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Sauces for Salmon
If you frequently grill, bake or pan sear salmon chances are that you can use another sauce recipe to vary your routine. The options we've rounded up below are easy to whip up while the salmon is cooking or can be prepared ahead of time. They are loosely listed by type and you will notice that certain ingredients like dill, mustard, butter and cream make multiple appearances.
Several of them include a flavor infusion from craft beer. Many of them also go well with other types of fish and seafood, even pork chops, lamb chops and chicken cutlets.
Dill Sauce for Salmon Options
No matter how you cook salmon, dill goes so well withit that no other herb comes close. In the three sauce recipes below its distinctive flavor comes through with confidence but does not overpower the rest of the ingredients.
This goes without saying, but - always use fresh dill.
1. Creamy Dill Sauce with Mustard
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon honey (adjust quantity to control sweetness)
- 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
How to make it:
In a pan over medium heat combine the heavy cream, honey and Dijon mustard and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Simmer for about 5 min, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat, add the chopped dill and transfer to a serving dish.
2. Lemon Dill Sauce
You can increase both the dill and lemon zest in this bright sauce if you'd like to amplify its zesty, fresh punch.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice + 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (white recommended)
- 2 tablespoon chopped dill
How to make it:
In a sauce pan over medium heat the olive oil and melt the butter. Add the garlic and saute for 30 -45 sec. Add the cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper, stir all together and let simmer for 3-4 minutes until slightly reduced. Remove from the heat and stir in the dill and the lemon zest (if using).
3. Dill Sauce with Horseradish
This simple salmon sauce is one of our favorites. It does not require actual cooking. We typically use vinegar prepared horseradish, but the creamy version works too, you just might need to add a bit more of it.
Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup sour cream or creme fraiche
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped dill
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 teaspoon prepared horseradish (add more if you'd like)
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
How to make it:
In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, horseradish and vinegar. Fold in the dill, taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
4. Sour Cream Horseradish Sauce
While perfect for steak and beef roasts such as prime rib, this zesty concotion pairs delightfully with the rich flesh of center cut salmon. Find the recipe here.
5. Yogurt Dill Sauce
We often use this very healthy yogurt sauce as a veggie dip but it is superb with salmon. You can vary the fresh herbs if you want. Recipe here.
Mustard Sauce for Salmon Options
6. Honey Mustard Sauce
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup honey
- pinch pepper
- 2 teaspoon orange juice (optional, to thin out sauce if necessary)
How to make it:
In a small bowl combine the Dijon mustard and the honey. Add a pinch of pepper and stir until mixed well. Taste and if needed thin out the sauce with 2 teaspoon orange juice.
7. Creamy (Beer) Mustard Sauce
We love this very simple sauce and use our homemade beer mustard to make it. Use your favorite whole grain mustard instead and if you are craving a bit of heat add cayenne.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon beer mustard (or your favorite whole grain mustard)
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
How to make it:
In a sauce pan over medium heat whisk together the heavy cream and the beer mustard. Add cayenne pepper (optional) and whisk again. Let simmer until reduced to your desired thickness.
Butter Sauce for Salmon Options
The sauces below are richer and take a bit more effort to prepare, however they are not complicated.
8. Gose Beurre Blanc
This sauce is a fun, simplified take on the classic French beurre blanc, a lemon butter sauce with white wine. We use lacto soured Gose ale which provides acidity and gives the sauce a unique depth. You can substitute with a dry white wine, but the flavor will lack the acidity of the gose.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup of Gose ale
- ⅓ cup of heavy cream
- pinch of salt and pinch of white pepper
- 1 stick of butter (cold)
- zest of one lime
How to make it:
NOTE: Use the silky sauce right away or keep it warm near a stove or warm oven, for up to 30 min. Don't try do heat it up by placing it over a stove burner once you've made it - it will break.
9. Lemon Butter Thyme Sauce
This silky sauce can be made with fresh thyme or the dried version. If you want to play up the lemon essence consider adding minced preserved lemon rind along with the garlic. Its flavor takes the lemon presence to a whole new level.
Ingredients:
- 1 stick butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp minced preserved lemon rind (optional)
- 4 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon thyme (picked fresh leaves) or just shy of 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- pinch salt and pepper
How to make it:
In a skillet over medium-low heat melt the butter. Add the garlic and preserved lemon (if using), whisk in the lemon juice and the cream. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk for another minute or two until well emulsified and remove from heat, but keep warm.
Creamy Sauce for Salmon Options
10. Spinach Cream Sauce
Flavor infused and loaded with wilted spinach - perfect to drizzle over a salmon fillet. Recipe here.
11. Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
Do not skip the flour addition in this one - it is needed to assist the cheese in blending with the hot sauce base. If you need a gluten free option, substitute with corn starch.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon flour (or corn starch)
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- pinch salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (optional)
How to make it:
In a sauce pan over medium to medium-high heat melt the butter and the garlic, then stir it around. Add the flour, whisk until incorporated and add the water and whisk again for a minute. Add the cream, stir and bring to simmer. Let reduce a bit. Remove from the heat, add the grated Parmesan and stir until incorporated. Taste and season to taste.
12. Capers and Shallots Cream Sauce for Salmon
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 2 tablespoon white wine or chicken broth or gose ale
- 1 cup of cream
- salt and pepper to taste
How to make it:
In a sauce pan over medium heat melt the butter and add the shallots and the capers. Stir around and let the shallots soften. Add the white wine (or chicken broth or gose ale), then stir a few times. Add the cream, whisk well together and let simmer until the sauce gets reduced to your desired thickness. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Glaze for Salmon Options
You can brush these sauces (do so liberally) over the salmon before cooking it, at some point during the cooking process and as a finishing glaze to further flavor the cooked fish. And you can always serve extra sauce on the side.
13. Brown Ale BBQ Glaze
Ingredients:
- 1 cup brown ale (or English porter)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup BBQ sauce (your favorite)
How to make it:
In a cold sauce pan add the ale, sugar and butter. Bring to simmer over medium heat, stir and let reduce by half. Add the BBQ sauce, whisk and simmer for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and brush the glaze over salmon.
14. Honey Garlic Soy Glaze
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoon honey
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
How to make it:
In a sauce pan over medium heat whisk together all ingredients. Bring to simmer and let the glaze reduce until it coats the back of a spoon. Fold it the tablespoon of finely chopped cilantro
15. Miso Ginger Glaze
This is another one that does not require cooking.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoon miso paste
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
- 2 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
How to make it:
In a small bowl whisk together the miso paste, grated ginger and lime juice. Slowly add the vegetable oil while continuing to whisk. Taste and add a bit more ginger if needed - a whole teaspoon instead of the half in the recipe will please ginger lovers.
16. Bourbon Sauce for Salmon
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup bourbon whiskey
- ¼ cup soy sauce (low sodium recommended)
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
How to make it:
To make this versatile bourbon sauce follow these instructions.
17. Irish Whiskey Glaze
Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar, super fine
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon cold water
- ⅓ cup hot water
- 3 tablespoon Irish whiskey
How to make it:
You will create a liquid caramel sauce and add the whiskey. Some precision is advised so watch this instructional video for Irish Whiskey Salmon.
18. Scallion Ginger Sauce
Incredibly fresh tasting, with a flavorful zing. Here is how to make it.
You can also consider our IPA Teriyaki or Beersamic reduction glazes. Here is the beersamic glaze in action with citrus salmon.
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Recipe
Sauce for Salmon Recipes
Ingredients
Creamy Dill Mustard Sauce
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Gose Beurre Blanc Sauce
- ½ cup gose ale or dry white wine
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- pinch salt and pepper
- 1 stick butter
- 1 lime zest of only
Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- pinch salt pepper and red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
Creamy Dill Mustard Sauce
- In a pan over medium heat combine the heavy cream, honey and Dijon mustard and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Simmer for about 5 min, stirring occasionally.
Gose Beurre Blanc Sauce
- Start by zesting the lime and cutting the butter in 1 tablespoon pieces. Keep both refrigerated until you need them.
- In a sauce pan over medium heat simmer the Gose ale until reduced by half (about 4-5 minutes). Add the heavy cream, pinch of salt and pinch of white pepper. Whisk and simmer to thicken until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove from heat source for 1 minute and reduce heat to low.
- Place back on the stove (low heat now) and start adding cold butter one tablespoon at a time while whisking. Do this until you use up all the butter. Add the zest of a lime, whisk it in and taste. It shouldn’t need more salt, but if it does add some. See note.*
Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
- In a sauce pan over medium heat melt the butter and the garlic, then stir it around.
- Add the flour, whisk until incorporated and add the water and whisk again for a minute.
- Add the cream, stir and bring to simmer. Let reduce a bit.
- Remove from the heat, add the grated Parmesan and stir until incorporated. Taste and season to taste.
Video
Blanca
They look delicious! I may try one of these sauce recipes for Christmas dinner!
Amy
I made the bourbon glaze for salmon and was amazed by the combination of flavors. So well balanced and so well suited for baked salmon. I can see myself using the sauce with quick skillet shrimp too.
Valerie
This is a lovely and quite easy little sauce. I cheated and put in on top a piece of battered fish I heated in the toaster oven.
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
Love this! You know how I feel about sauces 🙂 Such great ideas and they all look delicious. Will be trying them all!
CraftBeering
Thank you, Jennifer!
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
Salmon is my very favorite fish so I'm always looking for ways to dress it up--and I'm loving these sauces! The lemon dill sauce is calling my name!