This Everything Bagel Salmon coats salmon filets in a seasoning combined of all the ingredients you would find on an “everything” bagel. The salmon filets are quick seared and served with a delicious cream cheese-chive dressed fennel salad for a delicious dinner that’s ready in 20 minutes.
Note: This post was originally published in 2017. It was updated in 2021 to add new photographs.
When I lived in Eugene, Oregon, our middle school was right across the street from a shopping plaza that housed Sundance Foods, Humble Bagel and Dari Mart. While the 7th and 8th graders were allowed to walk across the street at lunchtime, picking up loads of nickel candy from Dari Mart and bringing back chewy bagels smeared with gobs of cream cheese from Humble Bagel, the 5th and 6th graders were confined to campus.
I’ll always remember it because I never made it to 7th grade at that school. At the end of my 6th grade year, my brother and I moved to New York with my mom… and my dreams of being able to walk over to the Humble Bagel and pick myself up a warm, toasted “everything” bagel with gobs of cream cheese were crushed. I never made it to the coveted 7th grade position at Roosevelt Middle School.
It’s the little things that really matter when you’re a kid, right? I mean, not being able to leave campus like those cool older kids crushed me.
So, to this day, the “everything” bagel still holds a special place in my heart.
Are you an “everything” bagel fan? You know the ones I’m talking about, right? Those bagels that are coated in all kinds of seeds – poppy seeds, sesame seeds, fennel seeds and caraway seeds, and have that unforgettable strong smell of onion and garlic. These are the bagels that you don’t want touching any other bagels in the bag… I mean, if you combine a blueberry bagel and an “everything” bagel in one bag, the blueberry bagel is just not edible anymore… Right?
Well, tonight I’m cooking up something different with that everything bagel seasoning…
Everything Bagel Salmon
This Everything But the Bagel Salmon has all those traditional elements of my homemade everything bagel seasoning – poppy, sesame, fennel and caraway seeds together with some minced up dehydrated garlic coats the skinless side of our salmon filets.
A quick sear in a heavy skillet ensures that all those spices get nice and toasted. It just needs a couple minutes per side, so this salmon dinner will be on your table in a flash!
The end result is a super flavorful, crisp-coated, filet of fish that’s anything but boring and ready in under 20 minutes! I like to serve this “Everything” Crusted Salmon alongside a Fennel & Celery Salad that’s dressed up with a Cream Cheese Chive dressing, just to keep those bagel vibes going.
But, this salmon would also be delicious served with rice, quinoa, sauteed spinach or even just a simple arugula salad.
Then all you need to add is wine (the best part…)!
🍷Wine Pairings
This flavorful salmon is begging to be paired with something light and refreshing but with a backbone strong enough to stand up to all the spices. Rosé fits the bill perfectly here.
- Rosé – A floral and fruity wine stands up to the spices in this dish wonderfully.
- MORE —> 8 wine pairings for salmon
🍴 What to Serve with It
- White Rice
- Brown Rice
- Arugula Salad
- Sous Vide Asparagus
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- MORE —> side dishes for salmon
- MORE —> sauces for salmon
Note: This recipe also works with trout. Learn about the differences between trout and salmon here.
Everything Bagel Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin on
- Salt and pepper
- 1 ½ TBSP extra virgin olive oil
“Everything” Seasoning:
- 2 tsp dehydrated garlic (or ½ tsp garlic powder)
- 1 tsp poppy seeds
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds
- 1 tsp black sesame seeds
- ½ tsp caraway seeds
- ¼ tsp fennel seeds
Fennel Celery Salad:
- 1 large fennel bulb (very thinly sliced)
- 5 stalks celery (very thinly sliced)
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
Creamy Chive Dressing:
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 2 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic (grated or minced)
- 2 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 TBSP chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Make the dressing by whisking together the sour cream, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and chives in a small bowl.
- Add the fennel, celery and parsley to a large bowl. Toss with the dressing and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Combine the seasoning spices on a small plate and stir to combine.
- Rinse and pat the salmon dry using a paper towel.
- Season salmon with salt and pepper and press the skinless side into the “everything” seed mixture to coat evenly.
- In a skillet over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the salmon and quickly sear 2-3 minutes per side or until cooked through.
- Serve with fennel salad on the side.
Nutrition
More Salmon Recipes
- One-Sheet Pan Salmon Dinner
- Salmon Sushi Bowls
- Oven Baked Salmon
- Sous Vide Salmon
- Instant Pot Salmon
- Sriracha Glazed Salmon
- One Pan Miso Glazed Salmon and Vegetables
You have me drooling over here! I LOVE everything spice so much that sometimes I just lick my finger and dip it in to taste it. Crusting salmon with it is GENIUS! And when you brought up living in Eugene, it reminded me of a favorite food memory I have from high school when we drove from WA down to Santa Cruz and stopped in Eugene for breakfast. I had the best hash browns of my life and have been on a mission to recreate them ever since. Loving this rose pairing too, awesome post!
Thanks so much Lindsay! I love Eugene, and I miss it quite a bit! Hopefully we will get down there for a lot of Duck’s Football games this year. I wonder where it was that you had those hash browns…?
This is such a good idea!!! I am going to try this one out at home. Great recipe and photos!
Thank you so much Rachel!
What an incredibel idea – I love all the textures and seasonings on the Everything bagel, and applying that here to the fish for a full fancy meal is awesome!
Thanks Pech!
Hold up, I didn’t know you grew up in Eugene! I did too – though I went to Jefferson. I still love Humble Bagels, and I always get an “everything” one! I actually JUST picked up an everything bagel spice blend from Trader Joe’s and have been obsessed. I haven’t tried it on salmon yet, but you can bet I’m going to as soon as I get the chance!!!
Yes – That makes things so easy too! I’ll definitely need to check out the Trader Joe’s blend!
Are you kidding?! This is brilliant! I eat an “everything” bagel at least twice a week from POP Bagel in the US Bancorp tower downtown. I am definitely adding this to my week night menu for next week 🙂
I hope you enjoy Hillary!
That sounds delicious!!! I haven’t had “everything” flavor anything in years but it sounds fabulous on salmon!
Thanks Suzannah!
Oh love this idea! And definitely remember being a big fan of Humble Bagel when I lived in eugene!
Nice post. A nice Pinot Noir from the Anderson Bally in Cali would also work nicely.
Oh my gosh, leaving campus in middle school?! That’s any kids dream, haha! The salmon looks delicious as well!
Right?! I was so bummed when I missed my chance! And, thank you!
Yummy! I love crusted salmon and your recipe looks so delicious!
Thanks so much Elaine!
My goodness, what a beautiful recipe! I can’t wait to try this – everything bagels are my #1 favorite and I’ve been looking for ways to get more salmon in my diet. Looks like a winning combo!
Thanks Megan!
That sounds delicious!!!
My husband is not a fan of salmon (?? I know) but the everything part sounds wonderful-do you think another white fish would work?
I think so Dotty! Maybe cod?