Salmon Tartare is an easy, classic appetizer that is endlessly versatile. It’s a great way to show off high-quality raw fish. You can flavor the salmon with a variety of ingredients and serve it with crackers, cucumber slices, crostini, or crudité. In this recipe, we’re using lots of fresh herbs, chopped capers, red onion, a jalapeño for some heat, lemon zest, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard.
The salmon has a tender, slightly creamy texture, while the marinade adds a touch of acidity and brightness. It’s really incredible how much flavor you can impart into the salmon with so few ingredients. Be sure to use high-quality salmon since you’ll be eating it raw.
If you love this recipe, be sure to try our Light, Refreshing Salmon Ceviche, Ahi Tuna Poké Bowls, No Cook Smoked Salmon Salad, or Scallop Crudo next. Or check out all of our easy seafood recipes for more inspiration!
What’s In Salmon Tartare?
- High-quality salmon: Fresh or frozen is fine (in fact, frozen is oftentimes higher quality because it is flash frozen shortly after it leaves the water!). This is Atlantic salmon, though you can check out our salmon guide for more information on the different species.
- Olive oil: Nothing too strong or overpowering. Save the extra virgin olive oil for sautéing.
- Red onion: Very finely diced. If you’re sensitive to raw onion flavor, you can substitute with shallot for a milder taste.
- Capers: To add a salty, briny bite.
- Jalapeño: For some heat! We always add a pepper to tartare. Serrano peppers are another great option.
- Dijon mustard: This adds a tangy, sweet flavor.
- Lemon zest and fresh lemon juice: For acidity.
- Chives: Feel free to substitute with other fresh herbs.
How To Make Salmon Tartare
- Cut the salmon fillet into small cubes, about ¼-inch in size.
- In a medium bowl, combine the diced salmon, olive oil, red onion, chopped capers, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, jalapeño, and chives.
- Mix well to combine, then allow the tartare to sit for 5-10 minutes (or up to overnight) to help the flavors meld.
- Taste, adjust seasoning (adding Kosher salt or black pepper, if wanted), then enjoy!
Pro tip: You can pop the salmon in a freezer for 15 minutes to help it firm up a bit. This can make it easier to cut if you’re having difficulty with fresh salmon. Totally optional step!
FAQs
Yes! The most important factor is whether the salmon is high-quality. Sushi-grade is best, and if you can find it fresh — great! If not, frozen is fine. Just be sure to thaw completely and pat dry with paper towels to absorb any excess moisture.
Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Raw seafood has a much shorter shelf life than other proteins and should be consumed quickly.
No, we don’t recommend freezing, especially if you used frozen salmon (that was thawed) to make this recipe. Freezing proteins a second time increases risk of bacteria when thawing.
Sure! This would be delicious with tuna, scallops, or yellowtail. Try some of our other raw seafood recipes next: tuna tartare and scallop crudo.
It’s ready to enjoy immediately after making, but you can also cover it tightly and refrigerate overnight. Note that the texture of the salmon will change a bit as it cooks in the lemon juice, so it’s really best to enjoy it fresh.
Expert Tips
- Use a very sharp knife to ensure clean and precise cuts when dicing the salmon.
- Keep all ingredients, including the salmon, as cold as possible during preparation to maintain freshness.
- Adjust the level of spiciness by adding or omitting jalapeño according to your preference.
Make-Ahead, Leftovers, & Storage
- To make-ahead: The salmon tartare can be marinated up to overnight in the refrigerator.
- Leftovers and storage: Leftover salmon tartare should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- To freeze: Technically, you can freeze this recipe, but we strongly recommend eating it fresh. The texture of the raw salmon will change when you freeze it and thaw it, especially with the way fresh citrus (in this case, lemon juice) affects the texture of the fish.
How To Serve
Serve salmon tartare as an appetizer or even in small lettuce cups for a lighter option. We really love it with crackers or crostini, but if you can find rice crackers (typically sold in the Asian food aisle), those would be fantastic, light, and gluten-free! Cucumber slices or potato chips work well too!
For a main course, serve the salmon tartare over a bed of salad greens or rice. If using a ring mold, layer the tartare with thinly sliced or cubed ripe avocado or thinly sliced radish. Salmon tartare can also be used to make sushi rolls or poke bowls.
Substitutions and Variations
- If you don’t have capers, you can substitute chopped pickles or olives.
- If you don’t have Dijon mustard, you can use another type of mustard, such as whole-grain mustard or yellow mustard.
- Don’t have fresh lemons? Use lime juice and lime zest instead!
- While you can substitute fresh herbs with dried herbs, we don’t recommend it. The fresh herbs really brighten the dish!
Light and fresh, this is such a quick and easy appetizer that never fails to impress. It’s just as delicious on a hot summer day as it is as a starter for a dinner party. Really hope you give this a try because it’s so impressive with very little effort.
If you make this Salmon Tartare recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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25-Minute Salmon Tartare (Easy Appetizer!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh salmon skin removed (we recommend sushi-grade or extremely fresh caught)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil nothing too strong or overpowering
- ¼ small red onion very finely diced, about 3 Tbsp
- 1 heaping Tbsp capers drained and roughly chopped
- ½ small jalapeño finely diced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 lemon about 1 tsp lemon zest and 2-3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp fresh chives thinly sliced
- For serving: crostini, thinly sliced baguette, crackers, chips, or crudité (such as endive leaves); alternatively, can be served on a bed of mixed salad greens
Instructions
- Optional, quick freeze the salmon before slicing. If you’re not comfortable slicing the salmon while fresh, you can pop it in a freezer for about 15 minutes to help it firm up a bit. This can make it easier to cut. Totally optional.
- Cut the salmon. Place the salmon on a cutting board, then pat dry with a paper towel. Carefully slice the filet into ¼-inch thick planks. Cut each plank into ¼”-thick strips. Rotate the strips and cut them into ¼-inch dice. Place the salmon in a bowl.
- Toss, then serve. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil, 3 Tbsp finely diced red onion, 1 Tbsp chopped capers, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp lemon zest, 2 (or 3) Tbsp fresh lemon juice, depending on how acidic you want the tartare, ½ of a diced jalapenño (or more, for more heat), and 2 tsp thinly sliced chives. Toss well, then allow to sit for about 5-10 minutes before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed.
- To serve: You can place the salmon tartare in a bowl for serving or assemble it in a large round mold about 3-inches wide. To do this, place the mold on a plate, then carefully add the salmon tartare inside. Use your hand or the back of a spoon to firmly press the salmon down to fit the mold. Refrigerate until needed, then carefully lift and remove the mold, then serve the tartare with baguette, crackers, chips, or crudité. Can also be served over a bed of salad greens.
Notes
- Nutrition facts do not include serving options.
- For a less intense onion flavor, use 1 small shallot instead of red onion.
- Instead of chives, consider using dill, tarragon, or fresh parsley.
- Tartare is best enjoyed the day it’s made.
- Other serving suggestions if using a mold: layer with thinly sliced or cubed ripe avocado or thinly sliced radish.
- To make-ahead: The salmon tartare can be marinated up to overnight in the refrigerator.
- Leftovers and storage: Leftover salmon tartare should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- To freeze: Technically, you can freeze this recipe, but we strongly recommend eating it fresh. The texture of the salmon will change when you freeze it and thaw it, especially with the way fresh citrus (in this case, lemon juice) affects the texture of the fish.
Nutrition
Photography by: Jo Harding.
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