I’ll I’ve wanted to eat in the sweltering heat of the summer is refreshingly fresh salads…lots of fruit and of course ice-cream! The other day I was craving a greek salad with feta…and I thought of making some easy salmon marinated in Mediterranean flavors, to go with it. It turned out sooo good I just had to share the recipe on here.
Now, instead of adding yogurt to the fish marinade (as most Greek marinades for fish suggested) I decided to keep it simple with an olive oil and lemon marinade and make some fresh and tangy Tzatziki sauce (a greek yogurt with garlic and cucumber) to go on top of the fish.
The deliciously flavorful salmon with cold tzatziki sauce pairs so well with a simple greek salad of lettuce, baby spinach, cucumber, tomato, red onion, kalmatta olives and feta dressed with the same tzatziki or any dressing of your choice. It’s the epitome of a summer meal.
I didn’t feel like lighting up my outdoor charcoal grill to cook up the salmon, so I opted to simply bake it instead. That said, I think this recipe would be better on the grill…but it’s delicious any way it’s cooked. Here’s how you can make it….
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- 1 1/2 lb fresh salmon
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil (extra virgin)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh dill (I used freeze dried)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/2 tsp sumac
- – Mix together the olive oil, lemon zest (about a teaspoon), the juice of the lemon (about 2 tablespoons or so), 2 cloves of garlic (grated into the bowl), the salt, fresh dill (I didn;t have any so I used freeze dried instead), dried oregano, crushed red pepper and sumac.
- – Place the salmon fillet (mine had the skin on) in a zip lock baggy and pour the mixed marinade over the salmon. Lock the bag and gently massage the marinade into the fish to coat it evenly, then refrigerate and allow the fish to marinade for about 20-30 minutes.
- – Once marinated, place the fish on a foil lined baking sheet skin-side down and bake in a 400F oven for about 15-20 minutes. Don’t forget to pour over all the marinade onto the fish. I portioned my salmon before baking, to make it easier to serve. (And don’t worry about the skin…it comes off super easily once the fish is baked). You can also grill the fish or pan fry it…whatever cooking method you want, really.
- – Serve hot with some greek salad and some cool Tzatziki Sauce over the top….yummm!
- Sumac is a middle eastern spice that’s tangy and a little tart. Don’t worry if you don’t have it…just add a touch more lemon zest instead.
- 6oz plain greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup shredded cucumber
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp fresh dill (I used freeze dried)
- Salt to taste.
- – Simply mix all the above ingredients together, grating the garlic into the bowl and squeezing as much of the cucumber juices after shredding it as you can.
- – Refrigerate and serve chilled with salmon, chicken or as a salad dressing.
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This looks excellent – can’t wait to try it! What is sumac? And what kind of flavor does it add? Never noticed it in recipes before!
Hi Betsy, Sumac is a middle eastern spice that’s tangy and a little tart. Don’t worry if you don’t have it…just add a touch more lemon zest instead.
I just wanted to say that I made this recipe today and it turned out really well! I’d never made or tried tzatziki and I’d never done marinated salmon before. It was so delicious that I wanted to smack someone!
Thanks again for this great recipe.
I LOVE this! I’ve made it numerous times in the past few months. I’m not really a fan of fish, but this recipe is so good I could eat it every week. I’m making it again this weekend. 🙂
It is definitely one of my favorite fish recipes too! So glad you liked it 🙂
Yumm yummm.. This is also delis served cold…. Cook smaller pieces and serve cold as a starter to your greek dinner… Or put it on a bun with some nice leafe lettuce.
This is a delicious recipe, I have made it over 5 times in last few weeks. So light and fresh. My husband and I love it as a quick summer meal. We always cook the salmon the on grill and it works out perfect. Thanks for the great recipe!
i really like the little white server you’re serving the tzatziki in – where did you get it?
I’ve cooked a lot of salmon while living in Seattle almost 30 years. This salmon marinade is definitely the best I’ve found-for baked or grilled salmon, with and without the tzatziki. I’ve also used the recipe for grilled chicken thighs. Go ahead and invest in some sumac-buy it onlne if necessary. You’ll be glad you did,