Quick & Delicious Salmon Recipes

10 Ways to Prepare Your Salmon Catch

At Van Isle Marina, we eat a ton of salmon – and we are constantly impressed with how many different ways there are to prepare it. From baked, grilled, smoked, and canned, salmon is a source of endless meal ideas.

There are 5 types of pacific salmon that draw anglers from around the world to our region, with Chinook, Coho, and Sockeye being prized the most for their flavour and texture. Here are our top recommended ways to enjoy pacific salmon – whether it’s from your own fishing expeditions, gifted to you by friend or family, or otherwise picked up from your local fish market or grocery store.

Easy Honey Garlic Baked Salmon

You’ve probably had tons of honey garlic chicken, but the essence of honey garlic sauce can also be applied to salmon and the results are amazing. This recipe is an easy, one-pan wonder that’s sure to impress everyone at the table. Best of all it can be whipped up and pan seared in 15 minutes!

You’ll Need:

Easy Honey Garlic Salmon

  • 4 salmon fillets
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 4 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • lemon juice & wedges
  • salt & pepper

Get the full recipe from Café Delites.

Maple Salmon

This recipe is similar to the honey garlic style salmon as mentioned above, but maple syrup is used in place of honey, and there is no added fat.

You’ll need

  • maple salmon recipe1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Get the full recipe from Allrecipes.com

Baked Salmon with Garlic & Dijon

This healthy salmon dish is low in sugar but high in flavour. With just a few ingredients, a high temperature, and a short roasting time, this baked salmon turns out both juicy and flaky! In just 20 minutes you’ll end up with a dish that tastes like it is straight from a professional chef’s kitchen.

You’ll Need:

Baked Salmon with Garlic and Dijon

  • salmon fillet
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3 garlic cloves pressed
  • 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • lemon slices
  • salt & pepper

Get the full recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen.

Cedar Plank Salmon

This adapted recipe is inspired by the First Nations’ traditional method of preparing salmon threaded on cedar stakes while over an open fire.

You’ll Need:

cedar plank salmon recipe

  • salmon fillets
  • olive oil
  • lemon or orange juice and zest
  • chopped fresh basil
  • cedar planks slightly longer and wider than the salmon fillets
  • salt & pepper

Get Robert Clifton’s full recipe from the Pacific Salmon Foundation.

Cilantro Lime Salmon

Cilantro lime salmon is a refreshing way to enjoy fresh or previously frozen salmon. It’s easy to pull off in a single skillet.

You’ll Need

  • 2 tbsp. olive oilcilantro lime salmon recipe
  • salmon fillets
  • salt & pepper
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 c. low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1/4 c. lime juice
  • 2 tbsp. honey
  • 1/2 tsp. cumin
  • 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Get the full recipe from Delish.

Classic Baked Salmon

This five-ingredient baked salmon recipe is perhaps one of the most standard ways to prepare salmon . It’s perfect for when you’re not sure if you’re cooking for a cilantro-loving crowd or not. With the butter, lemon, and dill, there is no going wrong with this one!

classic baked salmon recipe

You’ll Need

  • salmon fillets
  • 1/2 cup salted butter melted
  • 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 8 garlic cloves crushed
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

Get the recipe from The Stay at Home Chef

Salmon Chowder

Salmon chowder is great for feeding a lot of people at once. It’s a comfort food that goes a long way and tastes great heated up the next day if it doesn’t get devoured the same day. Chowders are versatile soups where almost anything can be added to the standard creamy base. Bacon, corn and potatoes truly elevate this salmon chowder.

You’ll Need

  • 1/2 pound red potatoes
  • 1/2 pound sliced bacon
  • 2 cups chopped scallions
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen cornsalmon chowder recipe
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic (3 cloves)
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • dried hot red-pepper flakes
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 5 pounds of salmon fillet
  • salt & pepper
  • fresh lemon juice

Get the full recipe from Epicurious.

Superfood Salad with Pan-Seared Salmon

Adding salmon to any basic salad is a fool-proof way to turn a salad into a meal. However, there are certain ingredients that will truly help bring out the flavours in a plain baked fillet that’s been prepared with just olive oil and salt and pepper. The flavour in this dish comes from its homemade vinaigrette.

You’ll Need

  • superfood salmon salad recipesalmon fillets
  • 1 ½ cups kale, chopped
  • ½ cup cooked quinoa
  • ½ of an avocado, chopped
  • ¼ cup pomegranate arils
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon honey (or to taste)
  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • salt & pepper

Get the full recipe from Alaska from Scratch.

Less Quick But Still Delicious

Salmon Cakes

With a few helping hands in the kitchen, this could be a quick recipe, but on its own it’s considered an intermediate technique to preparing salmon. The trick is in getting the right texture, which takes the right cook time and chopping everything to uniform size.

  • fresh salmon
  • olive oil
  • salt & pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 small onion
  • 4 stalks small-diced celerysalmon cakes recipe
  • 1 small red pepper
  • 1 yellow pepper
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tablespoon capers, drained
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
  • 3 slices stale bread, crusts removed
  • 1/2 cup good mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

Get the full recipe from The Food Network.

Smoked Salmon

Smoked salmon is a delicious way to preserve your extra salmon if you have a little bit of time on your hands. Choose from regular or candied hot-smoked salmon, depending on your preference. If you’re serving a large crowd, the smoked salmon is always the first item to disappear off the buffet line!

smoked salmon recipe

You’ll Need

  • salmon fillets
  • a smoker (Traeger, Bradley, Little Chief, etc.)
  • wood
  • brining salt
  • syrup for basting
  • brown sugar from brining

Get Hank Shaw’s full guide from Honest-Food.net

Canned Salmon

Canned salmon is a great way to preserve freshly caught salmon for the months to come. For the most thorough run-down for canning salmon, check out this article on how to can salmon. To avoid contamination of the jars, it’s important to follow the method precisely as outlined.

Once you have canned your salmon, you can enjoy it straight from the jar or on sandwiches, or in salads, pitas, pastas, and quiches. Check out the Food Network’s 15 Delicious Ways to Use Canned Salmon.

If you’re using freshly caught salmon for any of the above recipes, be sure to review our quick guide to Cleaning Fish On a Boat.

Is your boat too small for all the fish you’ve been catching? If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your salmon fishing game, at Van Isle Marina we have a wide range of yacht services and yachts for sale moored at our docks. Check out our selection online or come and see us in person. Find us at 2320 Harbour Road in Sidney, BC near Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal.