Easy and Delicious Sauces to Serve with Salmon

If you are thinking of using dill sauce for salmon, go ahead. The thick and creamy sauce is perfect for the flaky fish.

Sour cream, greek yogurt, fresh dill, chives, garlic, and lemon juice are combined for a rich, ultra-creamy, and wonderfully tangy without being overly sour sauce to pour over your buttery and citrusy grilled salmon.

You might be tempted to use Greek yogurt or sour cream because they have similar flavors, but this recipe calls for both as they add to the taste and consistency. 

This list would be remiss without the classic Argentinian chimichurri sauce. It is typically uncooked and used as a marinade for chicken, salmon, or other meats. It is also a condiment over roasted vegetables or pasta dishes and a dipping sauce for bread and empanadas.

It is made from fresh herbs like oregano, thyme, and parsley as the main herb. It also has spices like red pepper and dried oregano. These herbs and spices are mixed with garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. 

Honey mustard sauce is sweet and tangy and pairs beautifully with the richness of the grilled salmon. It is made with honey, mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and spices of choice, such as paprika, cayenne pepper, and thyme.
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You coat your salmon filets in the marinade and let it soak up all the flavor in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight. If you want a rich and spicy kick in your salmon dish, you can combine yellow and dijon mustard, which is sharper and spicier.

Pesto is often used on pasta salads and recipes, but it is so versatile that you can use it for your salmon dish.  This sauce is packed with fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. It is rich, nutty, and with a salty umami finish from the Parmesan.

Everything is combined in a food processor, seasoned with salt and pepper, and blended until smooth. The fresh basil in the sauce complements the richness of the salmon perfectly, while the cheese brings out the salmon's natural sweetness.

One of the most popular sauces for fish in Japanese cuisine is a miso glaze. The main ingredient in this sauce is the miso paste, a fermented soybean paste. There are different types of miso. Some are mild and sweet, others rich and salty, and some sit in between.

This paste is combined with sweeteners like brown sugar, honey, or mirin (sweet rice wine) and liquids like sake or vinegar to achieve the desired taste and consistency. Brush miso glaze on salmon during the last few minutes of cooking for a caramelized and flavorful finish.

If you are looking for a no-cook sauce for salmon fish, lemon garlic is not the one. However, making it is a breeze.

A lemon garlic sauce is made with lemon, garlic, olive oil, butter, herbs, and spices. You start by cooking your garlic with olive oil in a pan. Then, add lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Let everything simmer for 2-3 minutes, and once the sauce thickens, it is ready.

The zesty lemon and aromatic garlic give a bright and elegant touch to any salmon dish.

Teriyaki sauce is synonymous with chicken but is also superb for a salmon fillet. It is sweet, salty, savory, and umami and used to enhance the flavors of countless dishes. It is traditionally used for grilling and glazing meat and fish.

To make a teriyaki sauce, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, sake, honey, garlic, and ginger in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring everything to a simmer until the mixture thickens. Then, add cornstarch or other substitutes to thicken the sauce to the desired consistency.

A remoulade sauce and salmon is undoubtedly a delicious pairing. The sauce is complex and layered with nuanced flavors of salty, sweet, savory, spicy, and tangy.

The classic remoulade is a mayonnaise-based sauce with capers, pickles, herbs, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and sometimes anchovies. There is also a Louisiana version that forgoes the mayo and uses oil, mustard, garlic, paprika, and creole seasonings like cayenne pepper, thyme, and celery.

This sauce will elevate your salmon dish, whichever version you use. 

A buffalo ranch is the perfect dipping sauce for salmon croquettes. The sauce combines two classic American dips: buffalo sauce and ranch dressing. The sauce is perfectly sweet and spicy. The heat comes from the cayenne-driven buffalo sauce, while the ranch dressing is creamy and tangy with a hint of sweetness.

Imagine biting into a golden, crispy croquette dipped in the spicy, tangy, creamy sauce. The flavors that dance in your mouth and the textural experience are out of the world.

A sour cream sauce for salmon recipes will never go wrong. A sour cream sauce is delicious, perfectly balanced, and so addictive.

The beauty of this sauce lies in its versatility. You can whip a basic one with sour cream, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. You can brighten it with herbs like dill, chives, or parsley or make it aromatic and spicy with garlic, sriracha, red pepper flakes, or chipotle chili peppers.

Drizzle it over a grilled salmon and watch your family clean it off the plate in seconds.

Some people love cilantro so much that they put it on everything. If you are one of those, make this beloved Indian chutney for your next salmon dinner. The star of the show is the cilantro, which is mixed with mint, green chilies, ginger, garlic, creamy yogurt, and spices.

It has a tangy and spicy flavors that work well with heavier dishes like grilled or baked salmon. You can use this sauce as a dip or marinade. Either way, you will love it.

Peanut sauce is a beloved condiment across various Asian cuisines. It has all the nutty goodness of peanut butter or ground peanuts and pairs beautifully with salmon dishes. A basic peanut sauce is a mixture of creamy peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and lime juice. But you can customize it however you like. 

Increase the spiciness with sriracha or chili flakes. For a rich and creamy sauce, mayonnaise or yogurt will do the trick. And if you want fresh herby brightness, infuse the sauce with cilantro, basil, or parsley.

A nutty, tangy, smokey, and creamy romesco might be one of the best sauces for salmon cakes. The ingredient list is long, but the sauce is delicious and worth the effort. Start by roasting red pepper, onion, tomatoes, and garlic with olive oil, salt, and pepper in the oven. Then, toast the nuts in a dry pan over medium heat until lightly browned.

Blend the roasted vegetables, toasted nuts, breadcrumbs, vinegar, paprika, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor until smooth, and add water in between for desired consistency.

The name itself is a clue to how delicious this sauce is. A yum yum sauce is typically mayonnaise-based, creamy, tangy, and slightly sweet. Mayonnaise, ketchup, rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar, sugar, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper are whisked together in a medium and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Once the sauce is to your liking, let the flavors meld in the fridge for 30 minutes. Drizzle your sauce over your salmon for a satisfying meal.

As the name implies, a sweet and sour sauce celebrates the beautiful contrast of sweet, sour, and tangy flavors. The delightfully contrasting flavors pair beautifully with the buttery salmon.

The sweetness of the sauce usually comes from sugar, honey, or pineapple juice, while the sourness comes from rice vinegar or white vinegar. The tanginess is infused with tomato sauce or ketchup. You can also add a fiery kick with spices like ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes.