Creamy Salmon Piccata

Published December 27, 2017. Updated March 2, 2020

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This Salmon Piccata with a creamy lemon sauce is so easy to make and the flavor is sure to satisfy! It’s fancy enough to serve to guests yet simple enough for a weeknight dinner. The flavors will leave you craving this dish again and again!

If you love this recipe then also try my Chicken Piccata {with a creamy lemon sauce}!

Salmon cooking in skillet with creamy lemon sauce and capers. Shown here on a single serving plate with orzo and a side salad.

A Delicious Salmon Recipe

Here you get buttery salmon fillets pan seared to golden brown perfection then they are covered with a deliciously creamy, tangy lemon sauce and they’re finished with salty capers and fresh herbs. It’s an absolutely perfect pairing!

Plus it’s an easy to make recipe! Nothing complicated just a straightforward method and a quick cook time, can’t beat that!

And you’ll be dreaming about this savory, tempting flavor. Such much goodness in one bite!

Salmon Piccata Video!


Salmon recipe cooked in a skillet with creamy lemon dill sauce over the top.

Ingredients Needed to Make Salmon Piccata

  • Skinless salmon fillets
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Garlic
  • Low-sodium chicken broth
  • Cornstarch
  • Heavy cream
  • Lemon juice
  • Butter
  • Fresh dill and fresh parsley
  • Capers

Are there Optional Ingredients in This Recipe?

Here if you don’t like dill or capers one or the other can be omitted and you’d still get a delicious end result, because really it’s all about that dreamy lemon sauce and those perfectly pan seared salmon fillets.

Salmon Piccata shown here in a 12-inch non-stick skillet after cooking.

How to Make Salmon Piccata

  1. Rest salmon at room temp 10 minutes.
  2. Preheat 12 inch skillet, add oil.
  3. Dab salmon dry. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
  4. Sear in skillet until bottom is golden brown. Flip then continue to cook through.
  5. Transfer salmon to a plate.
  6. Saute garlic.
  7. Add broth and reduce in skillet.
  8. Make cornstarch slurry, add to mixture and let thicken.
  9. Stir in cream, lemon and dill.
  10. Return salmon, spoon sauce over and add capers. Pretty easy!

Tips to Perfectly Cook Salmon in a Skillet

With pan seared salmon a few tricks I’ve found to get a crispy exterior are to use a preheated hot skillet with just enough oil, dab the salmon dry first, give it space in the skillet, and don’t move it around. Let it sit in the same spot until it’s ready to be flipped.

It’s one of my favorite ways to cook salmon and it only takes minutes. You can’t beat that!

Once you start cooking salmon in a skillet you won’t look back. It is probably the cooking method I use most for salmon because it’s too convenient (preheating a skillet is way faster than preheating an oven or grill) and the end result is just so tasty.

Creamy Salmon Piccata shown here up close.

What Should I Serve with this Salmon Piccata

I like to serve this with orzo for the extra sauce and a side salad for some pops of color. But roasted veggies or steamed asparagus would also be a good choice.

You can never have too many salmon recipes so add this one to the list! Salmon is one of my favorite dinners so I’m always trying out new salmon recipes and I’m totally loving this one!

If you liked it then try my Creamy Chicken Piccata which is what this recipe was derived from.

Creamy Salmon Piccata

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5 from 15 votes

Creamy Salmon Piccata

Perfectly pan seared salmon fillets covered in a creamy, tangy lemon dill sauce and finished with salty capers. An easy and amazingly delicious salmon dish!
Servings: 4
Prep10 minutes
Cook15 minutes
Ready in: 35 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • If you have time let salmon rest at room temperature 10 minutes. 
  • Heat a 12-inch heavy bottomed non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil.
  • Dab salmon dry with paper towels. Season both sides lightly with salt and pepper. 
  • Place in skillet and sear until bottom is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Carefully flip then continue to cook until salmon is cooked through, about 2 - 3 minutes longer. 
  • Transfer salmon to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm, leave about 1 tsp oil in skillet. Add garlic and saute just until golden brown, about 20 seconds. 
  • Pour in 1 1/4 cups chicken broth and let simmer until broth is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile in a small bowl whisk together remaining 1 Tbsp broth with cornstarch. 
  • While whisking pour cornstarch mixture into reduced broth mixture. Cook and stir until thickened, about 1 minute. 
  • Stir in cream, butter, lemon and dill. Remove from heat, return salmon to skillet. 
  • Spoon sauce over salmon. Sprinkle with capers and parsley. Serve immediately.
  • Recipe source: adapted from my Creamy Chicken Piccata
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Salmon Piccata
Amount Per Serving
Calories 448 Calories from Fat 243
% Daily Value*
Fat 27g42%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 151mg50%
Sodium 268mg12%
Potassium 1120mg32%
Carbohydrates 3g1%
Protein 39g78%
Vitamin A 545IU11%
Vitamin C 4.8mg6%
Calcium 45mg5%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.