Sides for Salmon

All of these recipes are excellent to serve with salmon! You’ll find everything from smoked asparagus to cucumber and tomato salad in this list of drool-worthy side dishes.

The biggest thing I love about salmon is that you can cook it in a variety of different ways. It’s classy and can be served as a fancy dinner or you can dress it down and enjoy it as good old down-home cooking.

🐟 Salmon Recipes

Here are a few of our favorite recipes:

Smoked Salmon – This honey glazed smoked salmon recipe uses a delicious brine and is one of the most decadent recipes on the site!

Grilled and Stuffed Copper River Salmon – I love the time of year when Copper River Salmon becomes available. The deep red colors and amazing flavors scream for you to grill something with it!

Grilled Brown Sugar Salmon – The sweet brown sugar really enhances the flavor of the salmon and the grill just brings it to a whole new level! This is a classic, simple grilled salmon recipe.

Garlic Parmesan Salmon on a Cedar Plank – If you have never grilled on a cedar plank, you need to try this! The cedar and salmon are classic Northwest flavors and work so well together!

Why These Work

These side dishes bring out the flavors in the salmon and really complement the dish. I tried to include simple and quick recipes as salmon is typically cooked pretty fast.

Most of all, I wanted these to be unique and something you’ll be proud to serve your friends and family so you will never get bored of eating the same thing again. We have all tossed rice pilaf, corn on the cob and pasta as our staple sides. Let’s kick it up a notch and make recipes our families beg for us to make again.

Let’s get started!

Side Dishes for Salmon

Smoked Asparagus Bundles

One thing I know for sure, asparagus and salmon go beautifully together! They are the perfect “chef’s kiss” dinner whether you are enjoying a lazy night at home or having friends over. Awww…I can almost smell the aroma of the asparagus and salmon now. Yum!

The cedar plank is a classic Northwest technique that really enhances the asparagus too.

These little bundles of asparagus can be as simple as a drizzle of olive oil with salt and pepper or drizzle with a little bit of garlic butter that will complement the earthy tones from the cedar planks. Using the same concept, you can make roasted asparagus without the planks for the same delicious side dish.

Lemon Brown Rice

This lemon dill brown rice dish is such a great side paired with seafood, especially salmon! It gets a nice crunch from the crushed pistachios and extra flavor from crumbled feta and herbs. We love how this saves so much time by using precooked brown rice for a quick 15 minute side.

The hint of lemon works perfectly with fish and is light enough that the salmon will shine through as the star of the meal.

Peach Burrata Salad

You are going to feel like you have died and gone to heaven when you taste the incredible flavors in this salad. No pan needed for this great side dish. Never thought you’d hear me say that about a salad, huh?

But in all seriousness, it’s filled with pecans, burrata, peaches, and arugula. Imagine sitting down to nosh on a piece of salmon and this pairing it with this salad. YUM!

The sweet fruit is not only gorgeous, but enhances the flavors in the grilled salmon, just like the brown sugar would in the grilled fish.

Sautéed Spinach

One of the quickest and easiest salmon side dishes you’ll ever cook is Sautéed Spinach with Garlic and Lemon. This is a great way to add fiber and nutrients to your menu.

It doesn’t get much easier than this! It is cooked in garlicky olive oil and finished with fresh lemon juice and a pinch of crushed red pepper in a skillet. I love the fact that this takes less than five minutes to prepare and goes well with almost any protein. Most importantly, it’s delectable!

Throw this on during the last few minutes of the salmon finishing up, and they’ll both be ready at the same time.

Honey Sriracha Brussels Sprouts

Oven Roasted Honey Sriracha Brussels sprouts are covered with a sweet and spicy honey Sriracha sauce. They have a crunchy exterior and a soft interior. You will not be disappointed if you top this delicious, uncomplicated side dish with a generous dash of salt.

Serving these Brussel sprouts with a big fat piece of flaky salmon is incredible and the perfect side dish for entertaining. It’s fancy, but incredibly good too. I find this works best with either smoked salmon or the grilled salmon with brown sugar. The sweetness of those recipes complement the sriracha in the this one.

Cucumber & Tomato Salad

This recipe loaded with refreshing veggies, protein-rich chickpeas, and tossed with a light, lemony dressing. You’ll want to make it all summer long for barbecues, picnics, potlucks, and more!

You can serve it alongside some freshly grilled salmon or add it on top for an added burst of flavor. Either way works and tastes great.

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

Heavy cream, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, and fresh thyme with thinly sliced potatoes make the ultimate dream dish. Homemade scalloped potatoes are pretty darn simple and you won’t hear any complaints when your guests devour them.

Serve this with some warm dinner rolls, a fresh garden salad and some cooked salmon and your family will feel like royalty! Hands down, these are one of the best side dishes.

Spring Pea Risotto

Once in a while, we get a hankering for something that is a little “extra”. If you like risotto, I think you’ll like this fresh and fun spin. It has fresh herbs and tangy parmesan cheese.

Plus, it comes together quickly in less than 30 minutes. This Italian side dish pairs great with cooked salmon.

Roasted Vegetables with Smashed Garlic

Create a mixture of your favorite vegetables and roast them until they are golden and caramelized. The veggies are tossed with tender roasted garlic cloves and get a creamy flavor boost from an easy hummus vinaigrette. Carrots, brussel sprouts, onions, broccoli, sweet potatoes, parsnips, red onion, peppers in addition to any root vegetable will work here.

I like making this dish in the autumn or winter – after all, grilling isn’t JUST and summer activity, right?

Glazed Carrots

These glazed carrots can be quickly whipped up in just 15 minutes. They are tender, slightly sweet, and on require six ingredients.

This inexpensive side dish will go fantastic with a salmon filet. Sweetened with a little bit of sugar and flavored with sherry, these just might be the best carrots you’ll ever sink your teeth into.

Boursin Mashed Potatoes

It’s practically an unspoken rule that you have to make some creamy mashed potatoes along with salmon! And, this is not your classic mashed potato recipe.

Boursin cheese kicks the flavor up a notch! Plus, they are topped with shallots and some chopped chives. Add a little sour cream in the mix or on top for the ultimate mashed potato dish.

It is rich, creamy and oh-so delicious. You’ll want to double the recipe straight away as the leftovers are (almost) better!

Balsamic Spinach & Mushrooms

Watch out…the combination of spinach, mushrooms and balsamic vinegar is going to rock your world. The ingredients are healthy, but they aren’t short on flavor. For extra flavor, toss with a handful of pine nuts.

The earthy mushrooms work well with a classic salmon.

Cast Iron Skillet Green Beans

Classic green beans never go out of style. Cooking the green beans in a cast iron skillets quick and easy. These are topped with parmesan cheese and a bit of refreshing lemon juice! Substitute feta cheese or goat cheese to make this same dish over and over again without ever getting bored.

Your dinner will be extra classy when serving green beans and salmon together. Don’t forget to add a nice salad and some dinner rolls to complete the dinner.

Tip: If you already have the grill going, cook while the salmon is resting. Cast Iron cooking works perfectly on the grill and it saves you from having to heat up the house!

Lemon Garlic Broccoli

Roasted in butter, garlic, and lemon juice, this broccoli recipe is incredible! This is a broccoli dish you will actually be able to talk your kids into eating! Best part is it is one of the easy side dish recipes on the list.

The broccoli is tender, flavorful, and a tasty side for salmon filets. It also goes well with chicken and steak too.

Wedge Salad

Try this wedge salad if you want something healthy, bright, refreshing and delicious. Wedge salads go well with all sorts of seafood dishes, especially salmon. Make fresh wedge salads next time you are hosting. Made with a flavorful Greek yogurt feta ranch, this recipe will stand out.

All in all, these mouthwatering sides will pair perfectly with all of your seafood favorites. Grouper Cheeks, Grilled Sheepshead, Grilled Sea Bass, Smoked Pacific Rockfish and Grilled Red Snapper are all recipes that you will love having these healthy and light side dishes at your cookout.

Related Side Dishes