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Easy Instant Pot Salmon Recipe (Fresh or Frozen)

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Posted by:

Erin Lynch

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Updated:

February 25, 2025

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5 from 22 votes

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INSTAPOT SALMON PINTEREST IMAGE.

Instant Pot Salmon served with a delicious lemon-dill sauce will be on your dinner table in less than 15 minutes. Plus, you can cook your salmon in the pressure cooker from fresh or frozen – perfect for last minute dinner planning!

Piece of salmon on plate next to salad.

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Table of Contents

  • How Do You Make Instant Pot Salmon?
  • Lemon Sauce Ingredients
  • How to Make Lemon Butter Sauce for Instant Pot Salmon
  • How to Make Ahead + Store
  • FAQs
  • What to Serve with It
  • Erin’s Wine Pairings
  • Full Recipe

Salmon is one of my go-to proteins when I’m looking to fix a dinner that’s on the lighter side. Traditionally I’ll bake it in the oven on a sheet pan with some veggies arranged around it, which makes for the perfect easy dinner with minimal cleanup.

Favorite Salmon Dinners

  • Sheet Pan Salmon with Pickled Ginger Butter Sauce
  • 5-Ingredient Sheet Pan Salmon
  • One Pan Miso Glazed Salmon and Vegetables

But, I wanted to change up my salmon routine and put one of my favorite appliances to the test in making it – the Instant Pot.

I know that I’ve got a lot of dedicated pressure cooker fans out there. In fact, out of my top 10 recipes on the blog, five of those are instant pot recipes.

So friends, this recipe is for you.

Instant Pot Salmon with Lemon Dill Sauce.

Reader

Love



5 stars
This was amazing! I made it with Steelhead Trout from Oregon! It came out sooooo good!! Thank you for this recipe! ❤️❤️❤️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

–

Janel
Piece of instant pot salmon with bite taken out of it.

How Do You Make Instant Pot Salmon?

  • It’s super easy to cook salmon in the instant pot. Just add a cup of water to your pressure cooker, place a rack on top, and then add your salmon. I like to season it with some salt and pepper and place a few lemon slices on top for added flavor.

The rack ensures that the salmon is elevated above the water, so that it won’t get water logged.

I recently discovered this Silicone Pressure Cooker Rack by OXO. I love that because it’s made from silicone, the food doesn’t stick to the rack. Plus, it’s super easy to clean, and dishwasher safe. It can also be used as a trivet, which essentially means you’re getting two kitchen tools in one.

Lemon butter sauce is the perfect accompaniment to the pressure cooker salmon, and you can make it on the stovetop in the same amount of time that it will take to cook your salmon.

Lemon Sauce Ingredients

  • White Wine – If you prefer to cook without alcohol, you can swap in chicken broth or vegetable stock.
  • Shallot – No shallot on hand? You can swap in garlic or green onion.
  • Lemon Juice
  • Butter – Unsalted is best here so that you can control how salty your finished dish is.
  • Fresh Dill – Or, dried. This is optional.
  • Salt and Pepper
Lemon butter dill sauce

How to Make Lemon Butter Sauce for Instant Pot Salmon

This sauce comes together in less than ten minutes. Simply stir your ingredients together in a saucepan and keep an eye on the flavors. Don’t be afraid to taste your sauce while you cook to ensure your flavors are well balanced!

Step 1

Create Sauce Base

  • First, boil wine, the shallot and lemon juice in a small saucepan over high heat until the mixture is reduced to 1/4 cup. This should take about 6 minutes.

Step 2

Add Butter

  • Next, reduce the heat to low and add in butter, one piece at a time, whisking until melted before adding more.

Step 3

Final Seasonings

  • Finally, remove pan from heat and stir in the dill. Then, season to taste with salt and pepper, and enjoy!

Tip: Making Sauce in the Instant Pot

If you don’t feel like dirtying one more pan, you could also make this sauce in the pressure cooker using the SAUTE function. Just remove the cooked salmon to a plate, empty the cooking liquid, and proceed to make the sauce in the pressure cooker.

Piece of salmon on plate next to salad.

More Sauces for Salmon

This salmon would also be delicious topped with one of these sauces:

  • Chimichurri sauce
  • Mojo sauce
  • Yogurt Dill Sauce
  • Mango salsa
  • Pineapple salsa
  • More → Sauces for Salmon
Uncooked salmon in instant pot.
Salmon in pressure cooker.

How to Make Ahead + Store

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat gently in a skillet on the stove, or in the microwave.

FAQs

Can You Cook Frozen Salmon in the Instant Pot?

  • Yes! You can cook frozen salmon in the pressure cooker – all you need to do is add two minutes to the cook time. So, instead of cooking the salmon for 3 minutes in the pressure cooker, you’ll cook it for 5 minutes.

Can You Cook Instant Pot Salmon with Vegetables?

I prefer to cook my vegetables separately from the salmon in the pressure cooker.

Why? First, I find that vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower or carrots tend to have a strong aroma when pressure cooking. That means the salmon ends up tasting like the veggies.

Second, vegetables will cook much faster than the salmon, meaning that your vegetables will become mushy if cooked for the same amount of time as the salmon.

But, there is a workaround for all this!

After your instapot salmon has finished cooking, remove it to a plate. Then arrange your vegetables in a steamer basket, like this one, and add them to the pressure cooker.

Using the same cooking liquid from the salmon (since it’s already hot), seal the lid and set the cook time to ZERO minutes. The pressure will build again (but quicker this time since the liquid is already hot) and then the timer will go off.

Be sure to release the pressure right away, and then serve the vegetables alongside the salmon.

What to Serve with It

  • White Rice
  • Garlic Rice
  • Arugula Salad
  • Sous Vide Asparagus
  • Roasted Sweet Potatoes
  • More → Side Dishes for Salmon
  • More → Sauces for Salmon
Two plates of cooked salmon.

Erin’s Wine Pairings

  • Pinot Gris has a nice acidity to it and its notes of citrus will pair well with the lemon-dill sauce.
  • Want a red wine? A light Pinot Noir or young Beaujolais would also work well here. With a bit of acidity and a hint of earthiness, they make a great match for this dish.
  • 8 MORE → salmon wine pairings

More Healthy Salmon Recipes

  • Salmon with Ginger Butter
  • Air Fryer Salmon
  • Sriracha Salmon
  • Sheet Pan Salmon (only 5-ingredients!)

More Instant Pot Recipes 

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  • Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas (No Soak!)

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  • How to Make Instant Pot Farro (Easiest Recipe!!)

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  • The BEST Instant Pot Refried Beans (No Soaking!)

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    The BEST Instant Pot Refried Beans (No Soaking!)

Browse More Instant Pot Recipes

Did you Make This Instant Pot Salmon?

If you loved this pressure cooker salmon recipe I would appreciate it so much if you would give it a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.

For more great Platings and Pairings recipes, be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

Note: This recipe will also work with trout or steelhead. Learn more about trout vs. salmon and steelhead vs. salmon here.

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Piece of salmon on plate next to salad.

Full Recipe

Instant Pot Salmon (Fresh or Frozen)

Instant Pot Salmon served with a delicious lemon-dill sauce will be on your dinner table in less than 15 minutes. You can cook from fresh or frozen.
5 from 22 votes
Print Pin
Serves 4 people
Created by Platings and Pairings
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 3 minutes mins
Time for pressure to build: 10 minutes mins
Total Time: 20 minutes mins

Equipment

  • Instant Pot
  • Cooking Rack

Ingredients

Pressure Cooker Salmon:

  • 1 cup water
  • 4 5-6 ounce salmon filets (3/4 to 1 inch thick, skin on )
  • 1 lemon (thinly sliced)
  • Salt and pepper

Lemon Dill Sauce:

  • 3/4 cup dry white wine
  • 3 Tablespoons shallot (chopped )
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (cut into 6 pieces)
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • Salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

  • Pour water into pressure cooker and place rack on top.
  • Place salmon, skin side down on rack, in a single layer.
  • Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover with lemon slices.
  • Put lid on pot, and lock into place. Set valve to sealing.
  • Cook on MANUAL (high pressure) for 3 minutes (5 minutes for frozen). It will take about 10 minutes for the pressure to build, then the countdown timer will begin.
  • Once the timer goes off, press the CANCEL button, and quickly release the pressure.
  • While the salmon cooks, make the lemon dill sauce.
  • Boil wine, shallot and lemon juice in medium saucepan over high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking until melted before adding more. Remove pan from heat. Stir in dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Serve salmon fillets with lemon-dill sauce spooned on top. Enjoy!

Notes

How to Make Ahead + Store
  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat gently in a skillet on the stove, or in the microwave.

Nutrition

Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 94mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 710IU | Vitamin C: 17.8mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!
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5 from 22 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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31 responses

  1. Jana
    February 12, 2019

    5 stars
    I’m all in for the Salmon! I love using my pressure cooker!

    Reply
  2. Mary
    February 12, 2019

    5 stars
    Yum! I bet that Pinot Gris is perfect with that lemon dill sauce! I’m kind of addicted to salmon cooked on the smoker, but only you could convince me to try it in the IP. I bet it would be a great one for a weeknight when I don’t have time to fire up the smoker. I’ll be giving it a shot soon!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      February 14, 2019

      Smoked salmon is SO good! This is definitely a different version, but great when you want quick and easy!

      Reply
  3. Meagan
    February 12, 2019

    Looks like a delicious recipe. I’ll have to try it the next time we catch a salmon!

    Reply
  4. Catherine @ To & Fro Fam
    February 13, 2019

    5 stars
    I just got my instant pot and never thought to make fish in it. There’s still so much to discover, haha!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      February 14, 2019

      There are so many things you can make with the Instant Pot!

      Reply
  5. Kelsey
    February 13, 2019

    5 stars
    I am literally thawing salmon right now to cook for dinner- I am going to try your pressure cooker tips! Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      February 14, 2019

      You’re welcome Kelsey!

      Reply
  6. Hillary Knudsen
    February 13, 2019

    I haven’t tried salmon yet in the pressure cooker but I’m excited to give it a try! This looks delicious 🙂

    Reply
    1. Erin
      February 14, 2019

      Thank you Hillary!

      Reply
  7. Melissa Manos
    February 13, 2019

    5 stars
    Girl! I just pulled out some salmon for dinner tonight! Thanks for the inspiration!!! (PS. I still have yet to get a pressure cooker. I KNOW! Last on the block… 🙂 PPS. Gonna check out your 1 sheet pan recipe too. I’m all about less dishes 🙂 )Happy cooking!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      February 14, 2019

      Definitely give those sheet pan salmon recipes a try Melissa! Cheers!!

      Reply
  8. Colleen
    February 22, 2019

    Pressure cooking fish from frozen has been a game changer. Mahi-Mahi tacos are a weekly treat for us. Also using frozen fish surrounded by veggies for sheet pan meals. Thank-you for sharing your lemon dill sauce. Colleen

    Reply
  9. Sandy
    April 26, 2019

    My instant pot does not have MANUAL. Am I cooking on STEAM or PRESSURE COOK? Please help.

    Reply
    1. Erin
      April 26, 2019

      Hi Sandy – Essentially the buttons both do the same thing. But I would use the Pressure Cook button just in case. Hope that helps!

      Reply
    2. Donna Powell
      March 21, 2021

      5 stars
      I first spread a thin spread of mayonnaise, lemon pepper, dash of salt, dash of tumeric onto a large filet, rub in. A bit of olive oil on the skin and sprinke with a dash of ground salt. This helps from sticking to the trivet. Pressure cook at 350 degrees for 3 minutes, release steam and remove to a plate and place in a warm oven for 5 minutes. I precook yellow rice with tumeric and lay it under the filet. Serve with sauteed asparagus, mushrooms and spinach, olive oil, and lemon pepper.

      Reply
  10. Debbie
    March 5, 2020

    5 stars
    Made this tonite and it was fantastic. Didn’t have a silicone rack but cut a piece of parchment paper to put on the metal trivet under the fish and that worked equally as well. Salmon was cooked perfectly and the sauce was a wonderful. Cooked my rice first in the instant pot then put it in a covered bowl to keep warm while I cooked the fish. This recipe is a keeper! will make it often.

    Reply
    1. Erin
      March 5, 2020

      I’m so glad you liked it Debbie!

      Reply
  11. Pat
    March 18, 2020

    Hi! Can I use the rack that came with the Instant Pot? I don’t have the silicone one. Thank you.

    Reply
    1. Erin
      March 19, 2020

      You sure can!

      Reply
  12. Tom Tassi
    April 3, 2020

    Trying this recipe this evening – Looks excellent. Do not have the oxo rack but am thinking it will be fine. Thank you for posting it.
    ( PS., check your links – the one in the recipe itself leads to a dead page. )

    Reply
    1. Erin
      April 6, 2020

      Thanks Tom!

      Reply
  13. Janel
    June 3, 2020

    5 stars
    This was amazing! I made it with Steelhead Trout from Oregon! It came out sooooo good!! Thank you for this recipe! ❤️❤️❤️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

    Reply
    1. Erin
      June 4, 2020

      You’re so welcome – I love Steelhead!

      Reply
  14. Robert
    October 26, 2020

    Hey I want to make this for my girlfriend but she really dislikes the taste of butter. Is there any substitute I can use for the sauce or should I just leave out the butter? (That was basically the only option I found on google)

    Reply
    1. Erin
      October 26, 2020

      Hi! You could swap out the butter for sour cream.

      Reply
  15. Rob
    March 2, 2021

    5 stars
    Loved it. Using keto so this was perfect! Didn’t use the silicon. Just used the trivet. So moist and the sauce was delicious! Great directions, thank you!

    Reply
  16. Sara
    June 24, 2021

    Want to try this, but 1/2 Cup of butter? Is that right? Seems like way too much. Could the measure be listed wrong?

    Reply
    1. Erin
      June 28, 2021

      Hi Sara – It does use 1/2 cup of butter, but a small amount of the finished sauce goes a long way! You can halve the recipe if you’d prefer.

      Reply
  17. Abi
    July 30, 2023

    5 stars
    I didn’t make the sauce for this because I was just having a salmon salad (although I’m definitely going to try it next time); however, I made the salmon according to the recipe and wow! It came out absolutely perfect. Tender, flavorful, easy. As a mom of a toddler, I am thankful for how quick this comes together!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      July 31, 2023

      Thanks so much for trying it Abi!

      Reply

Hi, I’m Erin!

Can I pour you a glass of wine? Let’s have some fun in the kitchen! Maybe some pasta? A juicy steak? I’ve got loads of yummy, easy recipes for you! Because cooking should feel as comfy as your favorite yoga pants. ♥

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