Baked Salmon Dill Cucumber Yogurt (Printer-friendly)

Tender salmon fillets baked to perfection with a creamy dill and cucumber sauce topping.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Salmon

01 - 4 salmon fillets (approximately 5.3 oz each), skin-on or skinless
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 lemon, thinly sliced
04 - 1 tsp sea salt
05 - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

06 - 1 cup (8 fl oz) plain Greek yogurt, full-fat or low-fat
07 - ½ cup (2.5 oz) cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
08 - 2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
09 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
10 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
11 - ¼ tsp sea salt
12 - ⅛ tsp ground black pepper

→ Garnish

13 - Fresh dill sprigs
14 - Lemon wedges

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Place salmon fillets skin-side down on the lined baking sheet. Brush each fillet with olive oil, then season evenly with sea salt and black pepper. Arrange lemon slices on top of each fillet.
03 - Bake the salmon for 15 to 20 minutes, until it flakes easily with a fork and the center is opaque.
04 - While the salmon bakes, combine Greek yogurt, diced cucumber, dill, lemon juice, minced garlic, sea salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate until serving.
05 - Remove the salmon from the oven and plate each fillet. Spoon the cucumber yogurt sauce generously over the salmon or serve on the side. Garnish with fresh dill sprigs and lemon wedges if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The salmon stays impossibly tender and moist while the cucumber yogurt sauce adds brightness without heaviness.
  • Everything comes together in one oven session, leaving you with minimal cleanup and maximum time to enjoy the meal.
  • It feels restaurant-quality but tastes like home cooking, which is the best kind of magic.
02 -
  • Do not skip seeding the cucumber or the sauce will separate and weep water across your plate as it sits.
  • Greek yogurt is non-negotiable here; regular yogurt is too thin and the sauce will slide off the salmon like it's being rejected.
  • Baking time varies wildly depending on fillet thickness, so check early and often rather than trusting the timer completely.
03 -
  • Watch the salmon closely during the last few minutes of baking; the difference between moist and dry is sometimes just two minutes.
  • Use a fish spatula when plating if you have one, as it glides under the fillet without breaking it apart.

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