17 Favorite Salmon Recipes with 5 Ingredients or Less

The easiest and best ways to eat salmon are right here.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud

Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 

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Published August 08, 2025
Devan Grimsrud
sheet pan salmon topped with lemon and capers next to asparagus

Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

As a recipe developer, if there's one genre that I personally enjoy creating the most, it's the 5-ingredient recipe. It's a fun challenge and can be just the push out of my comfort zone that I like to pair ingredients I might not normally put together, or rely on new ones. Obviously, I also love cooking a 5-ingredient meal because I know that streamlined simplicity can still mean lots of flavor.

When it comes to salmon, a fish known for its rich flavor, this approach is ideal. You don't need much to highlight that flavor and add texture, as the recipes below prove. With just five ingredients (not including water, oil, butter, salt, pepper, or optional ingredients), these recipes let the flavor of the salmon shine with only a few key additions to take it from plain to perfect. Round out the dish with steamed rice, roasted potatoes, roasted veggies, or a salad, and you're good to go!

  • 2-Ingredient Greek Dressing Salmon

    Cooked salmon served on a plate with greens and a grain side dish

    Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss

    "I adjust my oven from the bake setting to the broil setting for the last three minutes of baking to create a nice crust on top of the fish. Just watch the salmon carefully because the broiler can burn food really quickly. One to two minutes is enough."—Jessica Furniss, Recipe Developer

  • Salmon with Potatoes and Pesto

    A sheetpan with salmon fillets topped with pesto, green beans, potatoes and basil

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Pearl Jones

    "I’ve made many sheet pan meals over the years, but my sheet pan salmon with potatoes and pesto is the simplest and most delicious. You just need four ingredients (plus oil and salt and pepper), one sheet pan, and about 30 minutes to make it."—Sara Haas, Recipe Developer

  • Miso Glazed Salmon

    Miso Glazed Salmon on a Platter with a Fork

    simplyrecipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "Marinate the fish longer, even overnight, for more infused miso flavor."—Elise Bauer, Founder

  • 4-Ingredient Mediterranean Salmon

    4-ingredient mediterranean salmon on a platter next to a bowl of lemon wedges and a glass of wine

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "No fennel seeds? Replace them with dried oregano, thyme, rosemary, or Italian seasoning."—Sheela Prakash, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 5 of 17 below

  • Triple M Salmon

    Triple M Salmon

    Simply Recipes / Laurel Randolph

    "This is a foolproof and deceptively simple recipe that my family now lovingly calls Triple M Salmon after the ingredients I use: white miso paste, Dijon mustard, maple syrup (the three M’s) and salmon. That’s it. A mixture of the three ingredients is sweet, salty, and umami-rich—a perfect topping for salmon."—Maya Ferrant, Recipe Developer

  • Honey Mustard Baked Salmon

    Baked Honey Mustard Salmon on a white platter

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Take one part honey, one part Dijon mustard, mix, and now you have one of the most versatile sauces possible, for chicken, ham, corned beef, and in this case, baked honey mustard salmon."–Elise

  • Air Fryer Salmon

    Salmon with Lemon Slices in Air Fryer

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    "I like a basic seasoning on my salmon—a mix of lemon pepper, salt, pepper, and olive oil. This lets the flavor of the fish really shine. But you could do any seasoning, like Cajun, garlic, soy sauce glaze, Dukkah, or your favorite dry rub."—Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

  • Salmon with Brown Sugar Glaze

    Plate of Salmon with Brown Sugar Glaze and a Side of Green Beans

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "When baking salmon, line the sheet pan with foil. The salmon skin will not get crispy enough to release from the sheet pan like it would in a hot skillet. The foil will prevent the skin from sticking to the sheet pan, making clean up a lot easier."—Emily Weinberger, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 9 of 17 below

  • Easy Baked Salmon

    Garlic Butter Roasted Salmon topped with herbs and set on foil.

    Simply Recipes / Kalisa Martin

    "This recipe calls for a butter sauce with garlic, lemon juice, and honey which adds sweetness and brightness to the side of salmon. The fresh herbs are optional but a wonderful addition."—Kalisa Marie Levette, Recipe Developer

  • Salmon With Fennel Baked in Parchment

    A sheet of parchment with cooked salmon and fennel and lemon on it

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "This salmon with fennel baked in parchment is a classic French dish—saumon au fenouil en papillotte."—Elise

  • Lemon Pepper Salmon

    3-ingredient salmon dinner

    Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

    "Lemon pepper and dried dill are flavors that pair so well with salmon, and I always have them in my spice cabinet. I recently stumbled on a delicious spice blend from Trader Joe’s called Seasoning in a Pickle. It's tangy and full of dill and garlic flavor—a lot like kosher pickles. I’ve been using it instead of plain dried dill for an extra flavor boost. Either works well, so use what you have on hand."—Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

  • 2-Ingredient Sesame Salmon

    Sesame-crusted salmon fillets on a baking tray, garnished with green onions

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "I like to use a mix of both black and white sesame seeds here because it’s pretty and makes the dish a bit more fun. I also like the deeper, nuttier flavor that black sesame seeds offer."—Danielle Campbell, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 13 of 17 below

  • Sheet Pan Salmon with Chili Crisp and Broccolini

    Overhead view of a baking sheet of four cooked salmon filets topped with chili crisp and stems of broccolini with an orange spatula under a piece of salmon

    Simply Recipes / Ali Redmond

    "Since chili crisp has become popular in the U.S., many versions of the sauce have arrived on store shelves, some with ingredients like star anise, garlic, seaweed, mushroom powder, and all kinds of dried chilis of varying heat levels. All of them will work in this recipe, so use your favorite."—Robin Asbell, Recipe Developer

  • 2-Ingredient Caesar Salmon

    Salmon fillets on a plate with sauce being poured over them

    Simply Recipes / Micah Siva

    "When choosing a Caesar dressing, I look for one made with real cheese (a feat in itself!) with a recognizable ingredient list. As someone who doesn’t like mayonnaise, I try to steer clear of mayo-heavy bottles."—Micah Siva, Recipe Developer

  • 2-Ingredient Mayo Salmon

    A salmon fillet with a side green salad on a plate, with a fork having picked into one side of the salmon

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrea

    "This two-ingredient (I'm counting salt and pepper as freebies) recipe requires no extras and is also easy to tweak. For a little oomph, I suggest adding dried herbs. Dill, tarragon, basil, oregano, or your favorite seasoning blend add great flavor with little effort. Finely shredded lemon zest or a crushed garlic clove are also great. You can even stir in chili crisp or sriracha for a little heat."—Robin Asbell, Recipe Developer

  • Jamie Oliver’s Air Fryer Salmon With Crispy Potatoes

    Jamie Oliver’s Easy Salmon and Potatoes on a plate

    Simply Recipes / Getty Images

    "If you’re not a fan of asparagus, swap in broccolini, green beans, or sliced carrots. Any vegetable that’s about the same size and density should work!"—Mackenzie Schieck, Writer

    Continue to 17 of 17 below

  • Sheet Pan Salmon With Asparagus

    sheet pan salmon topped with lemon and capers next to asparagus

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "I keep an instant-read thermometer close by when cooking salmon because it’s a foolproof way to ensure it’s never dry and overcooked. I like my salmon to be just opaque and still very moist and juicy (medium-rare), so I aim for 120°F to 130°F. If you prefer it more firm and cooked through, tack on another few minutes to the cooking time to hit 135°F to 140°F."—Sheela Prakash, Recipe Developer

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