Description
A fast, comforting, and flavorful salmon recipe with a bright lemon garlic cream sauce, perfect for busy weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each / 170g each), fresh or thawed frozen, skin-on or skinless
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (30ml), divided
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (28g)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (60ml)
- ½ cup heavy cream (120ml)
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth (120ml)
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (25g)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Optional: ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place salmon skin-side down if skin-on. Cook undisturbed for 4-5 minutes until crisp and golden.
- Flip salmon carefully and cook for another 2-3 minutes until just cooked through. Remove salmon from skillet and set aside, tented with foil to keep warm.
- Lower heat to medium. Add butter and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Once melted, add minced garlic and red pepper flakes if using. Sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
- Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice, scraping browned bits from the pan. Let simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Stir in heavy cream and bring sauce to a gentle simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
- Remove pan from heat and stir in freshly grated Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. If sauce is too thick, add a splash of broth or cream to loosen.
- Return salmon to skillet and spoon sauce over fillets. Warm together for 1 minute to meld flavors.
- Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley and add a crack of black pepper. Serve immediately with desired sides.
Notes
Do not overcrowd the pan to get a crisp sear. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for best flavor. Remove pan from heat before adding Parmesan to avoid grainy sauce. Use room temperature cream to prevent sauce from seizing. Leftovers reheat best gently on stovetop with added cream or broth. Avoid freezing as cream sauce can separate.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salmon fillet with
- Calories: 460
- Sodium: 480
- Fat: 33
- Saturated Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 4
- Protein: 35
Keywords: salmon, lemon garlic salmon, creamy salmon, weeknight dinner, easy salmon recipe, quick dinner, healthy salmon