Microwave Salmon Recipe (2024)

The big unaddressed question: Does it smell up the house?

I’ve made this many times using Italian dressing from the bottle - or whatever type I have - instead of water. It’s delicious, full of flavor, and done in less than 5 minutes. A great go-to on busy days.

As a salmon lover who prefers roasted or pan-seared versions of it, I was skeptical when I first read this. But the salmon was perfect on the first try. The poaching results in very moist, evenly cooked fish that's perfectly seasoned with the salt alone. The second night I did add garlic powder, lemon juice, bay leaf and thyme -- even better. Dinner was ready in 7 mins and no messy cleanup. A must-try.

I usually purchase a 2 lb bag of individually wrapped salmon frozen fillets. After rinsing the frozen fillet under cold running water. I slightly score it & squeeze ½ lime on it (citrus reduces the odor of fish in the microwave). Defrost @ #3/3½ min/1200 wt oven. The H2O & lime juice are sufficient to keep the fillet moist during cooking. Add more lime & herbs, cooking a 168 g./6 oz. filet (with skin) @ #5/ 4-5 min/1200 wt oven.

I cook all types of fish in the microwave, particularly in the summer when I don’t want to heat up the kitchen. I brush the bottom of the dish with olive oil, put the fish in skin side down, add a small amount of white vermouth, and top with fresh herbs. I also find that pricking the fish with a sharp fork keeps it from exploding. I use a Corningware dish with a lid. Then I microwave on a low setting for three to four minutes, checking the fish again, and repeat until done.

I make this often and strongly suggest using an insta-read thermometer rather than the sliding knife test to prevent overcooking. 125–130 F is my preferred end temperature for a probe in the fillet’s center.

I like your bottled dressing suggestion. I am thinking you are just coating the fish with dressing and not replacing the 2 cups of water with 2 cups of dressing. Correct?

I have been cooking salmon in the microwave for years. I coat it with Dijon mustard, lemon, dill if I have it and capers. There is no odor in the house and the salmon is perfectly cooked. Just go slow and don't overcook it. I start with about 3 minutes and check it.

Thanks for this! I nuked a couple of salmon pieces on three springs of rosemary and some thin slices of red onion. I used leftover chicken stock instead of water. It came out perfectly. Who'd a thunk?!? What an easy recipe and such a great substitute for my usual and often less healthy "raid the fridge" approach to dinner after a workday.

About 40 years ago I was visiting a dear elderly friend who invited me for dinner. She pulled two small, white packages (about 5” square) out of her refrigerator and placed them in the microwave and set the microwave for a few minutes. The local supermarket butcher had prepared the salmon for her wrapped in parchment paper. I was fascinated by the delicious salmon since other raw meats prepared in a microwave were an absolute failure! This is another way to poach salmon in the microwave.

No saltwater solution for me.Make a lemony,mustard hot sauce marinade and micro in parchment paper pouch.

I like the idea of layering herbs or scallions underneath - might try lemon slices also.

Microwaving is our favorite way to cook salmon! We skip the brine, just salt lightly, add garlic powder and black pepper, then dot with butter. Cover and microwave at full power (1000 watts) for 5 minutes and rest for 3-5 min. It is mouth-watering, yet oh, so simple! Without the water, make sure it is patted dry and covered before cooking, as it may spatter.

I just made it with a cod fillet tonight, and it worked fine. After the first 2 minutes I checked every 30 seconds until it passed the knife test. I didn't need the full 5 minute rest - once the fish flaked easily, I pulled it out of the water and served it. Note that this is a fairly bland cooking method, so you may want to have it with something full-flavored.

I had been cooking fish filet in microwave for years. It’s easy, fast cooking with no fuss, a tasty meal in a flash.

Wow! So flavorful and easy. This is a keeper.

Quick question, is the salmon always so pale? I was looking at the image and the salmon looks almost uncooked!

Needed a little more time in my microwave. Perfectly cooked after 5 minutes. I had brined the salmon, but that doesn't seem necessary. A hit with my dinner party even though it was quite mild. I'll probably pair it with a dressing next time.

I didn't see many/any comments about the potential smell caused here, so optimistically decided to soldier on, hoping that maybe the water and covering the dish would contain the fish smell? Reader, it didn't work. The water acts more like a mist diffuser, spreading the smell across the room. If you or anyone you live with the sensitive to smells, this might not be the cooking method to try. Fish tasted great though!

Yummy, quick & easy cleanup. Definitely a keeper recipe!

I made it with salty water with the salmon resting on fresh rosemary. It was quick, easy and delicious! The fragrance while cooking was intoxicating, thanks to the rosemary. I used a thermometer to determine if it was done. Next time I will try vermouth as suggested by another reader. I used flash frozen sockeye salmon from Alaska. So glad the local grocer carries this product.

This is an excellent dish. It would be even better with a lemony hollandaise-type sauce to spoon over the salmon.

This is essentially poached salmon in the microwave. I brined it for about 6 hours in the fridge along with a squeeze of lemon and some fresh parsley because that was the only fresh herb I had on hand. Probably dill would have worked better but all in all it’s pretty bland. That being said I would definitely continue poaching salmon in the microwave and then add a nice sauce for serving.

Should have known when it called for farmed salmon. PLEASE don't eat farmed salmon unless you know from where it is sourced. Hoped this would be a good alternative to cooking salmon with dry heat, but it was not. In fact, it was pretty bad. Won't try again.

I've read all of the comments and am so excited to try microwaving salmon, one of my favorite fishes! Beyond that, I've enjoyed being in the (digital) company of fellow foodies! Thanks!

Easy recipe but not as flavorful as when I cook it on stovetop.

Try salting the water with miso. Delicious.

It truly was flawless. I followed Blue Sage's method, vinagrette dressing instead of water, and Sandy S's Dijon mustard suggestion, plus sprinklings of dill, tarragon, and garlic, and capers. 3 minutes on high, 3 minutes sitting, perfection. Taste and texture couldn't have been better, and easier to achieve than my normal baking. And the bites of salmon lifted cleanly off the skin. No residual kitchen odor. My new go-to.Can this method be used for boneless skinless chicken? And ahi?

I was so skeptical, but decided to take the plunge and try this, and oh my God, I’m so glad I did. We absolutely loved the way the fish came out so moist and tasty. This will be on our routine rotation.

I have a slightly different approach: Try lining a platter with just washed greens (eg kale, Asian greens, spinach, water cress), then place the fish on greens. Next shred scallions and ginger root on the fish and a drizzle of virgin olive oil. Sprinkle on freshly ground pepper, cover and microwave. When done, dribble on light or seafood soy sauce plus a little mirin wine and serve.