbs are perf - my husband hates dill too
I have basil only, do you think that would work?
yes!