Baked Salmon and Dill Rice

By Naz Deravian

Published April 28, 2023

  • Four baked salmon fillets rest on a bed of fluffy dill rice in a shiny steel baking tray.
    Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
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Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
5(4,319)
Comments
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Fragrant dill rice is a natural accompaniment to salmon, and a complete meal of the two is made easy here by baking them together in one dish. Add fresh or dried dill to basmati rice, which is eventually topped with salmon covered in a tangy, sweet and spicy paste of mayo, lemon zest, honey and dried chile flakes. To ensure the rice is perfectly fluffy without overcooking the fish, the grains are baked until most of the water is absorbed before the salmon is added over the top.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 ½ cups white basmati rice, rinsed and drained

  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper

  • 4 ounces fresh dill, tough stems removed and finely chopped (about 1 cup), or ⅓ cup dried, plus more for serving

  • 2 large garlic cloves, finely grated

  • 1 large lemon, zested (about 1 teaspoon)

  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

  • ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving

  • 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (1 inch thick at their thickest parts), skin on or off

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

62 grams carbs; 95 milligrams cholesterol; 715 calories; 12 grams monosaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 33 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 610 milligrams sodium; 40 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place an oven rack in the center position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a kettle or a small saucepan, bring 2¾ cups water to a boil.

  2. Step 2

    To a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, add the olive oil and spread it around the pan. Add the rice, 1 teaspoon salt and the dill, and stir to combine. Spread the rice evenly across the pan. Add the boiling water, stir and cover tightly with foil. Place in the oven and bake until most of the water has been absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the garlic, lemon zest, mayonnaise, honey, turmeric and red-pepper flakes. Season both sides of the salmon fillets well with salt (about 1½ teaspoons total) and pepper. Spread the mayonnaise paste on top (or flesh side) of the salmon fillets.

  4. Step 4

    Remove the pan from the oven and very carefully lift the foil. Place the salmon fillets on top of the rice, paste side up, reseal and place back in the oven. Bake until the rice is fluffy and the salmon is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with more fresh dill and red-pepper flakes.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
4,319 user ratings
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Comments

Holly

Easy recipe but a little bland. Make rice with broth instead of water. Add some frozen peas to rice to add texture and more color. Double the fish seasoning mix and douse both sides of fish with same to enhance flavor.

Chuck Breaux

Baked it in a CorningWare casserole with lid as opposed to a baking pan with aluminum foil. I made it just as described, but it was missing a little something. I had already zested the lemon. Why waste the rest of it? I then squeezed the lemon juice over the salmon and rice at the end, and that was just what was needed!

Analisa

I recommend adding saffron to the salmon, and even the rice. To do so, boil a little water-couple of tablespoons, and add the saffron to "bloom" it. Then add to salmon/rice.

saraat1264

This is definitely going in the rotation. We have a wild salmon/halibut subscription and this is a perfect recipe for fish that has been frozen. I doubled the sauce and bloomed some saffron for the rice. Also added a wee bit of finely diced preserved lemon to the rice. It was a lovely meal.

Kathleen

This a wonderful Monday night dinner. I used stock and added peas and changed nothing else. Not even a big salmon fan but would definitely make again.

Karen Mathis

Doubled the sauce, cut back on the honey, fresh dill made all the difference. Per comments, added broth vs water for the rice and used all the lemon juice

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