Fresh Salmon Salad Recipe, Plus Three Easy Lunches!

This chopped Salmon Salad recipe is bound to be a new favorite for lunch. With fresh, flavorful ingredients and plenty of crunch, you’ll love this lightly dressed alternative to tuna salad or chicken salad. Keep scrolling to see how it’s made, plus three simple options for meal prep or lunches.

Salmon salad should be a lunchtime staple. There, I said it. Tuna salad and chicken salad have gotten well-deserved attention over the years. They’re nostalgic, they’re simple, they’re reliable and consistent. All things you want for a quick lunch when you only have a few minutes to scarf something down. 

But after experimenting with leftover salmon and canned salmon, I landed on this version of a salmon salad for lunch. I think it deserves a little time in the spotlight, so let’s get into it!

Why You’ll Love This Salmon Salad Recipe for Lunch

This is so much better than those tuna salad kits I used to pack for lunch. And that alone means I think you’ll love it! But here are a few more reasons:

• If you’ve ever made tuna salad or chicken salad from scratch, you’ll be a pro at making this salmon salad. It’s basically the same concept, starting with flaked fish and mixing in a variety of ingredients with a creamy dressing.
• It’s a delicious way to get a serving of seafood. Salmon is a fatty fish, providing the heart healthy fats we need from our diet. This easy recipe can help you hit the recommended two servings per week of fish or seafood.
• This is the type of salad that catches you by surprise. At first glance, it may not seem like anything special but once you try that first bite, I think you’ll see how well it works!

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Fresh salmon fillets. You can also use frozen salmon that’s fully thawed, and of course canned salmon or pouch salmon is always a convenient option. You can even pick up a few pre-cooked grilled salmon fillets or seared salmon from the deli section of your grocery store if that’s available.
• Diced red onion
• Diced cucumber
• Almonds, slivered or sliced
• Dried fruit like dried cranberries (craisins), prunes, or apricots. You can also use chopped dates.
• Fresh parsley
• Fresh dill

Street Smart Nutrition Tip: Unless labeled as wild-caught salmon, most salmon you’ll find in the grocery store is Atlantic salmon. Check out my post for Alaskan vs. Atlantic Salmon: Your Best Guide for What to Buy to learn more about the best salmon to shop for. 

For the tangy dressing, you will need:

• Plain yogurt
• Mayonnaise. I recommend kewpie mayo, a Japanese-style mayonnaise made with egg yolks, for extra rich flavor.
• Dijon mustard
• Garlic
• Lemon juice and lemon zest
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste, or a general seasoning blend

Can I use canned salmon?

This is an enthusiastic YES! 

There are so many benefits to using canned or pouch salmon for lunch. It’s usually more affordable, it’s definitely shelf-stable, and when it’s all mixed together in this salmon salad recipe, you won’t notice a huge difference. 

The biggest difference will be texture, followed by color. As you can see below, the salmon itself can look quite different when cooked fresh versus from a pouch. But the flavor can be just as good with the other salad ingredients and dressing. I especially love these pouches from StarKist that are packed in olive oil. They’re a great option if I’m making a single serving of this salmon salad for a sandwich or snack.

How To Make Salmon Salad

The first thing you need to do is get the salmon cooked. I prefer the air fryer for the convenience and easy clean up, but you can also use a standard oven. Prepare a baking sheet if needed and lightly season the salmon with salt and pepper. You can leave the skin on, no need to remove it until after cooking. 

For the Air Fryer: Preheat the basket, then place the salmon fillets in it skin side down. Make sure there’s a gap between each piece to allow for air circulation. Cook at 375-380 degrees F (depending on your air fryer settings) for 10-12 minutes, or until fully cooked. Allow to cool as you finish prepping the other ingredients.

For the Oven: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the seasoned salmon on the prepared baking sheet, skin side down, with at least one inch between pieces. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until fully cooked, then remove from the oven and allow to cool before moving onto the next steps. 

NOTE: If you’re batch cooking or doing other meal prep, you can cook the salmon the day before so it will be fully cooled before making the salmon salad. And if using canned or pre-cooked salmon, you’ll save yourself the cooking time. Drain the canned salmon before mixing, otherwise skip ahead to the step when you add it to the large bowl for mixing. 

From here, just follow these simple steps:

1. Dice the red onion and cucumber, mince the garlic, and roughly chop the fresh herbs. Zest the lemon, then cut in half. Juice the lemon halves, removing any seeds.
2. Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, or place them all in a jar with a tight lid and shake until mixed. 
3. Remove the skin from the cooked salmon once it nears room temperature. Place the fillets in a large bowl, then use two forks to roughly shred into large flakes.
4. Add the red onion, cucumber, almonds, dried fruit, and fresh herbs. Pour the dressing on top, then fold together until well mixed. 

That’s all you need to do for this tasty recipe! Check out these three simple ideas for how to serve your salmon salad.

Three Simple Serving Suggestions for Lunch

I wholeheartedly advocate for just grabbing a fork and digging in. But there are so many other ways to enjoy this chopped salmon salad for lunch. Here are my top three favorites!

Salmon Salad Dip with Crackers and Veggies

Scoop some of the prepared salmon salad into a serving bowl. Add your choice of veggies and crackers, or stuff it into mini bell peppers. I usually slice the remaining cucumber and pretzel chips. Try it with different veggies to see what you like best.

5-Minute Salmon Salad

Fill up a bowl with romaine lettuce, baby spinach, or other leafy greens. Add the salmon salad on top of the bed of lettuce and add croutons, cheese, extra veggies, salad dressing, or any other combination of ingredients. I’m all about salads that don’t suck, so whatever that looks like for you, go for it!

Salmon Salad Sandwich or Wrap

Nothing beats a classic, and sandwiches or wraps are a perennial favorite for quick lunches. Grab your favorite bread, tortilla, or wrap and pile in the salmon salad. You can add a slice of cheese, extra condiments or dressing, some lettuce or leafy greens, or sliced hard-boiled eggs for another great source of protein. 

I prefer wraps since it’s less likely to fall apart and make a mess. Just don’t overfill otherwise you risk tearing the tortilla or wrap. You can even turn this into a lettuce wrap if you have the type of lettuce with large enough leaves.

Storage Tips for Meal Prep Success

As with most leftovers, you can just refrigerate this salmon salad recipe in an airtight container. Use one large container or portion it out into individual servings for grab-and-go options or an easy lunch. Eat within 4-5 days for best flavor. 

Street Smart Nutrition Tip: Have you ever thought about meal planning as a form of self-care? Check out my post about Meal Planning and Intuitive Eating or Non-Diet Meal Planning Tips to learn more.

The cucumbers are the component of the salad most likely to get soggy or make everything else soggy. So if you plan to store this salmon salad recipe longer than 1-2 days before eating it, wait to add the cucumbers. You can diced them just before serving and stir them in so can enjoy crunchy cucumbers instead of sad, soggy ones.

If you’re like us, this will quickly become one of your favorite salmon recipes. Every time I make it I look at the amount and think, oh yeah, surely we’ll have leftovers for a while. And they never last as long as I predict! If you try this salmon salad recipe, leave a rating or comment to let me know if you agree. 

And as always, thanks for stopping by the Street Smart Nutrition blog! You can find more and follow along on Instagram and YouTube, and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter so you never miss a new post. Cheers to more fearlessly nourishing meals!