A simple 15-minute dill sauce recipe to serve with salmon or trout. This creamy and flavorful sauce with the herby sweetness of dill and the freshness of lemon is an all-round winner simply because its delicious flavor massively exceeds the effort required to put it together. With just 15 minutes of cooking time, it's safe to say that no day is too busy for dill sauce, and that's something I'm thankful for because it's often just what I'm craving at the end of a busy day.
Looking for more salmon recipes? Try my Salmon Teriyaki Noodles, Baked Furikake Salmon or Pesto Crusted Salmon.
The post contains additional information and helpful tips to ensure the recipe turns out great the first time. Please use the link above to jump to the recipe card at the end if you are in a hurry!
✅ 4 reasons why you'll love this recipe:
- Quick - this easy recipe requires just 15 minutes of cooking time, making it the perfect choice for a weeknight dinner.
- Super tasty - this classic flavor combination is sure to become a family favourite with its comforting creaminess, bright sweet flavor of dill and fresh hints of lemon.
- Versatile - serve this delicious dill sauce with salmon trout and cod or other varieties of mild-flavored white fish.
- Make-ahead and freezer-friendly - you can store the cooked sauce in the fridge for up to 4 days and freeze it for up to 3 months.
🛒 Ingredients and variations:
You'll be pleased to know that the ingredient list is short. You just need butter, milk, stock, fresh dill, nutmeg, lemon and black pepper.
🧑🍳 Recipe steps
1. Melt the butter on a medium heat and stir in the flour until a thick paste is formed.
2. Pour in the milk and stock and stir continuously until the sauce reaches a thick and smooth consistency.
3. Stir in the fresh dill, nutmeg, black pepper, and lemon juice and zest. Serve immediately with freshly cooked salmon fillets.
👍 Top tips
- Add a little more stock if you need to - the sauce should be of a thick yet pourable consistency. Pour in a little more stock if the sauce is too thick.
- Add lemon juice and zest at the end - to get delicious hints of bright citrusy freshness in the sauce. Adding lemon juice and zest too early will mellow the citrusy flavor as the sauce simmers.
- Make a large batch - dill sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to four days and can be frozen for up to 3 months. It's worth making extra, so you have some on hand for busy days.
🙋 FAQs
There are a number of sauce options to complement a tasty fresh salmon fillet including garlic sauce, yoghurt dill sauce and lemon dill. Ingredients typically found in salmon sauces include heavy cream, plain Greek yoghurt, garlic cloves, low or full-fat sour cream and Dijon mustard.
This depends on your personal taste. Sockeye salmon is a wild fish with a rich taste and firm texture, whereas Atlantic salmon is farmed, tends to be more affordable, has a higher oil content and a smoother texture. If you're after buttery salmon flakes that melt in your mouth Atlantic salmon is the one to pick. For a healthy eating option, try coho salmon, which is lower in fat and has a milder flavor than other salmon varieties.
Salmon can be baked, grilled on the hob or charcoal grill, pan-fried in a cast iron skillet or poached. Ensure you remove the moisture from the salmon with a paper towel and season with sea salt or kosher salt before you start. Check the doneness by cutting into the salmon to check if the flesh is opaque, or use a fish thermometer to check the internal temperature has reached 110-125 degrees F or 45-50 degrees C.
Salmon is a very versatile fish, with so many serving options it never gets boring. When it comes to veggies, serve salmon fillets or salmon patties with a simple side salad, red onions, green beans, broccoli or spinach. Potatoes, white or brown rice and pasta are solid options for carbs. For extra flavor serve with fresh lemon wedges, Kalamata olives, lemon pepper or a teaspoon of capers. A glass of white wine like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc is also highly recommended.
📦 Storage
The cooked dill sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days or frozen for up to three months. Just wait for the sauce to cool to room temperature and cover with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator. Reheat the sauce on the stove or in the microwave.
😋 More quick and easy fish recipes
Fish is a tasty and nutritious whole food and is often very quick and easy to cook. If you enjoyed this dill sauce, you should check out these other speedy weeknight-friendly fish recipes.
Did you try this recipe? It would be really great if you could leave a comment and a star rating ⭐️. I would love to receive your feedback and know that other readers find it helpful too.
Don't forget to tag #knifeandsoulrecipes on Instagram or @knifeandsoul on Pinterest!
📖 Recipe
Creamy White Sauce For Salmon
Equipment
- frying pan
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 4 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (200 ml) milk
- 1 ¼ cup (300 ml) veg stock or chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 lemon (juice + zest) 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 4 tablespoon fresh dill finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place a pan on a medium heat, add the butter and stir in the flour when the butter starts to melt to form a thick paste.
- Pour on the milk and add the fish stock and continue to stir until the sauce thickens.
- Stir in the ground nutmeg, dill and lemon zest. The sauce should have a thick and creamy consistency yet still be pourable. Add a little more stock if it is too thick.
- Serve with grilled or baked salmon fillets and lemon slices.
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