Easy and Festive Christmas Salmon (holiday dinner)
Make this gorgeous Christmas Salmon as an easy and delicious Christmas Dinner!
This stunning one pan salmon dinner is perfect for a small Christmas dinner gathering.
With a delicious lemon & mustard yogurt sauce, crumbled feta cheese and topped with fresh dill, pistachios & pomegranate seeds, this Christmas Salmon is packed with flavour and easy to make!
This delicious Christmas Salmon is the perfect main dish for your holiday dinner. It’s simple to put together but bursting with so much flavour. If you’re having a small gathering around the holiday season, I can’t recommend this enough!
You could even serve this salmon as an incredible centrepiece to an appetizer spread!
Why you’ll love this Christmas salmon
- Easy to make with just one large salmon fillet!
- It’s bright and full of flavour.
- Looks gorgeous on any Christmas table!
- You only need simple ingredients for this salmon dish.
- It’s a great option for small gatherings during the holiday season.
Ingredients needed to make this Christmas salmon recipe
Salmon: you’ll need one whole salmon filet, about 1.25-1.5 lbs or 550-650 grams, this should feed 3-4 people easily along with side dishes
Mustard: my favourite mustard to use is White Wine & Herb Smak Dab mustard but you can use dijon, old fashioned dijon mustard or grainy mustard too
Greek yogurt: plain Greek yogurt is key to making the creamy sauce that gets spread onto the salmon
Lemon: use lemon zest and lemon juice to bring together the yogurt sauce
Feta cheese: the salty feta cheese gets baked on top of the salmon and becomes creamy
Fresh dill: fresh dill is a classic flavour combination with the salmon, lemon and Greek yogurt
Pistachios: pistachios add a bright green colour to the topping and of course, brings a nice crunch
Pomegranate seeds: jewel-toned pomegranate seeds (also known as pomegranate arils) add a pop of colour to this holiday salmon
Seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic clove and olive oil all add to the flavour
How to make this Christmas salmon for holiday dinner
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: Add the large salmon filet to the parchment paper lined baking sheet and season with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Set aside.
Step 3: In a medium bowl mix together the Greek yogurt, mustard, fresh dill, lemon zest, lemon juice and pressed garlic clove. Mix to combine and then spread all over the salmon filet.
Step 4: Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese over the salmon and then bake for 24-30 minutes until the internal temperature of the salmon measures 145F (or your desired temperature for doneness) or is tender and flakes easily with a fork. Let the salmon rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Step 5: While the salmon is baking, mix together the fresh chopped dill, pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachios. Set aside.
Step 6: Garnish the salmon with the fresh dill – pomegranate seeds – pistachios mixture and then drizzle with olive oil, pinches of salt and pepper and juice from half a lemon.
Step 7: Use a spatula or knife to cut servings (don’t worry if they’re not perfect as salmon will sort of flake as you cut it once cooked). Serve pieces and enjoy!
What to serve with this simple recipe
- Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad
- Easy Sheet Pan Roasted Vegetables (3 side dishes!)
- A grain like rice or quinoa or even orzo!
Expert tips
- If you can’t find one large whole salmon fillet, swap for 1.25-1.5 lbs of small salmon filets. Then, just divide the yogurt sauce, feta and toppings between the filets.
- Make sure to keep the temperature at 325F to cook the salmon lower and slower so it doesn’t dry out.
Common questions
How can I take the temperature of the salmon if I don’t have a thermometer?
There are a couple ways to check if the salmon is cooked: (1) Use a fork at the thickest part of the filet and sort of twist gently to see if it flakes easily. (2) Check the colour of the salmon at the thickest part, it will turn from translucent to opaque. (3) Use a metal cake tester or the tines of a fork to prick the middle or thickest part of the salmon filet; if the tester comes out lukewarm, its not done yet. If the tester comes out hot, it’s definitely done!
What if I can’t find a large whole salmon filet?
Steelhead trout also works well in this recipe if you can’t find salmon.
How to store
If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Enjoy leftovers as a part of a salad with arugula or warm gently at 325F until warmed through.
more delicious recipes that could be served for christmas dinner
Easy One Pan Creamy Lemon & Garlic Chicken Gnocchi
One Pot Spicy Sausage Pasta with Tomato Sauce
Chicken Noodle Soup for a Winter Gathering
Easy and Festive Christmas Salmon (holiday dinner)
Ingredients
- 1.25 - 1.5 lbs (550-650 grams) whole large salmon filet
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp Smak Dab White Wine & Herb Mustard (or dijon, old style dijon, grainy or other white wine mustard)
- 2 tsp fresh dill
- 1/2 lemon, zested
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 large (or 2 small) clove garlic, pressed
- 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Toppings
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1/3 cup chopped salted pistachios
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
- olive oil
- squeeze of lemon juice
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the large salmon filet to the parchment paper lined baking sheet and season with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl mix together the Greek yogurt, mustard, fresh dill, lemon zest, lemon juice and pressed garlic clove. Mix to combine and then spread all over the salmon filet.
- Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese over the salmon and then bake for 24-30 minutes until the internal temperature of the salmon measures 145F (or your desired temperature for doneness) or is tender and flakes easily with a fork. Let the salmon rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- While the salmon is baking, mix together the fresh chopped dill, pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachios. Set aside.
- Garnish the salmon with the fresh dill - pomegranate seeds - pistachios mixture and then drizzle with olive oil, pinches of salt and pepper and juice from half a lemon.
- Use a spatula or knife to cut servings (don't worry if they're not perfect as salmon will sort of flake as you cut it once cooked). Serve pieces and enjoy!
Notes
- If you don't have a thermometer, there are a couple ways to check if the salmon is cooked: (1) Use a fork at the thickest part of the filet and sort of twist gently to see if it flakes easily. (2) Check the colour of the salmon at the thickest part, it will turn from translucent to opaque. (3) Use a metal cake tester or the tines of a fork to prick the middle or thickest part of the salmon filet; if the tester comes out lukewarm, its not done yet. If the tester comes out hot, it's definitely done!
- Steelhead trout also works well in this recipe if you can't find salmon.
- If you can't find one large whole salmon fillet, swap for 1.25-1.5 lbs of small salmon filets (3-4 filets depending on how many people you're serving). Then, just divide the yogurt sauce, feta and toppings between the filets.
