Let me tell ya something (In my Fire Marshall Bill voice)…this creamy lemon garlic salmon recipe is heaven on earth! The salmon is so moist and tender. The sauce is creamy, lemon-y, garlicky, dill-y, and freaking amazing. This recipe just makes you want to smile from ear to ear.
Now, I must say….I usually do not order nor eat salmon dishes. So for me to be gushy over this recipe just lets you know how good it really is.
Jump to RecipeWhat you’ll Need
Lets quickly break down the ingredients for this breathtaking fish dish.
- Salmon Fillets – Aim for the same-size fillets that are cut roughly from the middle of the fish.
- Garlic – Because it’s a necessity!
- Dijon Mustard – Provides a little tangy-ness and boldness to the dish. Dijon mustard is bold and thick with a bit of a kick, a touch of salt and acid.
- Cream – Definitely use heavy cream to make a thick sauce consistency. But if interested in a thinner sauce use half-and-half.
- Butter – Adds more flavor flavor!
- Flour – Helps thicken up the sauce overall. If trying to make this recipe gluten-free friendly, simply use corn starch or xanthan gum instead.
- Fresh herbs & Greenery– Pops of color are appealing and helps the dish standout. Both aesthetically and with taste.
- Lemon – This is a fish dish best friend! It just wakes up the dish providing the necessary touch of citrus.
Ultimate Guide to crispy Salmon fillets
Crispy salmon swimming in a garlic lemon creamy sauce…sign me up right? Pan seared fish with some kind of lemon sauce will forever call me name and hopefully yours as well. Enough rambling lets get into the crispy skin. Is it just me or does achieving crispy salmon feel like hella awesome moment? You’ve just created a restaurant-worthy dish with a complimentary sauce. That deserves a huge pat on the back and a momma….I made it moment!
The Fish
The key to a good fish dish is the quality of the fish. So like we always say avoid the so call “fresh counter” at any grocery store. It’s always flash frozen and then re-thawed and put on display on the counter. Unless you’re waking up at the crack of dawn and live near an ocean with fresh fish markets. Just purchase the frozen fish (either sustainable farm or wild caught), it’s flash frozen as soon as it hits a fish boat.
To start, place the thawed fish on a serving plate with the skin facing the ceiling. Refrigerate the fish uncovered for 30 minutes to an hour. During this process you’re in deed drying out the salmon, WHICH will lead to an incredibly crispy skin. JUST GIVE IT A CHANCE. After some time has gone by seasoning both sides generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Because seasoning is life! Place a good amount of high quality extra virgin olive oil in a skillet (preferably stainless steel). Bless the oil with the salmon skin down into the pan. Heat the skillet on high, cook the skin until golden and crispy then flip it and continue to cook for a few minutes. All the major deets can be found in the recipe below.
Jump to Recipe
Top Secret Tips for a great Salmon dish
Some tips were already mentioned in the previous section. But don’t worry we’ll reiterate below:
- Purchase the salmon from the frozen section. Like we always mention shrimp, scallops, and fish are flash frozen after being sustainably caught. Meaning the fish labelled as fresh in majority of grocery stores is in fact fish previously frozen, being thawed. So, skip that section and go straight to the frozen section. It really is the same thing.
- Keep the skin for more flavor.
- Use full fat milk, it makes for an incredibly rich sauce.
- Please don’t overcook the fish, pay attention.
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Creamy Lemon Salmon
Ingredients
- 4 Salmon fillets 4 oz. each
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 1 Shallot finely chopped
- 1 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Lemon juice and zest
- 1¼ cup Heavy cream
- 4 Garlic cloves minced
- 3 tbsp Dill chopped
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp Capers
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp Crushed red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Remove the salmon from the packaging. Place the thawed fish onto a serving plate with the skin up. Refrigerate the fish uncovered for 30 minutes to an hour .
- Season all sides generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. In a large stainless steel skillet, add the extra virgin olive oil. Place the salmon in the cold pan with the skin down. Heat the pan over medium-hight heat. Sear the salmon skin side-down for 5-6 minutes or until golden. Flip and cook for an additional 4-6 minutes. Remove the salmon from the skillet and transfer to a plate.
- Reduce the heat of the pan to a medium and melt the unsalted butter. Sauté the shallots until translucent (approximately 5-10 minutes). Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Afterwards, stir in the flour and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Whisk in the heavy cream and Dijon mustard. Bring the sauce to a simmer and let it thicken for 4 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest, capers, and fresh dill. Season with salt and pepper (add the optional red pepper flakes if heat is desired).
- Return the salmon fillets to the skillet and allow to simmer for a 1-2 minutes. Serve hot.