Do you enjoy eating seafood? I do, but I can be kind of picky, and I don’t feel like I’m a very experienced cook when it comes to fish. But with all the amazing health benefits of eating fish (especially salmon—can you say omega-3 fats!), I’ve been adding it into my cooking routine more often. So when my mom shared with me her version of a 15-minute, mustard and dill salmon recipe that she’s eaten at the Lemon Tree restaurant in Vero Beach, Florida, I had to cook it up!
This yummy dish is super easy. Made with simple ingredients like salmon, Dijon mustard, dill, lemon, and some butter or olive oil, the shopping for this meal is a breeze. Just try to buy fresh or frozen, wild-caught salmon (Alaskan is the best) since the Atlantic or farmed variety has been widely reported as unsustainable and more likely to contain concerning levels of PCB contaminants. 3
Now this recipe calls for skinning and then cutting the salmon fillet in half lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick pieces. I’ve provided detailed instructions in the notes and tips. It literally take 2 minutes to do, and when you’ve done it once, you’ll feel like a pro! And if you prefer, you can even do it ahead of time…or even better, ask your butcher to do it for you when you buy it! 🙂 But seriously, if you don’t want to fuss around with this step, just buy some skinless salmon fillets and adjust the cooking time to about 3-4 minutes for each side.
Finally, if you’re looking to make this meal a little more special, consider drizzling a little aioli on top. I’ve included my delicious Greek yogurt aioli recipe below that you can whip up in no time. Enjoy!
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Quick and Easy Dijon Dill Salmon
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 pound wild salmon
- 1/2 cup prepared Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill weed
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 lemon (juiced)
Optional Garnish
- Greek Yogurt Aioli (recipe below or traditional Aioli)
- additional dill weed
Instructions
- Skin salmon then cut the fillet in half lengthwise into two, long 1/2-inch thick pieces. Then cut these long, thin fillets into 3-inch wide pieces. (see notes)
- Mix the Dijon mustard and dill together in a shallow bowl.
- Dredge salmon in the mustard dill sauce.
- Warm frying pan over medium-high heat and add oil or butter.
- Cook salmon 1-2 minutes on each side until done to your liking.
- Season to taste with lemon juice and a of couple grinds of black pepper.
- Serve and garnish as desired.
Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when possible.
To skin your salmon place the fillet skin side down on a cutting board. Then using some kosher salt, coat the tail (narrower) end of the fish—this will help you grip the fillet and keep it from slipping between your fingers. You can also use a paper towel to hold the fish. Then using a sharp knife make a cut into the flesh of the tail end of the fillet. Cut along the full length of the fillet holding the skin of the fillet firmly between the knife and the cutting board. Remove and discard the skin.
To cut the fillet in half lengthwise place the fillet flat on your cutting board. Start cutting the fish where it’s thicker than 1/2-inch and continue cutting straight across the entire fillet.
If you don’t want to cut the fillets in half horizontally, you don’t need to. It just makes for a quicker cooking method that’s super easy to get salmon cooked just right.
If you don’t have fresh dill feel free to substitute dried. 3 teaspoons fresh equals 1 teaspoon dried.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Dinner
Quick and Easy Greek Yogurt Aioli
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 tablespoons 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 prepared Dijon mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic granules / powder
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together and serve.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Dressings & Condiments
Kitchen Tips and Resources:
- If you’re looking for more information on choosing sustainable seafood, visit the Environment Defense Fund’s seafood selector or download The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch guide or app.
- Looking for more instructions on how to skin the salmon fillet. Here’s a video Jamie Oliver put together on the topic!
- A great knife can make a world of difference when skinning and cutting these salmon fillets. My local knife shop advised me to invest in the higher quality Zwilling J.A. Henckels Twin Signature brand (much higher quality than the J.A. Henckels International brand) and time has proven them right. (To make sure you know which Henckels knives are better, here’s a tip — look for the “twins” on the knives vs. the single guy sporting the trident.) While you can buy these knives online, if you’ve got a local knife/cutlery store, support them instead. I love my local cutlery store and bring my knives in every six months or so to get them maintained with a nice, sharp edge!
Notes:
- Source: Environmental Defense Fund. ↩
- Source: Environmental Defense Fund. ↩
- Source: Environmental Defense Fund. ↩
