This creamy lemon salmon is super delicious yet unbelievably easy to make!
For how simple this recipe is, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how tasty it is. Follow me…
Pan Fried Salmon
Salmon makes an awesome dinner, mainly because it takes on a range of delicious flavours, but also because it’s quick & easy to prepare.
What kind of salmon to use?
For this recipe, we’re going to be using skinless salmon fillets. I tend to head to the fresh fish section at the shops because you can usually get it skinned and sliced to size. However, you’ll find fillets pre-packaged too. Just make sure they’re not smoked!
Top tips for pan-frying salmon
- Prep – Ensure you bring the salmon up to room temp before you fry. This will help the salmon cook through evenly.
- Pat Dry – I like to pat the salmon dry to remove excess moisture. This will help the salmon build up a nice crust.
- Season – Like any meat or fish, generously season with salt and pepper before it hits the pan.
- Pan – Using a non-stick pan will prevent the salmon from falling apart when you flip it.
- Heat – Keep the heat medium/high to get a nice golden crust.
- Rest – Allowing the salmon to rest will ensure it fully cooks through without sacrificing juiciness.
Process shots: pat salmon dry (photo 1), season (photo 2), add to pan (photo 3), fry (photo 4).
Creamy Lemon Sauce for Salmon
This is a really simple sauce that pairs so beautifully with the salmon. It’s got a base of butter, chicken stock and cream, then flavoured with Dijon mustard, lemon zest and lemon juice.
How lemony is the sauce?
It’s really in your control. I recommend the zest of a whole lemon, which adds a subtle lemon flavour. From there I typically add in the juice of half the lemon, but I recommend working to taste.
Process shots: melt butter (photo 1), fry shallots, garlic & lemon zest (photo 2), stir in stock and cream (photo 3), stir in Dijon and lemon juice (photo 4), simmer then add salmon (photo 5), garnish with parsley (photo 6).
Creamy Lemon Salmon FAQ
Won’t the lemon juice curdle the sauce?
So long as you’re using heavy (US) or double (UK) cream, the sauce won’t curdle. As such, I don’t recommend using anything lighter (half & half/single cream).
How do I thicken the sauce?
Just gently simmer away and it’ll naturally thicken. The lemon juice and Dijon will both also help thicken the sauce.
Do I have to garnish with parsley?
Parsley goes beautifully with lemon, cream AND salmon, so I highly recommend using it if you can.
Serving Creamy Lemon Salmon
Here I’ve served with Roast Potatoes and Asparagus. I used my Roasted Baby Potatoes Recipe and chucked in some asparagus for the last 10 mins or so of cooking.
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this creamy lemon salmon shall we?!
How to make Creamy Lemon Salmon (Full Recipe & Video)
Creamy Lemon Salmon
Equipment
- Large Non-Stick Pan & Tongs
- Wooden Spoon
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Jug (for stock)
- Fine Grater or Zester (for lemon)
- Paper Towels
Ingredients
- 4x boneless skinless Salmon Fillets, take out the fridge 15-30 mins before needed (approx 4-5oz / 120-150g each)
- 3/4 cup / 180ml Chicken Stock
- 1/2 cup / 120ml Heavy/Double Cream, at room temp
- 4 tbsp / 2oz / 60g Unsalted Butter,
- 1 Lemon, zested and halved
- 2 small Shallots, very finely diced
- 2 large cloves of Garlic, very finely diced
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper, plus more as needed
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp Salt, plus more as needed
- 1 tbsp finely diced Fresh Parsley, to serve
Instructions
- Pat the salmon dry with paper towels then season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Add olive oil to a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the salmon and fry for a few mins on each side, or until they build up a golden crust and are just about cooked through the centre. Remove them from the pan and lower the heat to medium.
- Melt in the butter then fry the shallots for a couple of mins, or until they just about start to take on colour. Add in the garlic & lemon zest and fry for another 30 seconds (careful the garlic doesn't burn).
- Pour in the chicken stock then stir in the cream. Stir in the Dijon mustard and your preferred amount of lemon juice. I usually go for 1 tbsp lemon juice (~ half a lemon), but start with less and work up if you'd prefer.
- Give it all a good stir and simmer until the sauce thickens, around 5 mins. Season to taste, then add the salmon back in (alongside any resting juices) and baste in the sauce.
- Serve with fresh parsley then tuck in and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
For the sister recipes to this dish check out my Creamy Lemon Chicken and Creamy Lemon Pork Chops!
For more similar recipes check out these beauties:
Easy Salmon Recipes
- Hot Honey Butter Salmon
- Honey Sriracha Salmon
- Creamy Cajun Salmon
- Garlic Herb Baked Salmon
- Chipotle Salmon with Mango Salsa
- Garlic Butter Salmon
- Salmon and Gnocchi
How many (adults) does this recipe serve?
Hi Melody! There’s 4 fillets, so it feeds 4 people with a side or two. C.
I have made this recipe 5 times I love this. It is my goto salmon recipe the sauce is amazing. That being said i cannot for the life of me get the sauce to thicken. It says like 5 mins but I’ll be there 15-20 mins stirring this sauce on low low heat. If I turn up the heat it separates if I leave and not stir it separates. I know I’m doing something wrong but I cannot for the life of me get it. 5 times I’ve tried If I’m meant to have runny sauce then so be it I will continue to make it cause it’s delicious. I have thought about adding cornstarch or flour maybe to thicken it. Help me out please
Hey Sam! Firstly, thank you for the review and I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying the recipe. If you’ve got the heat on low it’ll definitely take longer to thicken. I’ve never experienced curdling/splitting on a more rapid simmer so long as I’m using heavy/double cream and give it a good stir to keep it all together. You could even use a whisk to stir to ensure it all emulsifies properly. Just be aware the sauce won’t bind right away and will look somewhat separated at the start. Only when it begins to reduce and thicken will it all come together. Are you adding the mustard? This also helps thicken. I’m not too sure what’s going wrong past that – I’ve made this sauce and many similar an ungodly amount of times and it will work. Not saying that to gaslight you, more just to give you hope that it will work. My advice – raise the temp, be aware it won’t emulsify right away and use a whisk to bind it as best you can as it begins to thicken. C.
My husband is a chef and he was very impressed he says it was very well balanced. My new favourite sauce! Thanks!
That’s awesome to hear! Thanks Judith 🙂 C.
Delicious! So easy to make and it was demolished by my family, little kids included. I think it’s going to be my go-to salmon recipe in future!
So pleased to hear, Suzanne! Thanks so much for popping back for a review 🙂 C.
So delicious!!! I also followed a previous comment about baking the salmon instead just because I am not as confident with cooking fish. Turned out so good, I am making it again tonight!
So pleased it went down well! Thanks so much for the review 🙂 C.
I am so sorry…five stars!
I LOVED the lemon cream sauce…I followed everything, including the juice of half a lemon. Now, I did change the cooking of the salmon. I have found that I get perfect results each and every time I bake the salmon at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. I drizzle some olive oil and salt and pepper on it before baking. I am just suggesting this alternate method for people who are timid cooking salmon.
Thanks so much for the baking advice! And thanks for coming back for a review 🙂 C.
This was so delicious and came together so easy. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks so much for the review, Mary! C.