Slow Cooker Salmon with Creamy Lemon Sauce and Rice Recipe

Have delicious salmon at your disposal but you don’t know what kind of salmon recipe you should make with it? Here’s a great dinner idea for you: slow-cooker salmon with a scrumptious lemon sauce, along with rice as your side dish! The beauty of cooking salmon in the slow cooker is that you won’t have to worry about drying it out or overcooking it. This Slow-Cooker Salmon recipe will be a total game-changer for your weekly dinner nights. 

What is the Most Popular Way to Cook Salmon Fillets?

There are many ways to prepare salmon and use it in various recipes — you can even make steamed salmon in rice cooker. However, among those cooking techniques, there are two methods that stand out: pan-searing or using a slow cooker. Pan-seared salmon delivers a moist, flaky filet that is reminiscent of a medium-rare steak.

It is easy to cook and you don’t need to use any oil at all to have a delicious and flavorful salmon dinner. However, there can be occasions where you might overcook the salmon in the pan, especially if you don’t pay enough attention to it.

Here’s a fool-proof method that you can use instead: preparing salmon in a slow cooker. Slow-cooking salmon gives you a melt-in-your-mouth texture and you don’t even have to worry about overcooking it. Using a slow cooker to cook your salmon will ensure that you end up with a moist, flaky dish and once you try it, you’re guaranteed you won’t be cooking it any other way.

What is the Best Cooking Method for Salmon?

The best cooking method for salmon, whether you’re using frozen salmon or fresh salmon, is to slow-cook it. Slow-cooked salmon retains all its nutrients, oils, and moisture, delivering a delicious and perfectly cooked dish to your table. 

How Do You Cook Fish So It’s Tender?

It depends on the kind of fish but in general, steaming, poaching, or slow-cooking them will work best. Cooking fish slowly and gently will allow its fibers to stay intact, as well as retain its moisture.

Can I Cook Fish in My Rice Cooker?

You certainly can! To steam fish in your rice cooker, simply place it in the steam basket. Add water to the inner pot, place the steam basket over it, and close the lid. Let the rice cooker do its magic. If your cooker doesn’t have a steam basket, you can still cook fish using a wire rack.

Do You Use High or Low Heat in Cooking Salmon?

When it comes to preparing salmon, it is best to do it on low heat to retain its nutrients, oils, and moisture. When you cook fish such as salmon at high temperatures, you risk making the fish dry and chalky.

Can You Cook Fish Low and Slow?

Yes, you can! A lot of recipes prefer preparing fish using a low and slow method to help make it tender and more flavorful.

How Long Should You Cook Salmon For?

The cook time of salmon depends on the method you’re using. If you are poaching salmon in olive oil, it will take about an hour and 25 minutes to cook it perfectly. If you use a slow cooker, fully-cooked salmon will take about 2 hours and 20 mins. 

Are 15 Minutes Long Enough to Cook Salmon?

If you are baking salmon in an oven using a parchment paper packet, 15 minutes should be enough. However, if you are using other methods, 15 minutes is too short of a time. 

How Long Should Salmon Cook for at 200?

Salmon cooked in the oven at 200C (400F) takes about 15 minutes.

How Long Should Salmon Be in the Oven at 250?

Baking salmon at 250C (450F) should be about 8 to 10 minutes for a 6-ounce filet or 11 to 13 minutes for a 1-pound filet.

Which is Better When Cooking Salmon: Fast or Slow?

When it comes to preparing and making salmon recipes, slow cooking is the best method to do.

What is the Best Cooking Time for Salmon?

It heavily depends on the method you choose. If you’re using a slow cooker, it will take about 2 hours and 20 minutes for it to be done. 

What is the 10-Minute Rule for Cooking Fish?

Cook your fish at 10 minutes per inch of thickness. And that’s it. This works whether you’re grilling, broiling, steaming, frying, or baking your fish. Add 5 minutes if it is being cooked in sauce.

What is the Healthiest Way to Eat Salmon?

Slow-cooked salmon is the healthiest way to eat salmon. Another method that ensures the salmon retains its nutrients is baking it in an oven.

Is Slow Cooking Healthy?

A slow cooker comes with a lot of benefits. Using a slow cooker usually means you can set it and forget it, and then come back once your food is cooked. The most you have to do is to place all your ingredients inside the pot and allow the slow cooker to do its magic. 

Aside from its ease of use, using a slow cooker to make your food can be really healthy. A slow cooker relies on low heat to prepare food, preserving its nutrients. Most appliances rely on high heat levels, which, more often than not, leads to the destruction of important nutrients. 

Slow-cooker recipes also heavily rely on the use of natural ingredients, meaning you have a hand in what goes into your meals. A slow cooker is also mostly used to prepare tough meat. The slow cooking time and additional moisture leave the meat tender without any need for tenderizers. 

Which is Better: a CrockPot or a Slow Cooker?

Both the Crockpot and the slow cooker are good to have in the kitchen. They operate in similar ways as a CrockPot is a type of slow cooker. A Crock-Pot usually has two heat settings but recent models now come with digital timers and other features. 

On the other hand, a slow cooker is generally a metal pot that sits on top of a heated surface. Newer slow cooker models also now have advanced features that allow users to sear and saute as well.

Why Do Salmon and Rice Go So Well Together?

Salmon has a distinct, natural flavor and you will want to highlight that flavor if you use it in any recipe. Plain rice works so well with salmon as it has a neutral flavor that perfectly complements the fish.

Can You Cook Rice and Steam Fish at the Same Time?

Yes, you can. In a rice cooker, you can make rice in the inner pot while steaming salmon in the steam basket over it. You can also do this in a slow cooker. Place the rice in the slow-cooker pot and lay down the salmon fillets over it. 

Rice and Slow Cooker Salmon Recipe Ingredients

• 1 cup rice (white rice or brown rice)
• 1 cup water (for the rice)
• 1 to 2 pounds of salmon fillets
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Juice of 1 whole lemon
• Lemon slices 
• Salt and pepper
• Optional: fresh herbs
• Optional: aromatic veggies

Creamy Lemon Sauce Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/8 teaspoon lemon zest
• Chopped fresh parsley

Rice and Slow Cooker Salmon Recipe Directions

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours and 10 minutes

1. Prepare rice as you normally would in a rice cooker.
2. Line a slow cooker with a large piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil. 
3. Add a layer of lemon slices to the bottom of the slow cooker. Depending on the size of your slow cooker, lay salmon on top.
4. Season the filets generously with paprika, chili powder, and garlic powder. Sprinkle salt and pepper as well.
5. Add vegetable broth and lemon juice to the slow cooker. Make sure you pour the broth and lemon juice around the filets and not over them. Ensure that the liquid comes about halfway up your filet.
6. Top the salmon with more lemons.
7. Cook on low for 2 hours or until opaque and flaky.
8. Make the creamy lemon sauce as the filet cooks. Start by setting a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the lemon juice, broth, or white wine, and cream.
9. Bring to a simmer, and then cover the pot and cook on low for 8 minutes.
10. Uncover, and stir in lemon zest in the sauce. Switch to higher heat and stir for 2 more minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
11. Remove the sauce from the heat. Add salt and pepper according to taste. Set aside.
12. After 2 hours and 10 minutes, lift the salmon from the slow cooker by grasping the parchment paper or aluminum foil. Tilt the paper slightly as you lift it to drain off the liquid.
13. Garnish with any fresh herb that you prefer.
14. Serve immediately with rice and creamy lemon sauce on the side. You may also serve vegetables such as fennel or onions alongside it.

Slow Cooker Salmon and Rice Recipe Tips

• This recipe specifies the use of a slow cooker but you can also use an Instant Pot to make it.
• You may use frozen salmon or fresh salmon.
• Make sure to line up parchment paper on the bottom of the slow cooker or any pot that you are using. This helps reduce the likelihood of the salmon breaking up.
• Depending on the size of your slow cooker, this slow-cooker salmon recipe is great for making salmon in bulk. Fit as much salmon as you can in an even layer in your slow cooker.
• This CrockPot salmon recipe is highly versatile as you can serve it with a variety of dishes aside from rice. You can serve this recipe with pasta or salad, or eat it with cooked grains or fried rice.
• If you prefer to not use any broth, you may use white wine instead.
• If you have leftover salmon, store it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Aside from the creamy lemon sauce, you can also serve this slow-cooker salmon recipe with sour cream on the side.
• If you want more flavor, you may season the salmon with dried herbs. 
• If you prefer to only use salt and pepper to enhance the flavor of the salmon, that is more than fine.
• Make sure to rub the salt, pepper, and other seasonings using your fingers. If you use a brush or other equipment, you may ruin the fibers of the filet.
• If you are unsure if the salmon is cooked, feel free to check the internal temperature of the filet using a food-safe thermometer. It is fully cooked when the thickest part registers a temperature of 145F.

Final Note

Slow-cooked salmon flakes easily, melts in your mouth, and is absolutely delicious. What’s more, making salmon in the slow cooker means that you can set it and walk away without any worries. Try out this slow-cooker salmon recipe today. 

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