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This Garlic Dijon Salmon recipe makes juicy, flaky, and flavorful salmon fillets pan seared in a delicious cream sauce with dijon mustard and garlic.
Looking for more salmon recipes? Try my easy oven baked salmon in garlic butter sauce!
PAN SEARED GARLIC DIJON SALMON
Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, everyone absolutely loves this salmon recipe. The creamy sauce is unbelievably good!
When it comes to seafood, this 20-minute dijon salmon is one of our go-to recipes along with our Skillet Shrimp Fajitas and Salmon Tacos. Easy, light, and delicious comfort food at its finest.
The beauty of this recipe is that there’s no need to stress. Yes, it looks fancy, and it’s perfect to serve when entertaining, but preparing it is a breeze. Cooking salmon in a skillet is the easiest, quickest, and most delicious, IMHO.
HOW TO PAN FRY SALMON
Creamy Garlic Dijon Salmon is very easy to make using minimal ingredients you already have on hand.
- First, pat dry the salmon fillets with paper towels. If salmon was in the fridge, let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Take out a large skillet and heat up the oil and butter in it.
- Season the fillets with salt, pepper, paprika, Italian Seasoning, and garlic powder.
- Sear salmon in the hot oil for about 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until flaky and cooked through.
- Remove from skillet and set aside; keep them covered.
HOW TO MAKE CREAMY GARLIC DIJON SAUCE
- DO NOT clean off the skillet. Return skillet to the heat and melt the butter.
- Stir in garlic and cook, stirring frequently so the garlic does not burn.
- Pour in chicken broth and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Bring broth to a simmer; continue to cook for 3 minutes.
- Whisk in heavy cream and dijon mustard; cook for 30 seconds.
- At this point, decide if you want to add asparagus to the skillet, just as I did. You don’t have to use the veggies if you don’t want to.
- Return salmon fillets to the skillet and cook for 4 more minutes, or until asparagus is cooked and sauce is thickened.
- Remove from heat and serve.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH SALMON
Roasted veggies are a favorite side dish around here. I often serve Salmon with Asparagus, Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots.
MORE POPULAR SALMON RECIPES
- Honey Garlic Sauce Salmon
- Pan Seared Salmon with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
- Garlic Butter Baked Salmon
- Roasted Salmon with Brussels Sprouts
ENJOY!
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Creamy Garlic Dijon Salmon
Ingredients
FOR THE SALMON
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 pound salmon fillets
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
FOR THE CREAMY GARLIC DIJON SAUCE
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic,, minced
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth,, fish broth, or vegetable broth
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard,, you can use less or more
- 1 pound thin asparagus stalks,, ends trimmed off and asparagus cut in half for easier handling
- chopped fresh parsley,, for garnish
Instructions
- Pat dry salmon fillets with paper towels.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Season salmon fillets with salt, pepper, Italian Seasoning, garlic powder, and paprika; transfer to the skillet, skin-side up. IF your skillet isn't big enough, don't crowd the skillet; please cook the fillets in two batches.
- Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until browned and cooked three quarters of the way through.
- Flip over and cook for 4 more minutes, or until cooked through.
- Remove fish from skillet and transfer to a plate; keep them covered. DO NOT discard the juices in the skillet.
- Return skillet to the heat and melt the remaining butter.
- Stir in minced garlic and continue to cook for 30 seconds, stirring very frequently.
- Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- Bring to a simmer; lower heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes.
- Whisk in the cream and dijon mustard; add in the asparagus.
- Add the salmon back into the skillet and simmer over medium-low heat for 4 minutes or until asparagus is fork tender and sauce is thickened. If you want a creamier, thicker sauce, continue to cook until sauce is reduced to a desired consistency. You can also add some butter, stir it through, and cook until creamy.
- Remove from heat.
- Sprinkle with parsley.
- Serve.
Notes
- Remove fish from the fridge 15 minutes before you’re ready to start cooking.
- Cook the fillets in an oiled hot cast iron skillet or a nonstick pan.
- DO NOT move the fish around until it has cooked about 3/4 of the way up. Then, flip it and continue to cook for couple more minutes.
- Keep leftovers in the fridge stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I love lots of seafood but not usually fish! I have only been able to eat like sea bass or fresh Mahi Mahi but this salmon dish is amazing!! It’s my first time making ANY salmon dish and as long as you follow the directions it’s super easy and comes out perfect every time! My son even liked it!!
That’s great to hear! I’m very happy everyone loved it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Keeping this one! The flavor is fanatic! The only reason I’m giving it 4 stars is because the sauce is too thin and we like a creamier sauce. I also added some white cooking wine. So good! Thanks so much!
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
An absolutely stunning recipe! I had a package of wild coho salmon portions left in my mail-order delivery box, so I put them to use with this recipe. The family went wild for it, even the kids!! Thank you for sharing.
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
My favorite go to recipe for salmon!
A very easy but luxurious and decadent dish! I think even non-Salmon eaters will appreciate this one. And I adore salmon and asparagus together. The cream sauce with Dijon is delish! I made it with a wild-caught Alaskan Coho Salmon. I did cut the stock with some white wine because everything is better with wine!. Kudos! Thanks for the recipe, a definite keeper!
That’s wonderful! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Made this recipe and it was a hit!! My son says sauce is a little thin, but, that’s ok cause it goes better on his mashed potatoes! LOL!! Will definitely make again!
I am SO happy you enjoyed it!! Thank you, Toni! 🙂
I made this last week and it was BOMB! I only had dried parsley so I mixed it together, added a bit lemon juice to help the parsley hydrate and let it sit for a few minutes before cooking. All my family loved this! Next time I’ll use a different fish, maybe halibut or turbot. Thank you, Katerina, for sharing this great recipe with us! Pinned!
Nice dish which I can scale down to serve 1 or 2.
I can’t wait to make this. It is going on my menu for next week! My family loves salmon dinners and this one sounds amazing.
So much flavor in this simple dish! Salmon is one of my most favorite dinners, so I can’t wait to give this a try.