The Best Healthy Salmon Recipes

Let’s talk all things salmon! If I’m not making something with chicken or ground turkey I love creating delicious salmon recipes. Not only is it incredibly versatile and delicious with your favorite spices, sauces, and even fresh salsas, but it’s also super easy to cook.

Why cook with salmon?

We love cooking salmon in our house because it’s kiddo-friendly and it’s:

• Fast & easy. You’ll have flavorful grilled salmon in under 30 minutes with just a few super simple steps. Dinner win!
• Delicious. There are so many different ways to season and flavor salmon that you’re guaranteed to never get bored. Have fun experimenting!
• Packed with nutrition. We love having salmon for lunches and dinners and get excited that Sidney loves it, too, because it’s packed with lean protein, healthy fats and omega-3s. Amazing for growing kiddos and adults!

Choosing the right type of salmon

If you’ve ever bought salmon you’ll know that it comes in a ton of different varieties. Here are things to consider when buying it for recipes:

• Wild vs. farmed. You can choose wild or farmed, it’s up to you. Farm-raised salmon tends to be milder in flavor and more fatty/buttery in texture, while on the other hand wild salmon can be a little more spendy, but is leaner, pinker, and higher in minerals such as zinc and iron. Both are delicious!
• Skin on vs off. Choose a salmon with the skin still on it. This will help keep the salmon extra flavorful, plus it’s easier to grill.
• Different varieties of salmon. The most common types of salmon you’ll find at the grocery store are King/Chinook, which is large with a high fat content, Sockeye, which is more red/orange in color, Coho/Silver salmon, which has bright red flesh, and Atlantic Salmon, which is always farmed. I also included a recipe with delicious smoked salmon!

How to bake or grill salmon

There are two super easy ways to cook salmon that will give you perfect salmon every time with a few tips and tricks:

• To bake: I love to bake salmon right in the oven for a hands-off option. The rule of thumb for easily baking salmon is for every inch of thickness, bake your salmon for 15 minutes. Generally, mine is usually perfect around 18 minutes. It’s always better to slightly undercook, rather than overcook your salmon. Marinate it, place it on a baking sheet, and boom you have perfectly cooked salmon!
• To grill: during the summer (and really all year round) I also love to grill salmon because it’s super quick and other are tons of easy methods! Get all of my tips and tricks for grilling salmon here. The same rule applies to grilling salmon — it’s better to slightly undercook it rather than overcook it!

My favorite way to enjoy salmon leftovers

If you happen to have salmon left over, simply place it in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Call me crazy, but I actually love leftover salmon with scrambled eggs. Try it in breakfast tacos or a breakfast quesadilla like this one!

Take a scroll to see my go-to salmon recipes for any day of the week! If you make any of these recipes be sure to leave a comment and let me know how you liked it. Remember to share a pic on Instagram with the hashtag #ambitiouskitchen – I can’t wait to see what you guys make. Enjoy, xo!

1. Chipotle Lime Salmon Tacos with Corn Avocado Peach Salsa & Cilantro Yogurt Sauce

2. Honey Lemon Garlic Salmon

3. Firecracker Salmon with Peach Avocado Salsa

4. 30 Minute Chili Maple Lime Salmon Bowls with Forbidden Rice

5. Spicy Maple Glazed Salmon for Two!

6. Damn Good Salmon Taco Bowls For Two

7. Brown Sugar Honey Marinated Salmon with Caramelized Pineapple Quinoa

8. 30 Minute Honey Garlic Salmon with Apple Dijon Green Salad

9. 10-Minute Smoked Salmon Pinwheels

10. Sesame Ginger Sweet Teriyaki Salmon with Garlic Quinoa Stir-Fry

11. Blackened Salmon Tacos with Forbidden Rice & Mango Guacamole

I hope you love these delicious healthy salmon recipes! If you make any of them be sure to leave a comment and a rating on the recipe so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!