Description
Salmon with Lemon Cream Sauce brings elegant flavors right to your dinner table with minimal fuss. Creamy, tangy sauce draped over perfectly seared salmon creates a restaurant-quality meal that feels special without complicated techniques.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 4 salmon fillets (6 ounces)
Seasonings and Aromatics:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Sauce and Cooking Liquids:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
Instructions
- Remove moisture from the 4 (6 oz) salmon fillets by blotting them thoroughly with paper towels.
- Sprinkle 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper evenly across both sides of each salmon fillet.
- Pour 2 tbsp olive oil into a large skillet, heating over medium-high until the surface becomes shiny and rippling.
- Carefully place salmon skin-side down in the hot skillet, allowing each fillet to cook for exactly 4 minutes until the skin turns crispy and golden.
- Gently flip each salmon fillet and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes, ensuring the internal temperature reaches 145°F with a meat thermometer.
- Transfer salmon to a clean plate, leaving behind the flavorful pan drippings.
- Reduce skillet heat to medium and melt 2 tbsp butter in the same pan.
- Finely mince 3 cloves of garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until the aroma becomes fragrant.
- Pour ½ cup heavy cream and ¼ cup chicken broth into the skillet, stirring continuously to prevent scorching.
- Allow the sauce to simmer for 2-3 minutes, watching it slowly thicken and develop a rich consistency.
- Add 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice and 1 tbsp lemon zest to the sauce, whisking thoroughly to incorporate.
- Continue cooking the sauce for an additional 1-2 minutes until it reaches a smooth, slightly reduced texture.
- Carefully return salmon fillets to the skillet, generously coating each piece with the creamy lemon sauce.
Notes
- Drying the salmon thoroughly helps achieve a perfectly crispy skin that adds wonderful texture to the dish.
- Use a fish spatula or thin metal spatula to flip the salmon gently without breaking the delicate flesh.
- For a low-carb or keto version, serve the salmon with roasted vegetables instead of starchy sides.
- When checking salmon’s doneness, look for an opaque pink color and flaky texture at the thickest part of the fillet.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Salmon
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 445 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 890 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg