This Pan Seared Salmon with lemon butter sauce will give you perfectly seared salmon on the outside that's soft, tender, and deliciously flakey on the inside. And this is all topped off with the most flavorful and silky lemon butter sauce that takes the salmon to the next level! It's the perfect fine-dining style dish made easily in the comfort of your home.
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If you've always wanted to have pan seared salmon, but felt too intimidated by it then this recipe is perfect for you! In just a few easy steps, you'll end up with the tastiest salmon with butter sauce that's like the one that's served in fine-dining restaurants but even better.
This salmon with lemon butter sauce is perfectly pan-seared which helps lock in the moisture and prevents the salmon from drying out. The lemon butter sauce is silky, flavorful, and works beautifully with the salmon for an elegant dish you won't ever forget! Serve it for date night at home, a dinner party, or even a holiday dinner, and watch as everyone falls in love with it!
🥘 INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED
You only need some simple pantry staple ingredients to make this delicious pan-seared salmon recipe at home, Let's look at what these ingredients are.
You can scroll down to the recipe card for further details and instructions.
Salmon: We'll, first of all, need some salmon fillet. You can either use skinless as I have or go with salmon with the skin on for a crispier texture.
Butter: You'll also need some butter to pan sear the salmon in and also to make our lemon butter sauce. Try using good quality butter for the best flavor.
Lemon: We'll also need freshly squeezed lemon juice to add the lemon flavor to our butter sauce which perfectly compliments the salmon.
Cream: To make our sauce silky and smooth, we'll add some heavy cream. This will help get our lemon butter sauce's perfect flavor and consistency.
Spices: The beauty of this dish is in using very few ingredients and spices, which allows the flavors to come out better. That's why we'll only use paprika, black pepper, and salt for this recipe.
🔪 HOW TO MAKE
Making this pan seared salmon recipe is simple and easy, yet gives you restaurant-quality flavors. Let's learn how to make it step by step:
The full instructions are in the recipe card below, but let's look at the main steps to making this treat.
Step 1:
Start by patting the salmon dry with kitchen paper. Then season the salmon with salt, black pepper, and paprika from both sides.
Step 2:
Add butter and olive oil to the pan and then add the salmon to it. Keep scooping butter on top of the salmon to get the perfect crisp texture.
Step 3:
Flip the salmon after three minutes and cook on the other side for 1 to 2 minutes. Set the salmon aside for now.
Step 4:
In a separate skillet, add two tablespoons of butter, and then when it melts add lemon juice, salt, and black pepper to it. Stir for a few minutes and then add parsley and heavy cream to it. Add a little water and cook until the sauce gets thicker.
Step 5:
Serve the salmon on a bed of mashed potatoes and spoon the lemon butter sauce on top.
Your delicious Pan Seared Salmon with lemon butter sauce is ready to be served!
💭 COOKING TIPS
Always pat the protein dry before seasoning it.
- Do not overcook the salmon. It should stay a little pink from the inside.
- Before adding salt to the sauce, taste it, some people do not prefer to add salt to a tangy sauce.
- When making the sauce, ensure the heat is on low, high heat makes the parsley bitter.
- Cooking the sauce on high heat will brown the butter. Low heat allows the butter to add sheen and richness to the sauce.
- Do not flip the salmon until it is seared from the bottom. Otherwise, the juices will escape from the salmon, leaving it dry.
📖 DELICIOUS VARIATIONS
This Pan Seared Salmon with lemon butter sauce is absolutely perfect as is, but if you're looking to change things up and customize it, here are some ideas you can try out:
Add garlic: You can add some garlic to the butter sauce for a more intense flavor. It goes perfectly with the lemon butter sauce.
Add herbs: If you love herbs, finely chop them and add them to the butter sauce. Parsley, thyme, or dill works beautifully.
Add capers: If you're a fan of capers, add some to the butter sauce for a salty and tangy flavor.
Add chili flakes: For those who like it spicy, adding some chili flakes to the butter sauce will give it an extra kick.
💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If you want to pan fry salmon without it drying out, give it a quick pat with a paper towel first. Taking this step will ensure the fish doesn't stick to the pan due to too much moisture. You'll get the best results by using a low heat setting and a non-stick pan.
Yes, you absolutely can. Follow the instructions but cook the skin side down first until the skin gets a little crispy. Then gently flip it to cook on the other side, as mentioned in the recipe.
It is entirely up to you. I like how it looks when fried salmon is served with the skin side down, which happens when you sear it skin side down first and then flip it. But if you want the skin to be extra crispy, you might want to serve your seared salmon with the skin side up. This will keep the sauce from softening the skin.
Frozen salmon can be seared, but not directly from the freezer. Make sure to thaw it first before pan frying. Putting it in cold water will quickly thaw it.
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🌡️ STORING AND REHEATING
Fridge: Leftovers of your pan seared salmon can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Freezer: You can freeze the cooked salmon for up to 2 months.
Reheating: To reheat, place the salmon on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (175°C) in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
📖 Recipe
Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce
Ingredients
FOR THE SALMON
- 500 grams skinless salmon makes 4 portions
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
FOR THE SAUCE
- 3 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoon water
- Salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon parsley optional
Instructions
COOKING THE SALMON
- Pat the salmon dry with kitchen paper.
- Season the salmon with salt, black pepper, and paprika from both sides.
- In a pan, add the butter and olive oil. When hot, add the salmon.
- With a spoon scoop the oil and butter and pour it over the salmon this will help the salmon have a slightly crisp texture from the outside leaving it tender from the inside.
- After three minutes on medium heat, flip the salmon and cook on the other side for 1 to two minutes.
- Keep the salmon aside.
MAKING THE LEMON BUTTER SAUCE
- In a pan and on a low heat, add two tablespoon butter. When the butter melts add the lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.
- Stir the mixture for a few seconds, then add the parsley and heavy cream. Mix until the sauce is thicker.
- Now add the water and mix then add a tablespoon of butter and stir the sauce until it gets thick enough to completely coat the back of a spoon and when you draw a straight line on the back of the spoon it stays clear.
- Serve the salmon on a bed of mashed potatoes and spoon the lemon butter sauce on top. The sauce is to add flavor to the salmon and not to be smothered in it. If you want more sauce double the recipe for the sauce.
Video
Notes
- Always pat the protein dry before seasoning it.
- Do not over cook the salmon it should stay a little pink from the inside.
- Before adding salt to the sauce taste it. Some people do not prefer to add salt to a tangy sauce.
- When making the sauce, ensure the heat is on low, high heat makes the parsley bitter.
- Cooking the sauce on high heat will brown the butter. Low heat allows the butter to add sheen and richness to the sauce.
- Do not flip the salmon until it is seared from the bottom, Otherwise the juices will escape from the salmon leaving it dry.
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