Poached salmon is wonderfully moist and delicate. This easy recipe takes just 20 minutes, making it the perfect stress-free weeknight dinner.
I enjoy several salmon recipes, such as pan-fried salmon, baked salmon, and grilled salmon. But poaching is one of my favorite ways to cook this fish. Poaching is a gentle cooking method that yields tender, flaky fish. It retains moisture and allows the flavor of the fish to shine through.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Dry white wine: Sauvignon blanc works well, as does pinot grigio. Both of these wines can also be served with the fish.
- Dill: I place it at the bottom of the pan, then place the fish fillets on top.
- Salmon fillets: Wild-caught or responsibly farmed.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. I prefer garlic powder to minced garlic because it coats the salmon more evenly.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Pour the wine into a large, lidded skillet. Bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Place the dill in the skillet, reserving a few sprigs for garnish.
Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, on top of the dill. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cover the pan tightly and poach the salmon until cooked through, for 5-10 minutes.
Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- Feel free to experiment with different poaching liquids and see which of them you like best. Good candidates include dry white wine, fish stock, milk, or simply water. After many experiments, my preferred liquid is white wine. I like the flavor it adds. But you should experiment and see what you like best.
- While a poaching liquid and fresh dill enhance the salmon's flavor, I've been known to make life super easy by seasoning it and simply poaching it in water, as shown in the photo below. It still turns out moist and delicious!
Recipe FAQs
While the skin won't crisp the way it does when you bake salmon or pan-fry salmon, it will keep the fish moist. I like the fatty poached skin, but you can remove it after cooking.
As you can see in the photos on this page, I made this recipe with wild-caught salmon and responsibly farmed Atlantic salmon. Both worked equally well.
The only difference is that wild-caught salmon fillets tend to be wider, thinner, and leaner, so they need a shorter poaching time (typically around 5-7 minutes). In contrast, Atlantic salmon fillets are usually thicker, narrower, and fattier, typically needing around 10 minutes to reach 145°F.
No. As long as the pan has a tight-fitting lid, the steam will gently poach the salmon.
It likely cooked for too long or at too high a temperature. Poaching isn't boiling - aim to maintain a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil. If needed, reduce the heat to medium-low.
Serving Suggestions
Poached salmon is delicious when served warm, drizzled with melted butter and lemon juice. You can also serve it chilled, with mayonnaise, sriracha mayo, or homemade tartar sauce.
As for side dishes, this dish is very versatile. It goes well with most vegetables. When I serve it cold, I often serve it with a salad. It goes well with asparagus salad, cucumber salad, or broccoli salad. I also like to serve it, as shown below, with a quick salad of lettuce, tomatoes, whatever leftover veggies I have in the fridge, and ranch or blue cheese dressing.
When I serve it warm, I accompany it with steamed broccoli, steamed asparagus, or steamed spinach. The photo below shows the salmon served cold with tartar sauce and steamed broccoli.
Storing and Using the Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days. I don't like to reheat them. They become dry, and their flavor suffers. Instead, I flake them and add them, cold, to a salad the next day for lunch. They make an excellent topping for this arugula salad and can replace the chicken in this Cobb salad.
I often make a quick salad of shredded lettuce and cherry tomatoes, add the poached salmon leftovers (flaked or cut into small pieces), and drizzle the salad with ranch dressing, as shown in the photo below. Another option is to mash the leftovers with additional ingredients, such as mayonnaise, and turn them into a salmon salad.
Recipe Card
Easy Poached Salmon
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry white wine - or water
- 1 bunch dill weed
- 2 salmon fillets - 6 ounces each, pin bones removed
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Pour the wine into a 12-inch skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Place the dill weed in the skillet, reserving a few sprigs for garnish. Place the salmon fillets on top of the dill, skin side down. Sprinkle the salmon with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
- Cover the pan tightly with the lid. If your skillet doesn't have a lid, use a double layer of foil.
- Poach the salmon until it's no longer raw in the thickest part, for 5-10 minutes, depending on its thickness. It should reach an internal temperature of 145°F.
- Serve the salmon immediately, or chill it for at least 2 hours and serve it cold with tartar sauce.
Notes
- I made this recipe with wild-caught salmon and responsibly farmed Atlantic salmon. Both worked equally well.
- A skillet with a clear lid works best, allowing you to peek inside and check on the salmon.
- The liquid should cover the bottom of the pan - add water if needed. You can use fish stock or milk instead of wine, or simply use water. Feel free to experiment with different poaching liquids and see which of them you like best.
- Make sure to maintain a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil. If needed, reduce the heat to medium-low.
- You can keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days. I don't like to reheat them. They become dry, and their flavor suffers. Instead, I flake them and add them, cold, to a salad the next day for lunch.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Laura says
Wow, what a wonderful and simple recipe! I made it last night from start to finish in about 20 minutes and it came out perfect. I used the wine you suggested and fresh dill from the garden. So good!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Thank you for making another recipe, Laura, and reviewing it! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Many thanks for the review.