17 Salmon Dinners for Anyone Who Has Seasoned One Too Many Chicken Breasts

My kids would happily eat chicken every night. I’m a fish lover, though, and I can only sprinkle salt, pepper, and paprika on another chicken breast so many times before I start craving salmon.

The good news is that salmon is just as easy as chicken, and often faster. These 17 salmon dinners include my mom’s creamy sheet pan salmon that we make every Rosh Hashana and Thanksgiving, a glossy pomegranate glaze, spicy harissa, and teriyaki rice bowls the whole family can make their own way.

Some bake on one pan, some cook in a skillet in 10 minutes, and one even cooks over an open fire. Pick one for tonight and give that chicken breast a night off.

Salmon Meunière

Salmon meunière sounds fancy, but it’s really just fish in a light dusting of flour with a quick butter sauce. The fillets sear until golden, then browned butter, lemon juice, and fresh parsley get spooned over the top. It’s ready in about 10 minutes, faster than a chicken breast cooks through.
Get the Recipe: Salmon Meunière

Lemon Air Fryer Salmon

My kids are big fans of chicken, but I’m a fish lover, so this is how I get salmon onto busy weeknights. The fillets get brushed with avocado oil, salt, pepper, and lemon zest, then air fry for 7 to 10 minutes.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Air Fryer Salmon

Lemon Salmon Orzo Skillet

Weeknight dinners feel easier when everything cooks in one pan. The salmon sears first, then orzo simmers in the same skillet with broth, white wine, asparagus, and cherry tomatoes before the fish goes back on top. Dinner and the side are done in about 30 minutes, without another plate of chicken and rice.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Salmon Orzo Skillet

Nordic Fire-Grilled Salmon

I first tasted fire-grilled salmon at a Christmas market in Lübeck, and it took me two years to figure out how to make it at home. The fillets get wired to wooden planks and stand around an open fire for about an hour, so they cook slowly in the smoke without the flames touching them. It’s a backyard project for a special night, and nobody will ask where the chicken went.
Get the Recipe: Nordic Fire-Grilled Salmon

Traeger Honey Garlic Salmon

Smoker nights don’t always have to mean chicken. The salmon cooks in a foil pan on the pellet grill while a honey, garlic, soy, and balsamic sauce simmers right next to it. Pour the sauce over the fish before serving, and dinner is done in about 25 minutes.
Get the Recipe: Traeger Honey Garlic Salmon

Mediterranean Salmon and Lentils

One back-to-school week, Leo couldn’t find his shoes, Lin hated her lunch, and this meal kit dinner saved me at five o’clock. Broiled salmon sits on spiced harissa lentils with carrots and spinach, then gets topped with fresh tomato, parsley, and feta. It’s ready in about 30 minutes and makes a nice change from the usual school-night chicken.
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Salmon and Lentils

Garlic Butter Salmon

Garlic and butter make any kitchen smell like a restaurant, and this salmon proves it. The fillets bake with a homemade garlic butter sauce and a squeeze of lemon, then get a sprinkle of fresh parsley. It’s in and out of the oven in about 15 minutes, faster than most chicken breasts take to bake.
Get the Recipe: Garlic Butter Salmon

Moroccan Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner

Fresh dinner every night sounded easy until real life got busy, and this one-pan salmon is what finally made weeknights easy. Cauliflower, green olives, and lemon roast first in harissa, cumin, and turmeric, then the salmon joins them for the last 14 minutes. It’s the kind of sheet pan dinner that makes chicken night feel optional.
Get the Recipe: Moroccan Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner

Baked Harissa Salmon

Our first real meal cooked together was harissa salmon, after my husband surprised me with a date at a fish market. A mix of harissa, honey, lemon, cumin, and smoked paprika coats the fillets, and lemon slices on top soften as it roasts for about 25 minutes. Fair warning, it has real heat, which is exactly what plain chicken is missing.
Get the Recipe: Baked Harissa Salmon

Teriyaki Glazed Salmon Risotto Recipe

I was playing mad scientist when I first put teriyaki salmon on top of risotto, and my kids licked their plates clean. The salmon marinates in soy, ginger, and garlic, then sits on creamy parmesan risotto with mushrooms and peas, with extra teriyaki sauce poured over. It’s a sit-down dinner for the nights you’re done with plain chicken and rice.
Get the Recipe: Teriyaki Glazed Salmon Risotto Recipe

Pomegranate Glazed Whole Salmon

A bottle of pomegranate molasses from my parents’ trip to Georgia is the secret behind this glazed salmon. I brush the fish with the molasses and date honey, bake it, then slide it under the broiler so the glaze turns glossy and sticky. It takes about 30 minutes, the same as a tray of chicken breasts, but it looks like a holiday.
Get the Recipe: Pomegranate Glazed Whole Salmon

Teriyaki Salmon Rice Bowl

Leo arranges his cucumber slices in little circles and Lin quietly claims all the avocado, so our bowls never look the same. Pan-seared salmon gets a homemade teriyaki glaze and sits on jasmine rice with cucumber, avocado, carrots, and radishes. It’s ready in about 30 minutes and gives everyone a bowl they actually want, no chicken required.
Get the Recipe: Teriyaki Salmon Rice Bowl

Pan-Fried Sockeye Salmon Recipe

Cast-iron sockeye reminds me of camping, when the fish sizzled over the fire and everyone huddled close. The wild salmon cooks in butter with thyme and rosemary, and you keep spooning that honey-mustard butter over the top for about 10 minutes. Chicken breast never smells this good in a pan.
Get the Recipe: Pan-Fried Sockeye Salmon Recipe

Pistachio Crusted Salmon

If you love a crunchy topping on chicken, try it on salmon instead. A sticky honey, mustard, and mayo layer holds crushed pistachios, panko, and parmesan in place while the fish roasts for about 10 minutes. You get the crunch without pounding or dredging anything.
Get the Recipe: Pistachio Crusted Salmon

Baked Creamy Salmon

This creamy salmon is my mom’s recipe, and we make it for Rosh Hashana and Thanksgiving every year. The salmon bakes on one sheet pan with potatoes, cream, garlic, and rosemary, covered with foil so it stays juicy. It’s a holiday-worthy dinner on one pan, and a cozy swap for sheet pan chicken.
Get the Recipe: Baked Creamy Salmon

Lemon Dill Salmon and Asparagus

Lemon and dill are an old-school pair for fish, and they still work every time. The salmon bakes in one dish with a buttery lemon, garlic, and white wine sauce, surrounded by asparagus and lemon slices, and fresh dill gets stirred in at the end. It’s ready in about 25 minutes, so it fits the same busy nights you’d usually save for chicken.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Dill Salmon and Asparagus

Honey Mustard Salmon

Honey mustard isn’t just for chicken tenders, and salmon wears it even better. Dijon, honey, garlic, and smoked paprika get brushed over the fish with a little thyme, and it bakes in about 20 minutes.
Get the Recipe: Honey Mustard Salmon

If you’ve officially reached your “not chicken again” phase, one of these salmon dinners might be exactly what you need.