The key to crispy pan-fried salmon is to make sure your oil is hot enough. Drop a few grains of salt into the oil and if it sizzles your pan is ready! We paired the salmon with a vibrant citrus salsa verde that can be made up to a week in advance.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 20 min |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- Juice of 1 lime, plus 1 teaspoon zest
- Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus 1 teaspoon zest
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped chives
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 small shallot, roughly chopped (about 1 ounce)
- 1 tablespoon drained capers
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- Four 6-ounce skin-on salmon fillets
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the lime juice, lime zest, lemon juice, lemon zest, 3 tablespoons olive oil, parsley, cilantro, chives, garlic, shallot, capers, sugar and red pepper flakes into the jar of a blender. Pulse the ingredients until they are roughly chopped and begin to come together. Scrape down the sides with a spatula and continue to blend until smooth. Set aside until ready to use or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week.
- Season the salmon fillets all over with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.
- Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the salmon, skin-side up, and cook untouched until the edges crisp and turn golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until firm when pressed, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and spoon the salsa verde on top. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 560 |
| Total Fat | 43 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 36 g |
| Cholesterol | 94 mg |
| Sodium | 555 mg |
Reviews
Loved this! I did bake the salmon rather than pan searing just because that is my preference. The “salsa verde” makes the dish! Definite keeper!
Half as much pesto would be plenty, might skip parsley and go with just cilantro next time. Got pan pretty hot and went skin-side down (real crispy ‘salmon-skin bacon’ resulted. Enjoyed prepping – first time I ever used a blender to make the pesto! Salmon delish (can’t miss with this…)
The pairing of the sauce and fish was amazing. I crisped the skin of the salmon and the tangy sauce took it over the top. Will make this again.
Nice meeting you
Delicious. I’ve never pan fried salmon before, but now I won’t cook it any other way. Love the crispy “crust” it made.
Great! I needed to add a little salt to the salsa for my taste, but it was a nice pairing with the salmon.
Great
Loved the salmon, liked the sauce. 4 starts because it was a little sweet for me with the sugar added to it.
This is really good. The dressing is delicious and easy to make. Definitely a keeper!
Excellente’