Recipe

Chilled Poached Salmon With Cucumber Dill Yogurt

A luxurious, refreshing fish dinner that tastes like a spa day: silky chilled salmon, crisp cucumber, lemon, dill, and a bright yogurt sauce you will want to put on everything.

By Matt Campbell

•

4.8

A real photo of chilled poached salmon slices on a white platter with cucumber ribbons, fresh dill, lemon wedges, and a bowl of creamy dill yogurt sauce in natural window light

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This is my kind of fancy. Not the white-tablecloth, fifteen-pan, please-do-not-breathe-near-the-sauce kind of fancy. This is luxury you can pull off on a weeknight, then casually serve cold like you planned it that way all along.

We are gently poaching salmon in a lemony, herb-scented bath, chilling it until it turns silky and sliceable, then dressing it up with a crisp cucumber and dill yogurt sauce that hits all the notes: cool, tangy, bright, and just salty enough to keep you coming back for another forkful.

If you are cooking for people who say they do not love fish, this is a strong conversion strategy. If you are cooking for yourself, even better, because leftovers are basically a gift.

A real photo of a saucepan on a stove with salmon fillets gently poaching in water with lemon slices, peppercorns, and herbs

Why It Works

Gentle poaching keeps the salmon tender: We cook it below a simmer so it stays buttery, not chalky.
Chilling improves texture: Cold salmon becomes firmer and cleaner to slice, which feels instantly restaurant-y.
High contrast toppings: Cool cucumber, lots of dill, and lemon bring crunch and lift to rich fish.
Accessible, flexible ingredients: No rare pantry items. You can swap herbs, use Greek yogurt, and scale up easily.

Pairs Well With

Lemony Couscous With Herbs
Roasted Asparagus With Garlic
Crusty Bread With Olive Oil
Simple Green Salad With Vinaigrette

Storage Tips

Fridge: Store salmon in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keep the sauce separate if possible so the fish stays pristine.

Sauce: The cucumber dill yogurt sauce keeps for 2 to 3 days. If it thins out, stir it and add a spoonful of yogurt to tighten it back up.

Best leftover move: Flake chilled salmon over greens, add a big spoon of sauce, and finish with lemon and black pepper. It is lunch that feels suspiciously put together.

Freezing: I do not recommend freezing poached salmon. The texture gets a little weepy after thawing, and this recipe is all about that clean, silky bite.

Common Questions

Can I use frozen salmon?

Yes. Thaw it overnight in the fridge first for the most even poach. In a hurry, you can thaw in a sealed bag in cold water, then pat dry well before cooking.

What temperature should poached salmon be?

The USDA recommended safe internal temperature for salmon is 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part. Some cooks choose to stop a little earlier for a softer, silkier center, but that is a personal risk choice and is not recommended for pregnant people, young kids, older adults, or anyone immunocompromised. If in doubt, cook to 145°F.

How do I keep the salmon from falling apart?

Use a wide spatula or a fish spatula, and let the salmon cool in the liquid for 5 to 10 minutes before moving it. Warm poached fish is delicate. Chilled fish behaves like it has its life together.

Can I make this dairy-free?

Absolutely. Swap the yogurt for a plain unsweetened dairy-free yogurt, then adjust lemon and salt. The sauce should taste bright and bold, not shy.

What other herbs work besides dill?

Chives, parsley, tarragon, or a mix. Dill is the classic for that chilled, refreshing vibe, but do not let one missing herb stop dinner.

What do I do with the poaching liquid?

You can strain it and discard it, or strain and chill it, then use it within 2 days as a light base for soup or to cook grains. It is subtle, lemony, and very polite.

Matt Campbell

I have always had a huge passion for the culinary arts, people, working as a team, and so on. I wanted to pursue my love for cooking initially at Virginia Commonwealth University with a culinary arts degree; however, I instead decided to apply myself and acquire more practical skills. My end goal is to eventually open my own restaurant or similar establishment.

Kitchen Essentials

Wide saucepan or deep skillet with a lid
Instant-read thermometer (helpful, not required)
Fish spatula or wide spatula
Microplane or fine grater (for lemon zest)
Cutting board and sharp knife
Fine-mesh strainer (optional for clearer poaching liquid)

The first time I served chilled salmon on purpose, it was honestly an accident. I had poached it, got pulled into a dozen other things, and by the time I came back it was cold. I tasted it anyway and had that little pause like, wait, why is this better now? Since then, chilled poached salmon has become my go-to move when I want something that feels fancy but behaves like meal prep. It is calm food. The sauce is bright, the cucumber crunches, and the whole plate says, you did great, even if your kitchen is a little chaotic right now.

Chilled Poached Salmon With Cucumber Dill Yogurt

(4.8 Reviews)

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

For the salmon

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillet, skin on or skinless (preferably center-cut), cut into 4 portions
6 cups water (or enough to come about halfway up the salmon in your pan)
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional, replace with water if needed)
2 lemons, divided (1 for slicing; 1 for zest and juice), plus extra wedges for serving if you want to be generous
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon black peppercorns (or 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper)
2 sprigs fresh dill (or parsley)
1 bay leaf (optional)

For the cucumber dill yogurt sauce

1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup cucumber, grated or finely diced (grate it, then squeeze or drain well so the sauce stays thick)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped, plus extra for serving
1 small clove garlic, finely grated
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper, to taste

To serve

1 large English cucumber (or 2 small cucumbers), for ribbons or thin slices
Lemon wedges
Flaky salt and black pepper
Optional: capers, thinly sliced radishes, or a drizzle of olive oil

Instructions

Make the sauce first so it can chill. Grate the cucumber, then squeeze it in a clean towel or press it in a fine-mesh strainer to remove excess water. In a bowl, mix yogurt, drained cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, dill, garlic, salt, and pepper. Taste it. If it needs pop, add more lemon. If it tastes flat, add a pinch more salt. Refrigerate.
Build a gentle poaching bath. In a wide saucepan or deep skillet, add water, wine (if using), lemon slices, shallot, garlic, salt, peppercorns, dill sprigs, and bay leaf. Bring it to a bare simmer over medium heat, then immediately turn the heat down until you only see a few lazy bubbles. If you are using a thermometer, aim for roughly 160 to 180°F (71 to 82°C). You want steamy, not stormy.
Poach the salmon. Slide the salmon into the liquid. The liquid should come about halfway up the fish, and the lid does the rest (this is a shallow poach plus gentle steam situation). If you are using skin-on portions, set them in skin-side down so the flesh stays pretty and intact. Cover and cook 8 to 12 minutes depending on thickness (about 8 to 10 minutes for 1-inch thick portions), keeping the liquid below a simmer. The salmon should look opaque on the outside and still slightly translucent in the very center.
Cool it down gently. Turn off the heat. Let the salmon sit in the liquid for 5 to 10 minutes. This helps it finish softly and makes it easier to move without breaking.
Chill for that luxurious texture. Transfer salmon to a plate or shallow container. If it is skin-on, you can peel the skin off now (it usually slips right off) or remove it after chilling, whatever feels easiest. Let the salmon cool at room temp 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate at least 45 minutes. If you are in a rush, 20 minutes in the fridge still helps, but the full chill is where the magic lives.
Serve it like you meant to. Spoon sauce onto a platter or individual plates. Add chilled salmon. Top with cucumber ribbons, extra dill, black pepper, and lemon wedges. Finish with a tiny pinch of flaky salt and a drizzle of olive oil if you want it extra glossy.

A real photo of a serving plate with chilled salmon being spooned with cucumber dill yogurt sauce and topped with fresh dill

Nutrition information is estimated.

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