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My Pan Seared Salmon has a new and improved Sauce! I added a pinch of salt to bring out the flavors, and now it’s perfect! Fresh lemon juice and dill make it a match made in salmon heaven!
A Reader’s Review
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!
Easy Salmon with the Dreamiest Sauce!
- Crisp, Tender, Perfection: That golden-crisp crust though? Absolute perfection! Meanwhile, the inside stays tender and flaky like a dream.
- Sauce So Good, You’ll Wanna Drink It: Creamy, citrusy, and loaded with fresh dill, this sauce is so good, I bet you’ll lick your plate like I did!
- Fast, Easy, Gone in a Flash: Ready in 25 minutes, gone in five—because trust me, you won’t have leftovers!
Ingredients Needed
- Lighten Up! Swap heavy cream for half-and-half, milk, or coconut milk. Still creamy, just a little lighter!
How to Make Pan Seared Salmon
A mouth-watering salmon recipe that’s a breeze to make? Yes, please! When a dish this amazing is also easy, sign me up! It just takes 25 minutes and a few simple ingredients!
- Season the Fillets: In a medium sized skillet, heat olive oil over medium low heat. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper and add to the skillet skin side down. Cook for about 5 minutes and gently flip the salmon to the other side and sear for another 5 minutes until the salmon is brown and the center is slightly pink. Remove the salmon from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
- Start the Cream Sauce: Add the minced garlic to the pan and cook until tender. Add heavy cream, chicken broth, and salt.
- Thicken the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce along with chopped fresh dill and the juice of one lemon. Simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
- Finish and Serve: Add the pan seared salmon back to the skillet on top of the sauce and heat through. Garnish with additional fresh dill and lemon slices if desired and serve!
Top Tips For Perfectly Cooked Salmon
- Start with a Hot Pan: A properly heated pan prevents sticking and ensures even searing.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: Give each fillet space to cook evenly.
- Cook Skin-Side Down First: This locks in moisture and creates a crispy skin.
- How do you know when salmon is done? Check that the internal temperature reaches at least 145 degrees at the thickest part of the fillet. The color should shift from translucent red to opaque pink, and it’s ready when it flakes easily with a fork.
- Let It Rest: Allowing the pan seared salmon to rest for a few minutes after cooking helps retain juices.
How to Store Leftover Lemon Dill Salmon
If stored properly, you can enjoy your pan seared salmon and creamy lemon dill sauce for days to come. Here’s how to keep it fresh:
- Reheating: Reheat leftover salmon in the microwave until warmed through. You can also warm your salmon in the oven for 10 minutes or until warmed through at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. You may want to wrap each filet in aluminum foil to help seal in the liquids.
- In the Refrigerator: Store leftover salmon and sauce in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
What to Serve with Pan Seared Salmon
Keep sides simple when cooking salmon, choosing flavors that complement, not overpower, the fish. Grilled or steamed vegetables, along with potatoes, rice, quinoa, or pasta, make perfect pairings.
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Perfect Pan Seared Salmon with Lemon Dill Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup chicken broth
- juice of one lemon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Cook for about 5 minutes and gently flip the salmon to the other side and cook for another 5 minutes until the salmon is brown and the center is slightly pink. Remove the salmon from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
- Add 3 cloves minced garlic to the pan and cook until tender. Add 1 cup heavy cream, ½ cup chicken broth, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, and the juice of one lemon.
- In a small bowl whisk together 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
- Add the salmon back to the skillet on top of the sauce and heat through. Garnish with additional fresh dill if desired and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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.
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!
Very good and thank you for your recipes. Have not been disappointed.
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!
haha. This is the best comment! Thank you so much for sharing! I am so glad that he loved it!
Trying this tonight with sauteed kale with roasted tomatoes and white beans. Let you know how it goes!!
This sounds fantastic, can’t wait to try it, thank you so much for posting
This creamy salmon is fantastic! Easy to make. My family loved it! Thank you.
Why did the cream curdle? Followed recipe exactly. ?
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.
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?
A cast iron sounds great! Not a dumb question at all! Thanks for following along with me!
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?
I just realized that I have no cornstarch. Can I substitute something else like flour?
Flour should work okay for this recipe.
Absolutely divine! Definitely on our weekly meals list now.
Thank you!
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.
WOW!! That is awesome! I am so happy that he loved it! Wahoo!! XOXO
Hubby loves salmon. Going to try this tonight!
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.
YAY!! That is awesome! I am so glad that you loved it and made it your way! Thanks so much for sharing! XOXO
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?
Yes, you will add 3 cloves of garlic to the pan. Hope that helps! Thanks so much! XOXO