Salmon is one of our favorite contenders for fast and easy dinners, but, like anything else, our go-to recipes can get old. That's why we turned to some of our favorite celebrity chefs for some salmon-cooking inspiration, from Alton Brown to Chrissy Teigen. Here's how the experts get restaurant-worthy salmon at home.
Alton Brown: Coated in a Citrus Glaze
Per usual, Alton Brown's salmon recipe [1] has five stars out of tons of reviews. His tip for getting the most flavorful salmon is taking the time to let it marinate for 45 minutes in a sweet citrus glaze (brown sugar, lemon zest, salt, and peppper). Once you've patiently waited, all you have to do is broil the fish for less than 10 minutes.
Ree Drummond: Flaky Baked Salmon With a Twist
The Pioneer Woman's flaky baked salmon [2] is for those who favor simplicity over complexity. She bakes hers with just olive oil, salt, and pepper, but there's a trick to getting it perfectly flaky without being dried out: place the salmon in a cold oven before preheating the oven to 400°F. "Twenty-five minutes later, the salmon was absolutely perfect. Tender, moist, flaky. A no-fail method!" she wrote.
Ina Garten: Grilled With an Asian Marinade
Ina Garten's Asian grilled salmon recipe [3] is perfect for warm-weather cooking outdoors. She elevates the charred flavor with a boldly flavored marinade of dijon mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic.
Giada De Laurentiis: Foil Baked
Easy cleanup is the name of the game in Giada's foil-baked salmon recipe [5]. Of course the Food Network star adds some Italian flair with olive oil, tomatoes, and oregano, and when the tomatoes roast along with the salmon and lemon juice, they create a juicy, sauce-like topping. The best part is all the juices and oils remain inside the foil packets, so you barely have to clean the pan.
Paula Deen: Maple and Mustard Glazed
Leave it to Paula Deen to lend some excitement to salmon by adding plenty of butter. OK, there's also maple syrup, mustard, apple cider vinegar, and worcestershire sauce in her sweet and salty maple-and-mustard-glazed salmon recipe [6], and it looks pretty amazing.
Alex Guarnaschelli: Blackened
Chopped judge Alex Guarnaschelli has a blackened salmon recipe [7] that packs a serious flavor punch thanks to a spice blend of paprika and cayenne pepper. If you prefer a smoky, pan-seared salmon fillet over a flaky baked one, this is the recipe for you.
Chrissy Teigen: Seared With Thai Chili Sauce (and a Secret)
You won't find Chrissy Teigen's recipe for sweet-chili-and mustard-glazed salmon fillets online, but you'll find it on page 189 of her cookbook, Cravings, and the photo will immediately make you salivate. Here's a preview she shared on Instagram.
View this post on Instagram[8]
Not only is the salmon coated in a sweet, saucy glaze, but it's also prepared in an unconventional way: seared skin side up rather than down. Chrissy finishes the salmon in the broiler to achieve crispy skin, but she keeps it skin side down the whole time to keep the flesh moist. Thanks to her upbringing in Washington state, she knows a thing or two about salmon, and she swears, "There is nothing that compares to this saucy little bastard. Sweet chili that caramelizes and bubbles and drenches your fillet in goodness?? Have fun with your lemon and one sprig of dill. I'll be over here."