30 Minute Meals
Salmon with Dill Sauce
Prep
10 minutes
Cook
25 minutes
Yield
4 -6
This dreamy salmon is braided in the most elegant way and paired with a dill sauce that's full of flavor. You're going to love this Salmon with Dill Sauce for a fancy dinner or easy weeknight meal.
There’s something so delicious about a dish that looks as fancy as it tastes. This isn’t your average salmon dish, it’s a braided salmon filet. It is golden, tender, and artfully woven into a beautiful braid for the ultimate presentation that will wow your guests. However, the best part is that it only takes 35-minutes to put together. A great meal for the busy holiday season!
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Salmon with Dill Sauce
- Low Effort: This recipe looks incredibly fancy but there is minimal effort involved to pull it off. I love meals like this for when I’m hosting people!
- Flavorful: This Salmon with Dill Sauce is bursting with flavor from the lemon-dill cream sauce that pairs perfectly with the tender salmon.
- Crowd-Pleasing: This dish is perfect for hosting, meal-prepping, or just treating yourself. It feels like a special dish but it’s totally doable for a easy weeknight meal too.
🍲 Ingredients
Salmon – Salmon is the star of this recipe! It’s naturally rich, flaky, and full of heart-healthy omega-3s that help support brain and heart function. Its mild, buttery flavor pairs so well with the bright herbs and creamy sauce, making it versatile and satisfying.
Dill – Fresh dill brings a pop of brightness that cuts the richness of the creamy sauce and makes the whole dish taste lighter and fresher. It’s also packed with antioxidants and can aid digestion, making it a tasty little boost to your meal.
👩🍳 How to Make Salmon with Dill Sauce
For the braided salmon filet
- Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Braid the salmon: Place the salmon on the cutting board. Keep one end of the salmon intact so start about 2-3 inches from one end of the salmon. Use a sharp knife to slice the salmon lengthwise into three equal strips. Gently braid the salmon into one large braid. You can use toothpicks to hold the braided ends together if needed.
- Season the salmon: In a small bowl mix together the seasoning – 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp ground pepper, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp lemon zest. Brush the salmon all over with the seasoning mixture.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the salmon is done to your desired doneness or measures an internal temperature of 145F (it should flake easily with a fork).
For the dill sauce
- While the salmon is baking, make the cream sauce: Add the butter to a medium frying pan or pot and turn to medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the finely chopped onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the white wine to deglaze the pan; cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly reduced. Whisk in the cream, salt, pepper, garlic powder, lemon juice and water or chicken broth until combined and turn to medium-low heat. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring often until slightly thickened. Finally stir in the lemon zest and fresh dill and remove from the heat.
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- Chill the salmon before slicing: A slightly firmer filet is way easier to cut into even strips without tearing.
- Don’t braid too tightly: A looser braid lets the heat circulate and helps the salmon cook evenly without drying out.
- Season well: Brush the seasoning mixture between the braid folds so every bite is flavour-packed.
- Don’t overcook: Salmon cooks fast. Start checking around the 15-minute mark so you hit that perfect flake instead of overcooking.
- Simmer gently: Low and slow thickening helps the cream sauce stay silky and prevents it from separating.
🗒 Variations
If you like this salmon recipe, try some of my other salmon dishes:
- Air Fryer Salmon Bowls
- Salmon Ball Recipe
- Baked Greek Salmon
- Sheet Pan Herb Crusted Salmon + Oven Baked Rice
🍽️ Best served with
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Salmon is always best fresh but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheat when you’re ready to enjoy.
🤔 Common Questions
Yes! You can braid and season the salmon up to a day in advance. Just keep it covered in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
It should flake easily with a fork and reach an internal temperature of about 145°F. Start checking around the 15-minute mark so you don’t overcook it.
You can, but it’s much easier to braid and season evenly with skinless filets. If yours has skin, ask your fishmonger to remove it.
Yes! Just make sure it’s fully thawed in the fridge and patted really dry before slicing and braiding. A dry filet is way easier to handle and helps the seasoning stick like a dream.
Salmon with Dill Sauce
Ingredients
For the salmon
- 1 large filet of salmon, tail part, skin off – about 900g-1100grams (1.9-2.4 lbs)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp lemon zest
For the dill sauce
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chicken broth or water
- 2 tbsp minced fresh dill
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- extra dill and lemon slices for garnish
Instructions
For the braided salmon filet
- Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Braid the salmon: Place the salmon on the cutting board. Keep one end of the salmon intact so start about 2-3 inches from one end of the salmon. Use a sharp knife to slice the salmon lengthwise into three equal strips. Gently braid the salmon into one large braid. You can use toothpicks to hold the braided ends together if needed.
- Season the salmon: In a small bowl mix together the seasoning – 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp ground pepper, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp lemon zest. Brush the salmon all over with the seasoning mixture.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the salmon is done to your desired doneness or measures an internal temperature of 145F (it should flake easily with a fork).
For the dill sauce
- While the salmon is baking, make the cream sauce: Add the butter to a medium frying pan or pot and turn to medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the finely chopped onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the white wine to deglaze the pan; cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly reduced. Whisk in the cream, salt, pepper, garlic powder, lemon juice and water or chicken broth until combined and turn to medium-low heat. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring often until slightly thickened. Finally stir in the lemon zest and fresh dill and remove from the heat.
- Serve the braided salmon on a serving platter (over mashed potatoes as an option) and then drizzle with the cream sauce. Garnish with fresh dill and lemon slices if desired
Video
Notes
- We love to serve this braided salmon on a bed of our favourite mashed potatoes
- This salmon is a wonderful main dish to serve for a small holiday dinner!
- If you love this recipe, try our stunning Hasselback Marinated Salmon and Black Lentil Salad
