Poaching is a gentle cooking method that works well with fish. Poached salmon is wonderfully moist and delicate, and this easy recipe takes just 20 minutes to make.
You can poach the salmon in white wine and serve it warm with hollandaise sauce or cold with tartar sauce.
I enjoy several salmon recipes, such as pan-fried salmon, baked salmon, and grilled salmon. But poached salmon 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.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Dry white wine: You can also use fish stock or even water; I do enjoy the flavor that the wine adds. And then we also drink it with our meal!
- Dill: I place it in the bottom of the pan, then place the fish fillets on top.
- Salmon fillets: I made this recipe with wild-caught salmon and with responsibly farmed Atlantic salmon. Both worked equally well.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
Variations
The best way to vary this recipe is 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 for yourself and see what you like best.
Poached Salmon Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
- Pour the wine into a large lidded skillet. Bring it to a simmer.
- Place the dill in the skillet, reserving a few sprigs for garnish. (Photo 1).
- Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, on top of the dill. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. (Photo 2).
- Cover the pan tightly and poach the salmon until cooked through, 5-10 minutes. (Photos 3-6).
Expert Tips
- To ensure the salmon poaches rather than boils, maintain a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil. If needed, reduce the heat to medium-low.
- I prefer garlic powder to minced garlic in this recipe because it coats the salmon more evenly.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. While the skin won't crisp up the way it does when you bake salmon or make pan-fried salmon, it will keep the fish moist. I like the fatty poached skin, but you can remove it after cooking.
I use white wine in this recipe. Sauvignon blanc works well, as does pinot grigio. Both of these wines can also be served with this dish.
If you prefer not to use wine as your poaching liquid, you can use water, fish stock, or milk.
I love all methods. When poached, it's mild and moist. But other cooking techniques crisp up the skin and bring out the fish's unique flavor.
These include pan-frying, grilling, broiling, and oven-baking. If I had to choose one method, I would go with pan-frying salmon in butter.
Serving Suggestions
Poached salmon is delicious when served warm, drizzled with melted butter, or topped with hollandaise sauce.
You can also serve it chilled, with mayonnaise 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 asparagus salad, cucumber salad, or broccoli salad.
When I serve it warm, I accompany it with steamed broccoli, steamed asparagus, or steamed spinach.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for up to 3 days. I like to 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.
Another option is to mash the leftovers with additional ingredients, such as mayonnaise, and turn them into a salmon salad.
You can also reheat the leftovers, but you should do so very gently, in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. If you reheat them too aggressively, they will be dry.
More Salmon Recipes
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Recipe Card
Perfectly Poached Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 bunch dill weed
- 2 (6 oz) wild salmon fillets skin-on, pin bones removed with tweezers
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Pour the wine into a 12-inch lidded skillet. 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 (or with 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 (with hollandaise sauce if you wish), or chill for at least 2 hours and serve cold, with mayonnaise or tartar sauce.
Video
Notes
- The liquid should cover the bottom of the pan - add water if needed. You can use fish stock instead of wine or simply use water.
- 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 the fridge, in a sealed container, for up to 3 days. I like to flake them and add them, cold, to a salad the next day for lunch.
- You can also reheat the leftovers gently in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. If you reheat them too aggressively, they will be dry.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition per Serving
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Kelly
This is my first time making poached salmon. I always baked it in the oven. I loved it! The texture was perfect. I served it with your creamy cucumber salad. Thank you for a great recipe!
Vered DeLeeuw
You're very welcome, Kelly!