Dinner on the table in 15 minutes! Creamy Dill Sauce for salmon or trout is made with sour cream so it’s light and refreshing, and loaded with lovely fresh dill and lemon flavours.
Clocking in at just 397 calories per serving, and that’s with extra sauce for dipping your veggies in!
Everyone needs an arsenal of super quick meals in their back pocket. Fish with some kind of sauce is a great one because fish cooks so quickly.
Today I’m sharing a Creamy Dill Sauce which is no cook so it literally takes minutes to make. Just sour cream, mustard, lemon, garlic plus a good amount of fresh dill, and you have yourself a lovely fresh sauce.
Delicious for dipping in bread and veggie sticks, and dolloping on salmon (or trout!).
Unlike many creamy sauces, Dill Sauce is not rich and heavy. It’s light and tangy so it goes really well with salmon and trout because they are both quite oily and rich.
Plus of course – dill. It’s one of the classic herb flavour pairings in this world. Tomato and basil. Rosemary and lamb. Salmon and dill. 👌🏼
I’d describe this Creamy Dill Sauce as a less tangy version of tzatziki. If you use yoghurt instead of sour cream, it would actually taste quite similar to tzatziki. I prefer to make this with sour cream because I find it smoother.
I alternate freely between salmon and trout in my cooking as I find them quite similar, though I think trout is slightly juicier (in Australia). I actually cooked 4 trouts, and I have no idea why I failed to take a single photo of all 4 of them. 🤦🏻♀️
Actually, maybe it was because my subconscious realised that if I only photographed 2 trouts, then I’d have half the sauce leftover to dunk bread into while I was shooting? 🤔
I served this with some bread and my lazy Zucchini Salad – I’ve popped the recipe in the notes. With these simple sides, this really is a complete meal you can get on the table in 15 minutes – without running around like a lunatic! – Nagi x
PS. More quick ways with salmon! Honey Garlic Salmon and Asian Glazed Salmon. Or for a variation of this creamy sauce, Salmon with Creamy Garlic & Herb Sauce. Then there’s this incredible Christmas Baked Salmon: Easy & Make-ahead, a super-easy and eye-catching Christmas (or anytime) centrepiece.
Also check out Japanese Salmon on my mother’s site, RecipeTin Japan. Don’t ask me to choose a favourite. I can’t!
PPS I made this Dill Sauce for salmon / trout, but it is also a fab dip for veggie sticks and bread. And you can thin it out more with lemon juice / milk, and use it as a salad dressing too!
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Creamy Dill Sauce with Salmon or Trout
Ingredients
Dill Sauce
- 3/4 cup sour cream (1)
- 2 tsp Dijon or hot English mustard (2)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 small garlic clove , minced
- 2 1/2 tbsp fresh dill , finely chopped
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 – 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp milk (or olive oil, for richness)
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp white sugar
Fish
- 1/2 – 1 tbsp oil
- 4 salmon or trout fillets (125g / 4oz each)
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Mix the Dill Sauce ingredients together (Mix well to loosen the sour cream). Adjust consistency with milk and tartness with lemon juice. Set aside for 10 minutes if you can – if using fresh garlic, set aside for 20 min.
- Pat fish dry with paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Place fish in skillet skin side down. Cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for 1 1/2 minutes.
- Remove from skillet onto serving plates. Serve with Dill Sauce on the side, garnished with fresh dill and lemon wedges if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
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LIFE OF DOZER
That’s not for YOU Dozer, that trout is for the homeless man!
How beautiful and easy! Dill is one of my favourite herbs, I love its delicate flavour. Nothing goes better than dill and salmon. Delicious Nagi!
very nice dill sauce, that is a herb I adore but forget to use. And with sour cream it is a bit more guilt free. So fats to make but I would let it sit out even longer so the flavors really mix. I feel like fish tonight now.
SAME! I don’t use it as much as I should, but now I’m going a little dill mad!
Seriously girl, you are my very favorite food blogger! A meal of fresh salmon, salad and French bread is my favorite meal. I’ll be adding this wonderful sauce to my fish next time.
Ba ha ha!!! We have similar tastes, I love it! 🙂 N x
YUM I bet this would be so good in potato and egg salad, too!!
Oooh YES!! Great idea Corinne!!
Absolutely beautiful fast and furious sauce which would make anything taste fabulous! OK, I was brought up on dill, dill and more glorious dill, so that was a winner before clicking on!! And tho’ sour cream is not oft on the menu methinks this dish requires it . . . both fish would be delightful tho’ trout for a Scandinavian gal would again pip the post . . . Would not have thought Dozer interested, but then there was that pic of his just staring at beachside waters . . .
Scandinavian gal? Are you showing more of your glamorous exotic background Eha? 🙂 I’m going a little dill mad lately, I’m really enjoying it in salad dressings! So fresh! N x
OK! Just Estonian-born, a ‘bloody Balt’ as the Aussies used to call us when we first arrived! Well, we think we are Scandinavians, thank you!! We are SO ‘within the square’ even now, I doubt your adjectives would apply 🙂 !
You are the first person I have ever met in my life from Estonia. That makes you SPECIAL!!!! 🙂 N x
You have a good heart , your Mother and Aunt set you on a good road to life , I’m very proud of you , when I open your email I feel right at home , you and Dozer ,pure Love
Thank you Lily 🙂 But honestly, the homeless guy is a valuable member of our community – he looks after the dog park, knows everyone by name and is an all round top guy 🙂 Taking hot meals to him is the least I can do!
I just had salmon last night now I will have to eat it again this week so I can smother the dill sauce on it….I make one similar with yogurt, I had forgotten about…thanks
Can we ever have too much salmon??? 😉 N x
Gracias por la receta se ve fantástica.
¡De nada! ¡Espero que lo intentes!
Is there a recipe for the zucchini ribbons? I have a plant that just keeps on giving. I’d love to know how you cook the zucchini.
We eat a lot of salmon and can’t wait to try the sauce recipe.
Hi Norma! It’s in the notes to the recipe 🙂 N x
Thank you, I read the recipe but not the notes when I looked at it. Color me red faced.
Oh please! Don’t be SILLY! N x ❤️
I would probably use full fat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, because I like it better, but full fat is way less tangy than lower or non-fat. The sauce sounds wonderful. BTW, I want to point out to you that if it weren’t for you conning your mother into doing a blog, she would be retired… ? (But I’m sure glad you did, because it’s wonderful to have a source for traditional Japanese recipes from someone I am confident is a wonderful cook.)
She regularly reminds me of that too!!! She declares that she is soooo busy now!!
Anything 15 minutes or less is a big winner here! Actually, even if your fish is still frozen solid when you came home from work, I bet you could still get this lovely dinner on your table in less than 30 minutes. You have me craving this now!!! I just popped over to see your mom’s website and really love what I see. I can’t wait to keep in touch with her. In the fall I always get home sick for Japan. I really do and the best way to combat this is to make lots of delicious Japanese dishes.
You know, you’re right, I made this the other night and just defrosted the fish in water (it was in ziplock bags) 🙂 I get home sick for Japan too!!! 🙂
Hi Nagi! I haven’t had trout in years simply because it isn’t available here, but salmon is! I make a very similar sauce to which I add thinly sliced cucumber and onion, we use as a side for sandwiches or just as a snack! I do love fresh dill and it marries perfectly with salmon! Perfect as always my friend!
Really! Trout isn’t available at all??? LOVE the sound of your sauce. 🙂 N x
I used to eat trout a lot as a kid fishing but salmon is my go to these days. Steamed, grilled, baked or broiled it’s a fantastic plump and juicy fish, but add to it this creamy dill sauce and it’s a great switch up from my routine. That homeless guy eats darn good!
Thanks!
He looks after the dog park, he deserves it!
This look fabulous! Fish is my all time favorite go to meal. Super quick and always yummy.
ME TOO! 🙂