Greek Yogurt Marinated Salmon

Greek yogurt salmon is still one of the best-kept secrets on the internet. It’s so good, and so many people sleep on it.

But once you discover it, it will change your life. This yogurt marinated salmon recipe is the easiest way to get oven-baked salmon that is slightly crispy, while still being buttery on the inside. It is a quick salmon recipe that will BLOW your mind with its simplicity, as well as its flavor.

I’m a pescatarian who loves a good salmon recipe, and this one is up there in my top favorites. It is simple, done all in the oven and finished in under 15 minutes. Read on to hear me go on and on how amazing a greek yogurt marinated salmon is (but like, in a good way).

What does yogurt marinating do?

Yogurt marinating is amazing because it does so many things to a recipe.

Yogurt is (obviously) a dairy product. However, many people overlook that dairy contains natural sugars. These sugars in the yogurt help create a crispy, golden crust around proteins that take on the flavor you include in the marinade. This is because, in high heat, the yogurt caramelizes first, leaving the inside of the meat to cook at a slower pace and remain juicy, tender and soft.

This works perfectly with salmon because you can achieve the buttery inside you normally get from slow roasting, while still maintaining that beautiful, crisp outside.

How long should I marinate this greek yogurt salmon?

If you’re looking at meats that can be tough, such as chicken or beef, you’d want to use a yogurt marinade for as long as possible. This is because yogurt marinades help enhance tenderness in meat, and the longer they can marinate, the better texture you will achieve.

However, we are lucky that salmon is a naturally tender fish. So this marinade needs almost no resting time. I usually toss my salmon and immediately roast it, but you can let it sit in the marinade for 15-30 minutes if you prefer.

For this recipe, we are using the yogurt for the browning and crisping aspect of the marinade, not the tenderization, so timing is not as much of a factor here.

Ingredients for this yogurt-marinated salmon

Here is everything you will need for this easy salmon recipe:

• 1 pound salmon
• 1/3 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
• 1 heaping tablespoon Calabrian chili paste
• 1/2 lemon, both the zest and the juice
• Salt to taste

Optional for serving:

• 1 cup quick-cooking farro
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, stems removed
• 1 tablespoon chili crisp of choice

How to make this baked salmon with greek yogurt

This recipe is a case of toss-roast-serve. It’s so easy, and here’s the breakdown of how to do it:

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place a rack on the second-to-top shelf.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the greek yogurt, chili paste, lemon zest and lemon juice and salt. The mix will with thick and chunky.
3. Remove the skin from the salmon and cut into 2-inch pieces.
4. Add the salmon pieces to the greek yogurt mixture and toss until each piece of salmon is well coated.
5. Evenly space out each piece of salmon on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Bake the salmon for 8-9 minutes at 400°F on the second-to-top rack. Then without opening the door of the oven, switch the oven setting to broil on HIGH (ideally the 500°F setting, if you have it) and cook for another 4 minutes, or until the salmon is golden brown and slightly charred on top. Remove from the oven.
7. If you are planning to serve with the farro, use the time the salmon is roasting to boil it per package instructions, then toss with the flat-leaf parsley.
8. Serve the salmon with the farro or how you like. Top with chili crisp for some extra, optional, heat!

Ways to serve this greek yogurt salmon recipe

The best part of this salmon recipe is that you can mix and match it with whatever dinner side you are feeling! I love this with just plain ol’ roasted veggies.

For this recipe, I opted to serve this with 10-minute farro and flat-leaf parsley. The freshness of the parsley helps cut the fattiness of the salmon, and farro is just a hearty grain in general. But here are a few other ideas of how to serve this salmon:

• With white rice and roasted lemony broccoli.
• On top of avocado toast! Because, obviously.
• As a part of a pack-and-go lunch with some raw vegetables on the side.
• On a flatbread with tzatziki, shallots and lightly dressed greens

It’s really easy to get creative here, and I highly recommend playing around with how you like this best!

Looking for more dinner ideas?

Idk if lunch or dinner is my favorite, but I definitely have recipes for both! Here are my favorite main courses:

FAQ

And that’s it for this Greek Yogurt Marinated Salmon!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making <3

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you.