Light and fresh Salmon Crudo is loaded with fresh salmon and a citrus-forward salmon dipping sauce. This crudo recipe makes for the perfect appetizer or lunch. Serve it alongside sushi rice (sushi rice instant pot) to make it a full hearty meal.
If you enjoy raw seafood recipes, here are a few more sushi recipes and sushi roll recipes to check out: Spicy Tuna, Tuna Roll, Hawaiian Poke, Tuna Crudo, Temaki Sushi, Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl and Crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll.
Salmón Crudo
“Crudo” is an Italian word meaning “raw”. It’s typically served as an amuse bouche or appetizer, however we usually serve it for a light lunch.
Crudo consists of delicate raw fish marinated with citrus juices, high quality oil and an array of garnishes. Think sashimi with a citrus based dipping sauce instead of only soy sauce.
Ingredients
Sushi Grade Salmon
Thinly sliced raw salmon (Must be labeled “sushi grade salmon or sashimi grade salmon”)
Salmon Dipping Sauce
Only a few ingredients are required to make the dipping sauce: Fresh lemon, fresh lemon juice, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, extra virgin olive oil and chives.
Produce
Fresh produce makes all the difference in the world, so snag some high quality lemons, mangos and avocados.
Garnishes
Here are a the garnishes we utilize when making this raw salmon recipe. All garnishes add flavor and texture to the recipe: Jalapeno slices, Sesame seeds, chives, and microgreens. Add some sea salt and pepper, if you like.
Salmon Skin
If you purchase salmon with the skin attached, make sure to gently remove it and save it to make salmon skin rolls.
Wild Caught Salmon
Due to ethical and nutritional concerns, we highly recommend sticking to wild salmon. Here’s a quick article with the rundown as to why we recommend wild salmon vs farmed. You do you, though. With the said, we adore Costco salmon (wild offering).
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
As with the other ingredients, we wanted to call out the importance of using a high quality extra virgin olive oil. Don’t grab the cheap stuff when making this salmon recipe. The crummy flavor of cheap oil will drown out the brightness, freshness and flavor of all the other ingredients. Crudo is all about highlighting fresh flavors via high quality ingredients.
Eating Raw Salmon
Read up on where to buy sushi grade fish, as well as, Raw Fish FAQ’s if you’re new to utilizing raw salmon. Serious eats has a great article on the subject.
You can also read up on the differences between Sushi vs. Sashimi!
Pro Tips
- Place the salmon in the freezer for 10 minutes, before slicing, to make it easier to slice.
- Serve immediately after plating, for the best freshness, texture and flavor.
- Slice the salmon across the grain using a single swipe of a sharp knife vs. a back and forth motion. Wipe and wet the knife in between cuts, to keep the salmon from sticking to the knife. Slices of salmon should be about 1/8″- 1/4″. Here’s the sushi knife we keep in our kitchen to cut thin slices of fish.
- High quality is the name of the game. Use fresh ingredients of the highest quality you can afford.
- Other dipping sauce options: Eel Sauce, Honey Sriracha Sauce, Chipotle Crema, or ponzu sauce.
Recipe Variations
Furikake Salmon
A sprinkle of furikake over the sushi grade salmon, before serving, would be excellent. The ocean-forward flavor would pair well with the salmon dipping sauce. No other edits are required.
Spicy Salmon
Add a 1/2 tsp of Sriracha sauce or a scoop of Mango Habanero Sauce to the salmon marinade. Add more until your desired spiciness is achieved. Salmon crudo is the perfect recipe to spice up with Sriracha.
More Seafood Recipes
Nigiri
Avocado Roll
Kani Salad
Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
Baked Lobster Tail
Clam Chowder
Steamer Clams with Garlic Butter
Drink Pairing Recommendations
Pineapple Martini, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Champagne, Citrus IPA or Sake
See our Best Wine With Sushi guide for more sushi and wine pairing tips.

Ingredients
SALMON DIPPING SAUCE:
- 2.5 tbsp Soy Sauce, Low Sodium
- 2.5 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice (*Note 1)
- Zest of 1/2 Lemon
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil (*Note 2)
- ½ tsp Sugar
- ½ tsp Minced Garlic
- 3 Chives, Diced
SALMON:
- 8-12 oz Sushi-grade Salmon (*Note 3)
GARNISHES:
- 1 Fresh Mango, Diced
- ½ Fresh Avocado, Diced
- 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds
- 1 small Jalapeno, Sliced
- ¼ cup Microgreens
- Cilantro Leaves, To Taste
Instructions
- Add the dipping sauce ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Thinly slice the salmon, against the grain. Slices should be 1/8" - 1/4" thick. Transfer to a large serving platter.
- Drizzle the salmon slices with the dipping sauce (or serve it next to the salmon in a bowl). Garnish with the sesame seeds, mango, avocado, cilantro, jalapeno, and microgreens. Serve immediately.