A wonderful twist on a popular Italian-American dish, this Salmon Piccata is made with tender pan-seared salmon and a rich, buttery lemon caper sauce.
One pan and 30 minutes is all you need! Just like my chicken piccata pasta recipe, this salmon piccata is elegant enough to impress guests, but also easy enough for busy weeknights!
If you love the classic chicken piccata, I think you’ll love this 30-minute salmon piccata recipe! It’s a quick and easy recipe, and the flavors are so good!
The lemon pan sauce is bright and tangy from the fresh lemon, rich and savory from the butter and white wine, and finished with salty and briny capers. It all comes together beautifully to complement the tender, golden brown salmon!
Our family loves serving salmon piccata over this easy lemon garlic pasta! And if you love easy weeknight salmon dinners, you need to try my Sheet Pan Salmon and Vegetables or Creamy Salmon Pasta!
Jump to:
Why I Love This Recipe
- Bright lemony flavors. Fresh lemon juice, butter, white wine, and briny capers make this piccata sauce so delicious!
- One pan, 30-minute meal. Makes an incredible weeknight meal that’s easy to make and clean up!
- Pairs well with anything. Goes great with pasta, rice, potatoes, or a side of simple grilled vegetables.
Ingredient Notes
To make salmon piccata, you only need a few pantry staple ingredients. Here, I included a few notes from recipe testing that I hope you find helpful.
- Salmon fillets: Find relatively thick salmon filets (skin removed), all about the same size for even cooking.
- All purpose flour: Coating the salmon with flour helps give it a deeper golden brown color and crust, and will also help thicken the sauce slightly at the end.
- Unsalted butter: Gives richness to the dish and helps thicken the sauce.
- Minced shallots and fresh garlic: Provides aromatic aroma and flavoring.
- Capers: Briny, salty capers truly shine in this salmon piccata! Adds amazing flavor, so definitely don’t skip it.
- Chicken broth: Helps to build the savory flavors of the sauce.
- White wine: Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio work great. If you prefer not to use wine, substitute with an extra splash of broth or omit it.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice: The lemon is the star in this dish, so use fresh for best results.
- Lemon slices: Thinly sliced.
- Fresh Italian parsley, olive oil, salt, pepper
As always, quantities are located in the recipe card down below.
How to Make Salmon Piccata
Step 1: Pat dry salmon filets, and season generously with salt and pepper. Then coat with a thin layer of all-purpose flour, shaking off any excess.
Step 2: Heat a few generous drizzles of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook the salmon, about 4-6 minutes per side until golden brown with the center reaching 135-140 degrees F. Remove then set aside.
Step 3: To the pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and sauté the minced shallots and garlic for about 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the capers (drained) and white wine, then scrape off any brown bits. This will unlock so much flavor!
Step 4: Add the lemon slices and give them a slight char. Then, stir in chicken broth and fresh lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for about 1-2 minutes.
Step 5: Turn the heat off. Then, off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and stir until the sauce becomes glossy and slightly thickened.
Step 6: Return the seared salmon to the pan and spoon over the juices. Garnish with the Italian parsley and more lemon slices. Serve your salmon piccata with your favorite sides and enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Important: At the end, add the butter off the heat. You want the butter to melt just enough to thicken the salmon piccata pan sauce slightly and give it rich, buttery flavors. If you let the butter simmer, the sauce won’t thicken.
- For best results, use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- The flour coating helps the salmon develop a nice, golden brown color. If you prefer not to use flour, you can omit it.
- Let the salmon cook undisturbed on each side to get a nice golden brown crust.
- Don’t overcook the salmon. The exact cooking time depends on the thickness of the salmon, but usually about 4-6 minutes per side or until internal temperature reads 135 to 140 degrees F.
Other Ways to Cook Salmon
While I think pan-searing is the easiest, here are other methods you can use to cook the salmon. After it’s cooked, add it to pan and spoon the lemon caper sauce over.
Bake: Bake at 400F for 10-12 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and reaches 135-140F internally.
Air Fryer: Preheat air fryer to 390°F. Lightly oil the basket and place salmon filets skin-side down. Air fry for 7-9 minutes, depending on thickness, until golden and cooked through.
Grill: Grill for about 5 minutes per side, or until grill marks appear and the salmon is just cooked through.
Recipe FAQs
Let it thaw completely and pat dry any excess moisture before cooking.
They are an essential ingredient to make salmon piccata and get the right flavors. They come in little jars and are delicious!
Yes, substitute with a splash of broth, or omit.
Sure! If using skin-on salmon, coat only the top with flour.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
You can also pair with salad! For a full salad, this Italian Chopped Salad is great! Or try my simple arugula salad.
Looking for more weeknight salmon recipes? Try my Salmon Florentine or Air Fryer Salmon Bites.
I’d love to hear from you! If you loved my recipe, please consider leaving a 5-star rating and a comment down below. Sign up for my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
Salmon Piccata
Equipment
- 12-inch nonstick skillet or ceramic
Ingredients
- 4 (6-ounce) filets salmon - skin removed
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour - for dredging
- Olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter - divided
- 1 tablespoon finely diced shallots
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons capers - drained, plus more to taste
- ¼ cup white wine - Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
- ½ cup chicken broth - plus more as needed
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice - to taste
- ½ a lemon - thinly sliced
- Chopped Italian parsley - garnish
Instructions
- Pat dry salmon filets and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Gently dredge with a thin coating of all-purpose flour, shaking off any excess. Note: The flour coating will give it a nice golden brown crust and also help thicken the sauce slightly.
- Heat a few generous drizzles of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook salmon on both sides, about 4-6 minutes per side (depending on the thickness), until golden brown or until the center reaches 135-140F. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- To the same pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Sauté shallots and garlic for about 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the capers and white wine, scraping any brown bits.
- Next, add lemon slices to get a nice char. Stir in the chicken broth and freshly squeezed lemon juice (to taste). Season with salt and pepper to taste, then let it simmer for another 1-2 minutes for the flavors to come together.
- Turn off the heat. Then, immediately stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter until the sauce is slightly thickened and glossy. Tip: Only add the butter off the heat, don’t let it simmer, otherwise the sauce will not thicken.
- Return the salmon to the pan and spoon over the sauce. Garnish with Italian parsley and more lemon slices. Serve immediately.
Notes
- For best results, use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the sauce.
- Important: At the end, add the butter off the heat. Let it melt gently to slightly thicken the sauce and add rich, buttery flavor. Avoid simmering the butter, as this will prevent the sauce from thickening properly.
- Preferably, remove the skin from the salmon beforehand, especially since we are coating it a layer of flour.
- How long to cook salmon: It depends on the thickness and how done you want it, but usually 4-6 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 135-14F.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Place leftovers in pan over medium heat until warmed through. You may need to add a splash of broth to loosen sauce. Or reheat in the microwave oven.
- White wine: A splash of broth, or omit
- Shallots: Finely diced yellow onion
- Chicken broth: Vegetable broth
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