A healthy wholesome salmon dish you’ll be totally hooked on! If something made with ease and sure to please is your aim, this slow cooker salmon ticks all the boxes.
Are you looking to use your slow cooker for something beyond the standard meat and potatoes? My mind doesn’t automatically go to salmon when I think of the slow cooker, but this dish opened my slow cooker worldview. Whether the slow cooker is your go-to ally in the kitchen or it’s stuffed in the back of the cabinet, do yourself a favor and dig it out to make this gem of a recipe! You won’t regret it. In fact, you’ll be coming back for more.
Salmon dishes are healthy, delicious, and relatively easy no matter how you prepare and cook them, but using the slow cooker requires only one dish and allows you to be hands-free, with a mind at ease. Simply set the slow cooker timer and enjoy a couple hours OUT of the kitchen, coming back to a mouth-watering aroma and delicious ready-to-eat salmon.
Never eat dry salmon again!
I love cooking salmon in a multitude of ways. It’s a family favorite, and always leaves me satisfied to have served something healthy. However, whether frying salmon on the stovetop or baking in the oven, it can be tricky to cook it to the perfect consistency. On the stovetop, there’s a risk you could end up with some burnt bits or a fillet that’s delicious but has completely fallen apart. Whereas in the oven, there’s a chance you might overcook it, leaving it a bit drier than you’d hope for. But in the slow cooker… all that worry goes out the window because the salmon cooks to perfection. All you need to do is season and time it right.
By following this slow cooker salmon recipe, you’ll have a juicy, cooked-to-perfection fillet bursting with a lemony flavor in every bite. Use the allotted ingredient amounts the recipe calls for and neither the lemon nor the dill will be overwhelming. Instead, they perfectly complement the natural salmon taste. Plus, both add an extra spark of healthy which your gut will thank you for.
Keep it simple!
The real trick to this recipe is to maintain simplicity. Slow cooker salmon truly is a less is more kind of dish, not to be overthought. The first step in the recipe is to line the slow cooker with parchment paper. Doing so not only eliminates a great deal of cleanup in the end, but it also keeps the salmon skin from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Lift the paper and toss it out when it’s over and done, and you won’t need to soak your slow cooker pot for hours.
Salt, pepper, lemon, broth, and dill – 5 ingredients to season the salmon. Zero marination is required. The trick here is to bring out the natural flavors of the salmon rather than smother it. However, if you want to optimize the recipe then my recommendation would be to add 2 cloves of minced garlic.
How to Make Ahead and Store?
There’s not much need to make this dish ahead of time as you can whip out the slow cooker and have this cooking within 5 minutes. If you can make the time to slice a lemon that is. To store the cooked salmon though, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge (for up to 4 days) or place the completely cooled salmon in a freezer bag and freeze (for up to 3 months).
Skin or no skin?
It’s a matter of personal preference, but salmon skins hold a ton of nutrients and flavor, so I almost never remove them. Some people though, don’t prefer the taste or texture of salmon skin. The nice thing with this method of cooking salmon is that you can easily eat around the skin if you really don’t prefer it. There’s no need to slice off the skin beforehand.
Should I soak the salmon?
It’s not necessary, but if you wish to prepare ahead of time then you can prepare everything in the slow cooker pot and place in the refrigerator for a few hours before cooking.
Serving Suggestions
Complimentary side options for lemony salmon recipes are endless. If you’re looking to go extra healthy and light, then top this dish off a simple green salad (like this wonderful Arugula Caprese Salad) and voila! However, if you’re going for super filling yet guilt-free, then go for a side of New Potatoes and an additional side of Grilled Asparagus.
When it comes to drinks, I love pairing fish with anything sparkling to drink – water or wine will do the trick.
Enjoy!
Slow Cooker Salmon
Ingredients
- 1-2 lb. skin-on salmon fillet
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 lemon cut into rounds
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped dill for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the slow cooker by lining it with a large piece of parchment paper.
- Place a layer of lemon slices at the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Lay the salmon fillet on top of the lemon slices in the slow cooker.
- Season the salmon with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to your liking.
- Pour the low-sodium vegetable broth and lemon juice into the slow cooker. The liquid should come up to about halfway on the salmon fillet.
- Top the salmon with additional lemon slices.
- Cook on low heat for 2 hours, or until the salmon is opaque and flaky.
- Garnish the cooked salmon with freshly chopped dill before serving.
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