Hasselback Salmon with Spinach

This hasselback salmon contains a 3-ingredient creamy spinach filling and comes with a zesty lemon dressing for a refreshing finish. It’s an easy and delicious way of serving salmon, perfect for any occasion. Ready in under 30 minutes!

Making this hasselback salmon involves not only coating the salmon in seasoning but also adding a creamy spinach filling (which comes together in 5 minutes!) for even more flavour. This dish tastes fantastic served with my 4-ingredient zesty lemony dressing!

Hasselbacking is a culinary preparation technique typically used with potatoes. It involves making several cuts in a potato (⅔ of the way down) in order to infuse it with flavour (rather than just season the outside of the potato).

This method can be used with regular or sweet potatoes, but it also works with other foods, such as chicken and salmon.

Hasselback salmon ingredients and substitutions

• Salmon fillets: I do not recommend using a large piece of salmon instead (scroll down to find out why).
• Spinach: an easy, delicious pairing for salmon (see also salmon spinach pasta and salmon pot pie).
• Cream cheese: helps bind the spinach mixture and adds creaminess.
• Feta cheese: adds flavour.
• Butter: ensure it’s cooled before pouring over the salmon.
• Lemon zest: adds delicious citrussy notes (in addition to the lemon juice). I strongly recommend using it.
• Salt and pepper.
• For the dressing: oil (use vegetable or mild olive oil), lemon (juice and zest), honey and mustard (use any). Tweak the amounts to suit your taste.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1.Preheat the oven to 425 F/225 C/gas mark 7. Line a medium-sized baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Hasselback salmon: Place the salmon fillets skin side down on top of a cutting board. Make 3 cuts at a slight angle (at 1-inch intervals) being careful not to cut through the skin. Do this for each fillet. Season with salt and pepper (both the top and inside the slits). Place the fillets on top of your baking sheet and set aside.

3. Make spinach mixture: Chop the spinach very finely and place in a shallow bowl. Add the feta (crumbled) and cream cheese and stir using a fork (easy to mash the feta) until thoroughly incorporated. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning as required.

• TIP: At this point melt the butter so it has time to cool before pouring over the fish.

4. Fill slits: Gently open up the slits in the salmon one by one and fill with the spinach mixture. Scatter some lemon zest (approx. ½ lemon) over the fillets and drizzle over the butter.

5. Bake: Bake in the centre of the oven for 13-15 minutes.

6. Make dressing: Place the dressing ingredients (including the remaining lemon zest, from approx. ½ lemon) in a bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate.

7. Serve: Remove the salmon from the oven, sprinkle over chopped chives or dill (as an option) and serve with the dressing.

Serving suggestions

This hasselback salmon is delicious with boiled new potatoes, green beans, peas, asparagus or broccoli. It can also be served with a salad, including refreshing Polish cucumber salad or simple coleslaw. An alternative to my lemon dressing can be creamy dill and mustard sauce.

If you are planning to serve this recipe as part of a larger meal consider pairing it with light and delicious chilled cucumber soup!

Variations

It’s easy to turn this recipe into a full meal by adding vegetables (seasoned with salt and pepper and coated in oil) to the baking sheet and cooking alongside the salmon. Examples include:

• Cherry tomatoes on the vine
• Tenderstem broccoli/broccolini (or broccoli florets)
• Asparagus

Can I hasselback an entire salmon side

While it’s absolutely possible to hasselback a large piece of salmon (if using just seasoning, for example) I do not recommend doing this in this recipe. You need to be able to fill the slits with the spinach mixture and this can only be done effectively over a small area. The slits in a large piece of fish do not open up very easily (I tried using an entire salmon side and it just didn’t work).

So it’s best to use individual salmon fillets.

What can I make ahead

You can prepare the salmon ahead – hasselback and season it – then cover and refrigerate it overnight. You can also make the dressing ahead - store in a small jar and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days (stir before using).

I do not, however, recommend making the filling and assembling the entire recipe ahead. The spinach may start releasing moisture which can cause the mixture to become a little runny. It’s best to make it when you are ready to assemble and bake your hasselback salmon.

Top tips

• Pat the fish dry and ensure there are no bones left before cutting and adding the spinach mixture.
• Remove excess moisture (if present) from the spinach by patting it dry with a paper towel.
• It is important to season the spinach mixture with salt and pepper to taste before assembling the recipe.
• Make the dressing while the salmon is in the oven (or in advance) so that you are ready to serve the dish as soon as it’s cooked.
• Leftover hasselbacked salmon can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave.
• Freeze uncooked (as soon as you’ve assembled it), in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Not suitable for freezing if the salmon had been frozen previously. Defrost overnight in the fridge.

More salmon dinner ideas to try next

• Sweet and Zesty Pistachio Crusted Salmon
• Herb Crusted Salmon with Lemon Sauce
• Salmon and Cabbage Bake
• Hoisin Marinated Grilled Salmon

See also these other easy meal ideas including more fish recipes!

Recipe

Keep in touch!

If you make this hasselback salmon I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks:)

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