Tender pan-fried salmon fillets in a sweet, tangy and glossy honey lemon sauce. The perfect easy 20 minute dinner!
When it comes to delicious sauces for salmon, they truly don’t come easier than this. Follow me…
Pan-fried Salmon
For this recipe we’ll be using boneless skinless salmon fillets. Whilst you could use skin-on fillets, you’ll likely find the sauce just slides right off the skin and could become soggy.
Preparing the salmon
I recommend patting the salmon dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. This will ensure you’re able to get a nice crust on the salmon (and therefore develop more flavour) instead of it just steaming in the pan. From there, I like to season with a simple concoction of salt, black pepper and garlic powder.
Cooking the salmon
In general, you’ll likely need to cook the salmon for less time than you think. Mainly because it’ll carry on cooking as it rests and once added back to the pan. It’s always good to stay on the side of caution because you can easily continue cooking it if needed. If in doubt, just use a fork to gently ply and check the centre is just about opaque and light pink.
Process shots: add oil and butter to pan (photo 1), melt butter (photo 2), add salmon (photo 3), fry then remove (photo 4).
Recipe Tip
Salmon is notorious for sticking to the pan, so I highly recommend a decent non-stick pan.
Honey Lemon Sauce for Salmon
The sauce is probably one of the easiest pan sauces you’ll ever make and requires just 4 ingredients:
- Stock – chicken stock will make up the bulk of the sauce in the initial stage (it reduces as you simmer).
- Honey – use runny honey so it blends into the sauce easier.
- Lemon – fresh lemon juice always!
- Butter – this adds richness to the sauce and helps thicken it.
One other free ingredient is the resting juices from the salmon. As the salmon rests, you’ll notice a pool of juices form – this is extra flavour, so don’t waste it!
Sauce consistency
There is no need to use any type of flour to thicken the sauce. As the stock evaporates, the honey starts to re-thicken. At the same time, the butter emulsifies with the sauce and helps create a light, glossy sauce. It won’t be super thick, but it’s perfect to spoon over the salmon and certainly isn’t watery at all.
Process shots: add stock, honey and lemon to pan (photo 1), whisk in butter (photo 2), stir in resting juices (photo 3), add salmon and baste in sauce (photo 4).
How to serve Honey Lemon Salmon
I like to add a thin slice of lemon on the fillets, so when you baste in the sauce, the lemon slice infuses it with extra lemon flavour. From there, I recommend two important garnishes:
- Chives – these add a final pop of colour and flavour.
- Black Pepper – lemon and pepper is a match made in heaven, so I like an extra pinch at the end to highlight the pairing.
Here I’ve served with some well-seasoned boiled potatoes (that I squashed with a fork) and a simple side salad, but some crusty bread and asparagus would work just as well!
For the sister recipe to this dish check out my Honey Lemon Chicken!
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this honey lemon salmon shall we?!
How to make Honey Lemon Salmon (Full Recipe & Video)
Honey Lemon Salmon
Equipment
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Paper Towels/Kitchen Roll
- Large Non-Stick Pan & Tongs
- Wooden Spoon
- Jug (for stock)
Ingredients
Salmon
- 4x 4-5oz/120-150g boneless skinless Salmon Fillets (see notes)
- 1/2 tsp EACH: Salt, Black Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp / 15g Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
Sauce
- 1/2 cup / 120ml Chicken Stock
- 2 1/2 tbsp Honey
- 1 large Lemon (see notes)
- 2 1/2 tbsp / 40g Unsalted Butter (keep in the fridge until needed)
Garnish
- finely diced Fresh Chives (see notes)
- Cracked Black Pepper
Instructions
- Slice two thin circles in the centre of the lemon, then halve both of them to create 4 half moons (to serve). Use the remaining lemon to squeeze 1 1/2 tbsp of juice.
- Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels/kitchen roll, then season both sides with the salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Place a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Melt in the butter, then once hot, add the salmon presentation side down. Fry both sides for around 3 minutes, or until they build up a golden crust and the salmon is almost cooked through the centre, then remove and place on a plate to one side.
- Turn the heat down to medium and stir in the stock, honey and lemon juice. Add the cold butter and swiftly stir until it blends into the sauce. Keep stirring and simmering until the sauce reduces and thickens to a glossy consistency. If the sauce looks like it's splitting at all, just lower the heat and keep swiftly stirring. The sauce will be light, but thick enough to spoon over the salmon and not watery at all.
- Stir in the resting juices from the salmon and simmer to re-thicken if needed, then season to taste with salt (generously if needed). Add the salmon to the pan, place the lemon slices on top and baste in the sauce.
- Serve the salmon with the sauce drizzled over the top, then garnish with chives and more black pepper.
Video
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
