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Pan Seared Salmon with a Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce is perfectly crispy and flaky salmon that is in the most amazing creamy lemon dill sauce.

I never thought that I would be such a salmon lover. But here I am. Completely obsessed. Salmon is a huge part of my diet and we have it in our house at least once a week. One of our favorite salmon recipes to make is this Pan Seared Brown Butter Lime Sauce Salmon.   I love a pan seared crispy edge salmon that is perfectly tender and flaky inside.

Pan Seared Salmon with a Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce in a saute pan.

Pan Seared Salmon with a Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce

Whenever we go out to eat I love trying different salmon recipes. I had this pan seared salmon that had the most amazing creamy lemon dill sauce. It was one of the best salmon recipes that I have ever had and I immediately made it for myself at home.

As soon as this salmon is nice and crispy brown you create the most amazing creamy lemon dill sauce. Salmon and a creamy dill sauce go so AMAZING together! The sauce is so easy to make but is creamy and delicious with a slight lemon tang. This meal is so good that I am already craving it again.

Pan seared salmon + a creamy lemon dill sauce = a total dinner win!

Salmon Ingredients:

  • Olive Oil: You can use whatever oil you have in your cabinet, but extra-virgin olive oil is a what I choose because it has a nice, clean taste and it is one of the healthier oils.
  • Salmon fillets: Choose a good filet by looking for shiny and moist skin, flesh that is firm, evenly colored, and has white marbling. Also, it should smell fresh and mild.
  • Garlic cloves: The cloves will make a flavorful sauce for the salmon.
  • Heavy cream: Add the heavy cream to cooked garlic to make it creamy.
  • Chicken broth: Thins out the sauce a bit. Add more if you like a thinner sauce and less if you prefer it thicker.
  • Lemon juice:
  • Cornstarch: Make a roux with the cornstarch and water in a separate bowl then add to the sauce.
  • Water: Used for the roux.
  • Fresh dill:The fresh grassy flavors of the dill seasoning gives the perfect balance to the sauce.

How to Make Pan Seared Salmon:

  1. Cook Salmon on stove top: In a medium sized skillet heat the olive oil over medium low heat. Salt and pepper the salmon and add to the skillet skin sized down. Heat for about 5 minutes and flip the salmon to the other side and cook for another 5 minutes until the salmon is brown and center is slightly pink. Remove salmon and set aside on a plate.
  2. Make Cream Sauce: Add the garlic to the pan and cook until tender. Add the heavy cream, chicken broth, and lemon juice. In a small bowl whisk together cornstarch and water. Add to the sauce. Let simmer for 3-4 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
  3. Add the salmon back to the skillet: Heat salmon through, then add fresh dill to the sauce and serve.

Pan Seared Salmon with a Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce in a skillet.

How Do You Sear Salmon?

Start by adding a Tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Heat to medium-low heat. Salt and pepper the salmon and place skin side down for 5 minutes. Flip to the other side and continue to cook the other side for 5 minutes. Cook the salmon until brown and flaky.

Pan Seared Salmon with a Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce in a skillet.

What is the best seasoning for Salmon?

Salmon is so versatile, it is hard to narrow down just one way of seasoning it.  However, if I think of which way I make it most often and find myself gravitating to over and over, it is lemon dill sauce.  The combination of lemon and dill are so perfectly balanced and bring out those fresh flavors and textures of the salmon.  When I am in the mood for a more mild flavor, I like to use shallots in place of the garlic.  The shallots have bold flavor that is stronger than a typical onion flavor but isn’t as sharp as garlic.

How do you know when the Salmon is done?

  • When it flakes easily with a fork, it is done.
  • The internal temperature is at least 145 degrees. (Measure at the thickest part of the fillet)
  • The color will change from a translucent red to an opaque pink.

What to serve with salmon:

Keep the sides simple when cooking salmon so that you can prepare them easily while your salmon cooks.  Choose flavors that you love, but that will not overpower the fish.  Grilled or steamed vegetables pair well with a flakier fish like salmon.  Also, potatoes, rice, Quinoa, and pasta are also great companions. This Roasted Lemon Honey Asparagus would be perfect or this Roasted beet, Quinoa, and Carrot salad.

Pan Seared Salmon with a Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce on a white plate with asparagus and lemon slices.

Savory Salmon Recipes to Try:

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Pan Seared Salmon with a Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce

5 from 9 votes
By: Alyssa Rivers
Pan Seared Salmon with a Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce is perfectly crispy and flaky salmon that is in the most amazing creamy lemon dill sauce.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • In a medium sized skillet heat the olive oil over medium low heat. Salt and pepper the salmon and add to the skillet skin sized down. Heat for about 5 minutes and flip with a spatula the salmon to the other side and cook for another 5 minutes until the salmon is brown and center is slightly pink. Remove salmon and set aside on a plate.
  • Add the garlic to the pan and cook until tender. Add the heavy cream, chicken broth, and lemon juice. In a small bowl whisk together cornstarch and water. Add to the sauce. Let simmer for 3-4 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
  • Add the salmon back to the skillet and heat through. Add fresh dill to the sauce and serve.

Notes

Updated on April 23, 2020
Originally Posted On: October 29, 2017

Nutrition

Calories: 244kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 2gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 131mgPotassium: 77mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 875IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

 

 

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

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Recipe Rating




24 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Could be my favorite salmon recipe of all time. Even the leftovers were good, I served them with the sauce over a toasted English muffin and and a poached egg.

  2. 5 stars
    This recipe was delicious! My four and six year old inhaled it! We served it with couscous and spinach and was so yummy! Definitely making again!

  3. 5 stars
    I made this for my boyfriend and he said it would demand at least 18 dollars a plate in a restaurant. It was delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!

    1. haha. This is the best comment! Thank you so much for sharing! I am so glad that he loved it!

    1. HMM! Most the time when cream curdles is it over heats without stirring occasionally. I am not sure why else it would have curdled. I apologize for your meal.

  4. Sorry if this is a dumb question, would a cast-iron work for this recipe, or would it not taste the same as using a stainless steel?

  5. This was fricking amazing! Excuse
    My language but seriously wow. I was in a hurry so I threw in some chopped asparagus and spinach and let me tell you….wow. I also didn’t follow recipe exactly I just eyeballed everything and it worked like a charm. Curious though, would anyone happen to know the nutritional facts on this?

  6. 5 stars
    My husband usually tolerates salmon and will leave sometimes half on his plate uneaten. Yesterday, I had two huge pieces and was worried about the waste. I tried this recipe because I had some home grown lemon and dill to use. He ate the whole thing while raving how wonderful it was. Thanks for the recipe.

  7. 5 stars
    OMG new favorite! I love salmon and I’m always looking for new ways to cook it. This sauce was so creamy and delicious. Instead of putting a little sauce on top of my salmon (like she shows in the picture), I smothered my salmon in the sauce and ate it that way. It was so good. I served mine with some cheesy potatoes. I will be saving this recipe and making again.

  8. Thank you, receipe says 3 cloves garlic. It also instructs to add garlic to pan…im just checking that i am to add 3 whole garlic cloves to pan? So, dont mince?