Salmon Caesar Salads

Oven Poached Salmon Caesar Salads are a household favorite easy dinner or show-stopping lunch! Poach salmon in the oven, then serve it on top of a homemade Caesar salad. This quick entree is prepped, poached and ready to eat in an hour. 

Salmon Caesar Salad Recipe 

I love an easy lunch or dinner, and salad often falls into that category. You can easily make it a really GOOD salad with a mix of greens, fresh veggies and, yes, sometimes a store-bought salad dressing. 

A classic Caesar salad recipe is the king of these meals, as they don’t have a ton of toppings, other than crunchy croutons and a good protein. Caesars are a weeknight favorite of my family, but we don’t always go the traditional route of chicken. Salmon is a fantastic topper. 

This easy Salmon Caesar Salad itself is hearty (and has a nice crunch with the croutons) and the salmon is flaky, flavorful and beautiful… It makes a wonderful combo. 

This is one of our go-to meals for a busy weeknight because the salmon bakes up relatively quickly. (Though this time is dependent on the thickness of the salmon, so keep that in mind.)

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The salad is tossed together so quickly as the salmon cooks after being seasoned with Creole seasoning, salt and pepper. And you’re ready to eat in an hour max. You can’t beat something this simple or delicious!

Sure, we’re cutting corners by not making our own Caesar dressing, but not everything has to be homemade all the time. This is one of those big life lessons I’ve learned since having children. Because real talk: I don’t have time to make everything from scratch. And that’s OK. Why not let your favorite store-bought Caesar dressing help you out?

Try this Caesar salad with salmon and see if you agree with me! 

Why I love this recipe:

• Poached salmon is soft, flaky and oh-so fantastic on top of a Caesar salad. 
• Keep it simple — grab store-bought ingredients, like croutons and dressing, to make this an easy win for dinner this week.
• It’s a great recipe for meal prep, or you can share it with friends for a lovely lunch get-together. 

More salad recipes to try: Steak Salad with Orange Vinaigrette | Chicken Shawarma Salad | Rotisserie Chicken Salad | Crunchy Chicken Cobb Salad | Grilled Peach Salad with Burrata | Cucumber Salad with Feta Vinaigrette | Strawberry Spinach Salad 

What you need to make this recipe:

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• Oven
• Baking dish large enough for the salmon or a rimmed baking sheet
• Stainless-Steel Mixing Bowl
• Tongs 
• Measuring cups
• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Aluminum foil
• Instant read meat thermometer
• Large mixing bowl
• Plates or bowls

Here are the simple ingredients that you need to get from the grocery store to make this easy Caesar salad recipe:

• Salmon — for the best flavor and texture, use good quality fresh, center-cut salmon filets with the skin on.
• Low-sodium chicken stock — vegetable stock works, too. 
• Creole Seasoning — I love Tony Chachere’s Salt-Free Creole Seasoning, because you can season with salt as much as you like and aren’t limited by how salty the seasoning is. You can also make your own homemade Creole seasoning if you’re feeling fancy or extra.
• Kosher salt — medium grain kosher salt is my kitchen go-to. Diamond Crystal is my favorite brand. A similarly sized sea salt would be fine, too, but you should avoid table salt. 
• Black pepper — freshly-cracked black pepper is a key ingredient of Caesar salad! Do it if you can.  
• Lemon — fresh lemon juice makes all the difference, especially when you are dealing with seafood. 
• Romaine lettuce — you can buy a big bag of shredded romaine, but I find it more cost-effective to get romaine heads and slice them myself. You’ll want a good salad spinner and might have to pat it dry with a paper towel or a kitchen towel so that the leaves are not wet.
• Grated parmesan — shredded parmesan cheese works, too, if it’s what you have. 
• Cucumber — you can use any kind of cucumber. I like English or Persian cucumbers because they’re crisp, mild and have thin skin with minimal seeds.
• Caesar dressing — this Caesar salad is easy, mostly because we’re just assembling! There is no homemade dressing here, but the bottled kind comes in handy when you’re pressed for time and need to make a hearty, delicious meal for whenever. (The Miso Caesar dressing from SideDish is the best caesar dressing, in my opinion.)
• Croutons — store-bought is fine! Go with one that isn’t flavored so the salmon can shine. My friend, Madison, has a great recipe for homemade croutons, too! Perfect for using up leftover bread. 

Customizations and substitutions

Salmon cooked any other way: You can use any type of cooked salmon that you prefer. This recipe uses oven poached salmon, which is deliciously soft and tender, but you can make pan-seared salmon or bake it. Use grilled salmon to transform this into a grilled salmon caesar salad.

Other types of fish: If you thought you had salmon in the freezer but have cod instead, don’t worry! It will still be great with another type of fish. And, of course, Caesar salads usually call for chicken, so that’s a great protein to fall back on. This grilled chicken would be fantastic.

Try other greens: You can swap out the greens for kale or spinach, if desired, but we like the classic romaine cut thin into ribbons. You can even make this a grain bowl with a layer of rice or quinoa on the bottom.

For vegetarians at your table: Use a vegetarian-friendly Caesar dressing made without anchovies or Worcestershire sauce. You can also swap the salmon for crispy chickpeas, roasted tofu or hard-boiled eggs for added protein.

How to make Oven Poached Salmon 

Oven Poached Salmon Caesar Salads are one of our favorite weeknight meals! Here’s how we make ours:

First, start by cooking the salmon. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Place salmon skin side down in a baking dish.

Pour the chicken stock into the baking dish (or a rimmed sheet pan), filling until about halfway up the salmon.

Sprinkle salmon with the salt-free creole seasoning, salt and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven.

Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through.

If you have a piece of salmon that is thinner than 1-inch thick, it will take about half of this time, so check on it at the 20-minute mark. Remove from the oven, and let cool slightly.

How to make Salmon Caesar Salad

Once you have the salmon cooked and cooling, you can assemble the Caesar salad!

In a big bowl, combine the romaine, cucumber, parmesan, croutons and the Caesar dressing. Toss the salad using salad tongs — this helps to coat each bite with the dressing and make it nice and flavorful in every bite. 

Then split evenly between four plates or bowls.

Place pieces of the roasted salmon on top of the salad. Season with additional black pepper and parmesan, if you want!

Enjoy right away — but if you want to meal prep this salad, head to the next section… 

How to meal prep

To prepare this salmon Caesar salad for the week, store the chopped romaine, leftover salmon, parmesan, croutons and dressing in separate containers, then assemble just before eating to keep everything fresh and crisp. 

If you plan to cook the salmon fresh but need to store it in the meantime, keep it in its original packaging or place it in an airtight container on a plate in the coldest part of the fridge (usually the back bottom shelf), and use it within 1–2 days. 

If you’ve already cooked the poached salmon, let it cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick tips and tricks to making the best Salmon Caesar Salad

• Remove poached salmon at 135°F (57°C) so it finishes cooking off the heat and stays juicy, not dry.
• Toss your salad right before plating to keep the lettuce crisp and avoid soggy croutons.
• Lightly salt your greens, veggies and protein to enhance flavor throughout the salad, not just in the dressing.

More salmon recipes

• Salmon Niçoise Salad
• Classic Salmon Burgers
• Lemon Salmon Pasta

Here’s how you can make this recipe…