Baked Lemon Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce
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This Lemon Dill Salmon is topped with a creamy yogurt dill sauce that even my three-year-old loved! This easy salmon recipe comes together in 25 minutes and requires just a handful of ingredients.
Baked Lemon Dill Salmon
I can still remember the first time I started to like salmon. I always hated it as a kid, but things did change one day. My grandparents lived with us for a few years when I was little and my grandpa was a big fisherman.
So, of course he had to do the dream fisherman vacation and go to Alaska on a fishing trip. Let’s just say his fishing trip was successful and he brought home at least a year’s supply of salmon.
I was never excited when I’d hear it was salmon for dinner, until one day my grandma breaded it and deep fried it into these little chicken nugget-type salmon bites. That was when I first started liking salmon. Wonder why? :)
Now salmon is one of my favorite foods. I don’t make it as often as I’d like because my husband doesn’t like salmon, so it creates a challenge for me. I have to make the salmon especially good and extra flavorful so he’ll like it.
It can’t taste all fishy or he’d totally snub it. This lemon dill salmon recipe was a big success with my family. My husband loved it, as did my five-year-old, and I even got my super picky three-year-old to eat it.
My daughter kept asking for more of the yogurt dill sauce. I love adding a sauce to salmon because it just gives something more and adds a little pizazz.
The flavor of this sauce is similar to a Greek tzatziki sauce, yet it’s a little creamier thanks to the small amount of mayonnaise (and it’s less chunkier of course since there’s no cucumber, like you find in a traditional tzatziki sauce).
You’ll love all the vibrant flavors of this salmon with its abundance of fresh herb and citrus. If you are going to spend the money for a slightly higher priced dinner, you better make it good, right?
This super simple salmon recipe definitely should not disappoint! Enjoy! 
Lemon Dill Salmon Ingredients
For the lemon salmon, you’ll need:
- Salmon fillets
- Olive oil
- Lemon zest and juice
- Salt and pepper
And for the dill sauce for the salmon, you’ll need:
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Mayonnaise
- Garlic
- Fresh dill
- Milk
- Honey
- Salt and pepper
How to Bake Salmon
- In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice and zest.
- Place salmon fillets in baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle lemon mixture over top.
- Let salmon rest at room temperature for 10 minutes, then bake until cooked through.
- To make the yogurt dill sauce, simply whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Serve lemon dill salmon with a dollop of yogurt sauce.
Is There a Mayonnaise Substitute I Can Use?
If you don’t have any mayo on hand, you could achieve a similar tasting yogurt dill sauce with sour cream instead. You might even be able to use more Greek yogurt instead of the mayo, but the sauce wouldn’t be as rich and creamy.
Can I Use Dried Dill in This Recipe?
No, fresh dill is a must. Fresh dill cuts through the yogurt sauce nicely without overwhelming the salmon. Plus, I think dried dill would make the sauce an odd texture.
Tips for the Best Baked Salmon
- If you think you’ll have leftovers, wait to top the salmon with the dill sauce until you’re ready to eat it.
- The yogurt dill sauce will last for a few days in the fridge. It makes a great veggie dip too!
- Salmon is best within a day or two of purchasing it, so I’d make this recipe fairly soon after your weekly grocery run.
More Easy Salmon Recipes You’ll Love:
- Grilled Salmon with Mango Avocado Salsa
- Pan Seared Salmon with Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Mexican Grilled Salmon Salad with Avocado Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing
- Maple-Soy Glazed Salmon
- Parmesan-Crusted Salmon and Broccoli
Follow Cooking Classy
Baked Lemon Dill Salmon with Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 6- oz salmon fillets
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Creamy Dill Sauce
- 1/3 cup fat free plain Greek Yogurt
- 3 Tbsp mayonnaise (full fat)
- 1 clove garlic , finely minced
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 2 - 3 tsp milk
- 1/2 tsp honey
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the salmon:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice. Grease a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and place salmon fillets in baking dish.
- Season tops of salmon with salt and pepper then rotate to opposite side. Drizzle tops evenly with lemon mixture and gently rub over salmon, then season tops with salt and pepper.
- Let rest at room temperature 10 minutes, then bake in preheated oven 12 - 16 minutes, or until salmon has cooked through (cook time will vary based on thickness of fillets and how well done you liked them). Serve warm topped with Creamy Dill Sauce.
For the sauce:
- In a bowl, mix together Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic, dill, honey, and enough milk to reach desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Store in refrigerator, allow to rest at room temperature 20 minutes before serving (just so it's not ice cold over warm salmon).
Notes
- The yogurt dill sauce will last for a few days in the fridge. It makes a great veggie dip too!
- Recipe Source: Cooking Classy