You will love this easy to make dill sauce for salmon! Honestly, you could serve this creamy dill sauce with just about any seafood (or chicken!), but we most often pair it with grilled salmon or trout.
Here’s why we love this recipe so much:
- Quick prep time! It takes less than 5 minutes to make, start to finish!
- Can be enjoyed immediately! No chill time required unless you want a more intense garlicky flavor. If so, just refrigerate for 30 minutes. Easy!
- Delicious alongside a variety of salmon recipes! Everything from grilled salmon, slow baked salmon, and salmon cakes, or used as a spread on bagels with homemade gravlax.
Ingredient Notes
- Sour cream: For a thicker sauce, use full fat sour cream.
- Whole milk Greek yogurt: We love the combination of equal parts sour cream and Greek yogurt. Plus, it’s added protein!
- A lemon: The acidity of the fresh lemon juice will thin out and also brighten the flavors of the sauce.
- Fresh dill and chives: These two fresh herbs pair particularly well with salmon (and seafood in general). They add a herbaceous, lemony flavor that compliments the Greek yogurt, sour cream, and lemon juice. Dill weed, in particular — that’s the feathery part of the dill plant — has a slightly anise like flavor.
- 1 garlic clove: Adds a slight heat to the sauce.
- Kosher salt: To season all ingredients!
Yes, you can substitute mayonnaise for either sour cream or Greek yogurt, but if you make the dill sauce entirely with mayonnaise it won’t, that flavor will be too strong. It really needs something tangy and acidic to cut through the richness.
How To Make Dill Sauce In 5 Minutes Or Less
Our dill sauce for salmon is truly as simple as mixing everything together in a bowl, then popping in a fridge until needed!
Combine equal parts sour cream and Greek yogurt with fresh lemon juice (about 2 Tbsp), 1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped dill, 1 tablespoon of sliced chives, a small clove of minced garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of Kosher salt in a small bowl.
Whisk well, cover with plastic wrap or seal tightly with a lid, then walk away. For a stronger flavor (the garlic will intensify the longer it sits), refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. If that’s not important to you, you can serve the dill sauce right away!
You can garnish with freshly cracked black pepper or additional chopped fresh herbs. Yum!
Dill sauce will keep in a fridge for up to 5 days!
Best Way To Bake Salmon For Dill Sauce
If you’re going to bake it, we love to cook salmon low and slow. Place salmon on a parchment lined baking sheet and pat the flesh dry with a paper towel. Season generously with Kosher salt and black pepper, then cook in a preheated oven at 275F for 20-25 minutes, or until the salmon is around 120F internally. You can also add a few lemon slices on top of the salmon before baking!
We recommend the Thermapen MK4 to check for doneness on all meats!
If you’d rather cook individual salmon fillets on a stove top, follow our instructions here for pan searing salmon like a pro! Crispy skin and everything!
Other Ways To Enjoy Creamy Dill Sauce
Instead of serving with a salmon dish, you could use this sauce as a spread on sandwiches, as a dressing for salad (you’ll possibly need to thin it out with some olive oil drizzled in!), as a dip for cucumber slices, or in Mediterranean rice bowls (like with this leg of lamb recipe — so delicious!).
Most of the time, we make crispy roasted potatoes on the side, which are equally as delicious dipped in the dill sauce!
Like things spicier? Try adding 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish or a pinch of cayenne pepper to add some heat.
This sauce is light, creamy, cool, and just all around delicious. If you make this Dill Sauce For Salmon, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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More sauces to try:
- Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
- Lemon Beurre Blanc (a French butter sauce with white wine and shallot)
- Ginger Scallion Sauce
- Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
- Cilantro Chimichurri
- Garlic Butter Sauce
More salmon recipes to try!
5-Minute Creamy Dill Sauce For Salmon
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice about 1 medium lemon
- 1 ½ Tbsp finely chopped dill
- 1 Tbsp chives thinly sliced
- 1 small garlic clove finely chopped
- ¼ tsp Kosher salt
Instructions
- Combine ½ cup sour cream, ½ cup Greek yogurt, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 ½ Tbsp chopped dill, 1 Tbsp thinly sliced chives, 1 finely chopped garlic clove, and ¼ tsp Kosher salt in a small bowl. Whisk well, then serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.
Notes
- For a stronger, more intense flavor, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Dill sauce will keep in an airtight sealed container in a fridge for up to 5 days.
Would this be a good sauce for Salmon Wellington?
Yes, I think it would be wonderful together! xo, Ari