4 Healthy Salmon Dinner Recipes to Add to Your Weekly Menu

If you’re seeing warmer months approaching and you’re wondering what happened to your vow to eat healthier (that one you made back in January), don’t freak out! There’s still plenty of time to make good on the promise. These healthy salmon dinner recipes will make eating healthier easier and more delicious.

Why salmon – what are the benefits?

Salmon is, first and foremost, a great source of protein. In just one, 3.5 ounce serving, you get a whopping 25 grams of protein. If you’re aiming for roughly 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight (if you’re working out and looking to build lean muscle, you should be!), salmon protein goes a long way towards reaching your goals. Every one of these healthy salmon dinner recipes calls for a full serving (and 25 grams!), of protein.

The other nutrient that makes salmon so beneficial, especially for an active woman, is its high omega-3 fatty acid content. Omega-3s are a specific kind of fat that is exceptionally good for your brain, your heart and controlling inflammation. Omega-3s, especially EPA and DHA, are linked to a decreased risk of certain diseases such as depression, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and asthma.

To top it all off, salmon is a great source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. One particularly powerful antioxidant found in salmon is a main connection between the fish and it’s disease fighting properties. It’s also that reason wild salmon has that pink color: Astaxanthin. Say that three times fast.

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Shopping for the best salmon

Anyone else walk up to the seafood counter and immediately wonder what the best choice is (Atlantic? Farm-raised? Wild-caught? How am I supposed to make a healthy salmon dinner if my main ingredient is so confused)? Here’s the good news: the USDA requires all grocery stores to clearly list where your salmon was raised and how it was processed. The bad news: you have to know what you’re reading to make the best choices for you and your family.

Here is a quick guide to decipher what the most-often-seen labels mean.

•  Farm-raised – raised in aquacultures (aka fish farms), typically in the Atlantic Ocean.  Even though the goal of farm-raised salmon is to protect endangered species, farm-raised salmon has a bad rap because it’s environmental effect is turning out to be disastrous. Plus, farm-raised salmon are often raised in nets which means there feeding ground and waste grounds are one in the same. Farm-raised salmon tends to be fattier (since it isn’t swimming freely).  

• Sustainably-farmed – exactly as it sounds, sustainably-farmed salmon is an attempt to make farm-raised salmon or environmentally friendly and healthier. These fish are still raised in a netted-space, but there tend to be fewer fish in one net.

• Wild-caught – wild caught salmon simply implies that the salmon lived and was caught in the wild. Wild-caught salmon tend to be leaner than farm-raised salmon.

• Troll-caught – aka line caught. Troll-caught salmon are caught but the original hook, line and sinker method, rather than with a larger net collecting miles of seafood. This is more sustainable for fish, and it takes more work, which is why troll-caught comes with a higher price tag.

• Flash-frozen – to lock in freshness and improve safety, fish is frozen immediately upon being caught ad brought into the boat.

• Sushi-grade – usually flash-frozen, is high quality and safe to consume raw.

• Color-added – exactly what it sounds like. You will only see this label on farm-raised salmon. The feed that farm-raised salmon get does not contain the same carotenoids that is found in the natural diet of a wild-caught salmon (which turns the flesh pink). To mimic that color, farmers add pigment to the feed.

Terms like “organic” and “fresh” currently have no official definition from the USDA, so don’t hang your hat on the veritably of those marketing terms.

4 Healthy Salmon Dinner Recipes to Add to Your Weekly Menu

I’d eat salmon 3 times a week if I could find it! Here are 4 healthy and just as importantly delicious salmon recipes that you’ll go back to again and again!

Maple-Mustard Salmon over
Kale-Apple Salad

The maple-mustard glaze in this healthy salmon dinner does double time as the vinaigrette for the kale-salad. Make sure that your pan is (almost) smokin’ hot before searing the salmon so that you get a really nice crisp.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

For salmon:
2 4-5 ounces skinned portions wild salmon
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For Salad:
1 head kale, washed, de-ribbed and sliced thinly
1 tsp olive oil
½ Granny Smith apple, julienned
1 avocado, diced
¼ small red onion, sliced thinly
¼ cup pepitas, lightly toasted
¼ cup Maple-Mustard Glaze
3 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette
1 tbsp olive oil

For Maple-Mustard Glaze:
¼ cup whole grain mustard
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼-1/2 cup olive oil

Make It:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. First, season salmon on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. In a large bowl, toss 1 tsp olive oil with sliced kale. Massage into kale to start to breakdown the toughness. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients (except olive oil), until combined. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking to emulsify.
4. Heat a cast-iron skillet or non-stick, oven safe sauté pan on medium-high to high heat. Once the pan is smoking, place salmon on skillet (flesh/belly side down). Cook 3-4 minutes, until crispy and light-brown. Flip, turn off heat, top with glaze (1 tbsp each fillet), and transfer to the oven. Finish cooking 2-3 minutes or until desired doneness.
5. Meanwhile, combine what is left of your glaze with 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and 1 tbsp olive oil to make vinaigrette. Mix well. Add apple, avocado and onion to kale. Toss with maple-mustard balsamic vinaigrette.
6. Top salad with salmon and finish with a sprinkle of pepitas.

**I use a mandolin like this one to julienne the apples for this recipe. They turn out uniform and beautiful, plus a mandolin is a great, cheap, gourmet cooking tool in any kitchen!

Mediterranean Salmon Bowls

I love the combination of salmon and creamy, cool Greek yogurt and lemon sauce.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 4-5 ounces skinned portions wild salmon
1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
1 cup couscous
1 tomato, diced
1 small cucumber, diced
¼ small red onion, diced
½ cup roasted red peppers, diced
¼ cup Kalamata olives, pitted, sliced in half
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cup + 2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp fresh dill, chopped
½ lemon, juiced + ½ lemon, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup plain, whole fat Greek yogurt
2 cups arugula
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Make It:

1. Heat grill to medium high. First, season salmon on both sides with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil. Once hot, grill salmon on both sides, 3-4 minutes or until cooked through to your desired doneness.
2. Meanwhile, cook couscous according to package directions.
3. In a medium bowl combine tomato, cucumber, onion, red peppers, olives, feta cheese and ½ cup of parsley. Season with salt and pepper and 1 tsp lemon juice. Toss gently.
4. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, remaining parsley, dill, ½-1 tsp lemon juice and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick, add cold water by the tsp and stir to loosen.
5. To service: portion couscous into large bowls or plates. Toss arugula with remaining lemon juice and olive oil and gently place on top of couscous. Top arugula with tomato-cucumber salad, followed by salmon and a dollop of Greek yogurt sauce.

Tropical Salmon Tacos with Cilantro Crema

The fattiness of salmon lends itself really well to spice – you get a kick but it’s well balanced with every bite.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
8-12 ounces wild-caught salmon
1 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Mix 1 tsp each: chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano
½ cup Romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
2 radishes, thinly sliced
½ mango, diced
½ jalapeno, sliced thinly
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
½ lime, juiced
¼ cup Greek yogurt
6 small, corn tortillas
Lime wedges

Make It:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a sheet tray with aluminum foil.
2. Brush salmon with olive oil. Season salmon on all sides with salt, pepper and spice mix (you don’t need to use all of it) and arrange on sheet tray. Bake 5-8 minutes until desired doneness. Set aside until cool enough to crumble into large chunks.
3. To make crema: in a small bowl combine cilantro, lime juice, Greek yogurt and a pinch of salt. If the crema is too thick, add cold water by the tsp and stir to loosen.
4. Build your tacos: divide salmon onto each tortilla. Top with lettuce, radish, mango, jalapeno and a drizzle of crema. Enjoy!

Quinoa-Beet Salmon Bowls with Avocado

This is one of those dinners that I highly recommend making in bulk! Cook doubles of each ingredients, and leave them separate in the fridge so that you can pull together lunch for a few days with no effort at all.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
8-12 ounces wild-caught salmon, skin on
1 tsp lemon zest
Juice from 1 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup quinoa
1 large red beet, roasted and diced
1 avocado, diced
1 cup baby spinach
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
2 tbsp fresh mint, torn
2 tbsp feta
Balsamic vinegar (or balsamic glaze)
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Make It:

1. Move rack in oven to top and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a sheet tray with aluminum foil.
2. Combine zest, lemon juice and olive oil in a shallow dish. Place fillets, skin side up, in marinade and let sit 15 minutes.
3. Arrange salmon, skin side down on sheet tray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil 8-10 minutes or until desired doneness. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then use a fork to gently shred salmon into large chunks.
4. While salmon is in the marinade, cook quinoa according to package directions.
5. To make: combine 1 cup quinoa, salmon, roasted beet, avocado, baby spinach and sunflower seeds, mint and feta in a medium bowl. Drizzle in balsamic vinegar or glaze and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently to combine.

Four healthy salmon dinner recipes isn’t enough?? There are 45 more right here!