Use your electric pressure cooker to make this easy and delicious Instant Pot Salmon dinner in under 20 minutes from FROZEN salmon fillets! Recipe developed in partnership with Tastefully Simple, Inc.
Things have been feeling even busier lately. Maybe because my kids are getting older and they have more activities and things after school? Either way, I just feel like I need to find more time during the week and especially at dinner time!
Enter the InstantPot.
I have been trying to use my electric pressure cooker more strategically; batch cooking, cooking multiple things at the same time and for sauteeing and then cooking to eliminate using multiple pots.
This Instant Pot Salmon Dinner is the result of a bunch of experimentation.
Trying to figure out how to cook frozen wild salmon fillets in the Instant Pot AND making some kind of starch at the same time that would match cooking times.
After playing around with it, I found the magic combination of frozen wild salmon fillets and basmati rice. They have the same cook time, which makes this an amazing all-in-one-pot weeknight meal that is ready in under 20 minutes!
The secret sauce here is actually the sauce – a quick balsamic vinaigrette I made using Tastefully Simple‘s Avocado oil, Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, Spinach & Herb Seasoning and a pinch of salt and crushed red pepper flakes.
You will (and should!!) be putting this dressing on everything!
I am partnering with Tastefully Simple for the rest of 2019 to create gluten-free recipes showcasing some of their spice blends, oils, vinegar and more!
If you aren’t familiar, Tastefully Simple products are all FREE from artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, sweeteners, and hydrogenated fats.
They have so much more than just oils and spices including baking mixes (both sweet and savory!), drink mixes and even meal kits.
What type of Salmon is best?
Wild Salmon! Wild salmon has a better ratio of healthy fats than farmed salmon and contains more minerals. Farmed salmon is higher in bad fat and fed an unnatural diet of processed feed to make the salmon larger for sale. Food coloring is sometimes added to mimic the natural deep red color that wild salmon develop. Farmed salmon can also contain antibiotics and other toxic contaminants.
How to cook frozen Salmon in the Instant Pot?
This recipe is based on using two 6-ounce portions of wild salmon that is approximately 1.5″ thick. Add water and steaming rack. Place frozen salmon on the steaming rack with seasoning and lemon. Set to 5-minutes high pressure and allow for a 2-minute natural pressure release, then immediate quick release.
If the frozen salmon fillets are very thin (less than 1″ thick), you may want to eliminate the 2-minute natural pressure release and just do a quick release.
If the frozen salmon fillets are very thick (more than 2″ thick), you may want to add an additional minute or two to the natural pressure release to make sure the middle is properly cooked.
Do I have to use Basmati Rice?
For this recipe, YES. I tested this with Jasmine Rice and Brown Rice but the cook times don’t match up and the rice will be undercooked. Basmati rice (that is well rinsed!) will come out perfectly with this cook time.
How long can I keep the dressing for?
You can keep the leftover dressing in the refrigerator for up to one week.
So, let’s get cooking!! I know you are going to L O V E this Instant Pot Salmon dinner. I can’t wait to hear from you after you make it!
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Use your electric pressure cooker to make this easy and delicious Instant Pot Salmon dinner in under 20 minutes from FROZEN salmon fillets!
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon Tastefully Simple Avocado Oil
- 1 cup basmati rice rinsed until clear
- 2 6-ounce frozen wild salmon fillets NOT defrosted
- 1 pinch kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 small lemon sliced into rounds
- 3 cups mixed salad greens divided
- 4 ounces Tastefully Simple Avocado Oil
- 2 ounces Tastefully Simple Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
- 2 teaspoon Tastefully Simple Spinach & Herb Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
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Pour 1 cup plus 2 T filtered water into the Instant Pot insert. Add a pinch of kosher salt, 1 T Tastefully Simple Avocado Oil and 1 cup well rinsed (until the water runs clear) Basmati Rice.
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Insert stainless steel steam rack (that comes with Instant Pot) and place FROZEN wild salmon fillets on rack.
Sprinkle each with a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper and place two slices of lemon on each fillet.
Set to manual, high-pressure for 5 minutes (make sure to check that your silicone ring is properly inserted in the lid!).
It should take 7 to 8 minutes to come to pressure.
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In the meantime, make the vinaigrette for the salad and fish in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Combine all ingredients listed for vinaigrette in a glass jar, place on the tight-fitting lid and shake for 60 to 90 seconds until well combined.
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Allow for a 2-minute natural pressure release and then immediate quick release.
Plate cooked salmon on top of a generous handful of mixed greens and alongside 1/2 cup cooked rice.
Top rice with a sprinkle of the Spinach & Herb Seasoning and drizzle Salmon and greens with 2 T of the vinaigrette.
Store leftover rice and vinaigrette for another meal and Enjoy!
Recipe Video
- I used a 6-Quart Instant Pot but I think any size will work. Just note that the pressurizing time may change slightly with a different size pot.
- The nutrition information is based on the serving size (one 6-oz salmon fillet, 1/2 cup cooked rice and 2 T vinaigrette). You will have leftover rice and vinaigrette. If you consume additional rice or vinaigrette and are counting macros, please use the ingredients listed to figure out your individual numbers for accuracy.
- This recipe is intended for FROZEN salmon fillets only. If you use fresh or defrosted fillets, they will be overcooked as they only need about 3 minutes of high pressure cook time.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
DISCLOSURE: This post is part of a series of posts sponsored by Tastefully Simple. Tastefully Simple has compensated me for my time to develop this recipe. Thank you for supporting the brands that make EverydayMaven possible. All opinions are my own.
Suggestions on how to change this for one serving of salmon?
Hi Steph, Just put one piece of salmon in. You will still need to follow the recipe for rice and liquid or you could get the dreaded “burn” warning. Enjoy!
I never comment on recipes but this is a godsend as a mom working full time! I had this healthy dinner ready in 15 minutes while I wrangled my 10 month old. Thank you so much!
Hi Angela! So happy to hear it and thanks for taking the time to comment! 🙂
It was scrumptious! One question — what do you recommend when the thickness varies over the fillet? We found that the outsides were cooked after 5/2 minutes, but we had to put back the center part for some more cooking. We put it back for 0 minutes cooking, so just let it pressure up and that was enough additional cooking for the center parts. But would love any other ideas you have.
My daughter and I had this for lunch today, and it was outstanding! The salmon was so moist, so was the rice. I just sprinkled lemon pepper seasoning on the salmon, and only had Japanese short grain rice. I rinsed the rice, added the lemon pepper to the salmon and cooked as directed. I am making this again for my husband tomorrow night. Thank you very much for sharing, you have made me and my daughter very happy to have a tasty easy meal!
Hi Michelle! So happy to hear it – thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and let me know 🙂
How can I cook the greens in the instant pot so I don’t need another pan to worry about? Thanks
Hi Judy! Greens cook so quickly in the Instant Pot, I would recommend cooking the salmon and rice, removing and setting your IP to “Saute” and then sauteeing your greens (which should take all of about 1 to 2 minutes).
I have to admit I was a little skeptical on how this recipe would turn out. It was absolutely deliciously amazingly perfect! I will never make salmon and rice any other way🤗 Thank you, I love it when I find a 5 star recipe. Thank you, merçi, gracias,💃💅
You are so welcome Jocelyne! Thanks for taking the time to let me know – these comments make my day! <3
I made this last night with 3 salmon fillets (they were narrower than those pictured) and the same amount of rice. It was fantastic! The timing was perfect and I LOVED cooking the rice and the salmon in the same time – brilliant. For the didn’t have the spice blend, so I used basil, oregano, parsley, cumin and turmeric — my family loved it. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I look forward to trying your other recipes!
Those spices sound perfect Christy!! So glad you are here 🙂
I followed the recipe to the letter but the rice stuck to the bottom of the pan and the base of the pan is a bit brown. Although the salmon and rice were nicely cooked and tasted good.
Hi Karen,
That is so frustrating! I hate when recipes don’t turn out and I’ve wasted ingredients. The only time I have heard of this happening is when using a different type of white rice than stated in the recipe -any chance that happened and you didn’t realize it? Glad at least it tasted good!
I love this recipe, but do find that the rice gives me a burn notice every time. I switched the rice for quinoa last time I made it, which worked well. I’m using basmati and rinse it well. Does anyone else have this issue?
Hi Theresa, I have never had that happen. Are you putting the correct amount of water? What brand / model electric pressure cooker do you have? You may want to double the amount of rice / water next time.
love it thanks for the recipe ! made it tonight ! delish !!!
Awesome Natasha! So glad you liked it 🙂
What adjustments would you make for 4 servings? Also, I don’t have spinach an herb seasoning. Do you have any substitute suggestion?
Hi Terri – what size IP do you have? Assuming you have a 6-QT, If you want to eliminate the rice, you could do two layers of salmon and add 2 min to the cook time. You could sub Italian seasoning or another one of our favorite blends!
Hmm, I do want the rice. I think one cup should be enough but if I wanted to add more, should I add equal part water? And still put in 2 more fillets?
I do have a 6 qt
Yes to the rice! As for the salmon, it really depends on how large the fillets are. If you can fit them in one layer, it should be fine!
Do you think frozen tilapia would work the same way? They usually are thinner than salmon fillets. I love your recipes, by the way! Thank you!
The cook time on Tilapia is much less (it’s so thin) so I think you would have to modify and play around with the timing. And, THANK YOU!! 🙂