Salmon With Lemon Cream Sauce (Printable)
Tender salmon fillets with a rich, tangy lemon cream sauce—ready in 30 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Salmon
01 - 4 salmon fillets (about 5–6 oz each), skinless or skin-on
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Lemon Cream Sauce
04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 cup heavy cream
07 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
08 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
09 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
10 - 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How to Make It:
01 - Pat the salmon fillets thoroughly dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place salmon fillets skin side down (if using skin-on) and cook for 4–5 minutes per side until golden and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and loosely tent with foil to keep warm.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. In the same skillet, melt the butter. Add minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to brown it.
04 - Pour in the heavy cream and whisk in the Dijon mustard. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce begins to thicken slightly.
05 - Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Continue simmering for 2 more minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
06 - Remove from heat and stir in the chopped parsley. Taste and adjust the lemon juice, salt, and pepper as needed.
07 - Return the salmon fillets to the skillet, spooning the sauce over the top. Simmer gently for 1–2 minutes to rewarm the fish. Serve immediately, garnished with extra parsley and lemon wedges if desired.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The lemon cream sauce comes together in the same pan so every golden bit of flavor gets folded right back in.
- It tastes like something you would order at a nice restaurant but honestly comes together in about half an hour.
02 -
- If the sauce looks curdled your heat is too high so keep it at a gentle simmer never a rolling boil.
- Patting the salmon completely dry before searing is the single step that separates a soggy fillet from a beautifully crusted one.
03 -
- Take the salmon off the heat when the center is still slightly translucent because carryover cooking will finish the job perfectly.
- A tiny squeeze of extra lemon juice right at the end brightens the whole dish in a way that makes people close their eyes when they taste it.