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This pan fried salmon with sun-dried tomato sauce is quick, easy, and packed with flavor. Cream, garlic, and Italian herbs make the sauce rich and irresistible.
And hey, if garlic is always your vibe, check out my garlic butter salmon and honey garlic salmon, too!
Pan Fried Salmon in Sundried Tomato Sauce
This pan-fried salmon is packed with tons of texture and flavor. It’s the kind of dinner that tastes straight off a restaurant menu. At the end of summer, I love cooking with sun-dried tomatoes. They’ve got that bold, golden flavor that just screams late summer, and they pair perfectly with salmon. And cream. Always cream. Which is why this recipe is basically a trifecta of happiness.
Anyway, trust me on this one! It’s quick, it’s creamy, and it’s ridiculously good. You’ll definitely want this on repeat.
What You’ll Need
Here’s a quick rundown of the ingredients you’ll need to make pan fried salmon in cream sauce. Most of them are ordinary pantry staples, which makes this an easy dinner to whip up on the fly.
- Olive Oil: To cook the salmon, you’ll need a bit of olive oil, just enough to swirl around the bottom of the pan.
- Salmon Fillets: This recipe makes one and a half pounds of salmon fillets. It’s fine if the skin is on or off, whichever you prefer. I like to use fillets with the skin on because it’s easier to keep the fillets from falling apart while cooking.
- Salt and Black Pepper: To taste.
- Onion: Finely dice one small yellow onion (white and sweet onions also work).
- Garlic: I like to use fresh garlic in this recipe, because it has a sharper, brighter taste. But if you need to, you can substitute a teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Sundried Tomatoes: You’ll need a small jar (4 or 5 ounces) of sundried tomatoes for this recipe. Drain the oil, but save a couple of tablespoons; slice the tomatoes with a sharp knife.
- Heavy Cream: A cup of heavy cream makes the sauce creamy and luxurious! If you need to use half and half instead, that will work, but it won’t be as thick and flavorful.
- Italian Seasoning: Half of a tablespoon of your favorite Italian seasoning blend adds fragrance and bite.
- Vegetable Broth: To get the right sauce consistency, you’ll need about 1/4 of a cup of your preferred broth. I usually use low-sodium veggie broth for recipes like this one. Chicken broth is also fine.
How to Pan Fry Salmon
Here’s the play: sear the salmon fillets, whip up a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce in the same skillet (hello, built-in flavor), then slide the salmon back in for the ultimate flavor mash-up. It’s like Inception, but with salmon. Salmon-ception.
- Cook the Salmon Fillets on the First Side. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet, set over medium heat. Season each salmon fillet with a bit of salt and pepper. Place the fillets in the hot oil, and cook until the fillet visibly lightens in color, about ¾ of the way up. This can take up to 8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.
- Cook the Fillets on the Second Side. Using a fish spatula, carefully flip over the salmon fillets, and cook for 3 to 4 more minutes longer, or until cooked through. Be careful not to overcook. Remove the salmon from the skillet, and set it aside.
- Saute the Tomatoes, Onions, Garlic, and Herbs. Using the same skillet, begin heating the reserved oil from the sun-dried tomatoes over medium heat. Add the onions, and cook for a minute or so. Then stir in the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and Italian seasoning; cook for another minute, or until fragrant.
- Make the Sauce. Pour the vegetable broth into the skillet, and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the heavy cream and stir well to combine. Taste the sauce for salt and pepper, and adjust accordingly.
- Heat the Salmon in the Sauce. Add the salmon back to the skillet, and cook in the sauce for 2 more minutes, or until heated through. Remove the skillet from heat. Spoon the sauce over the salmon fillets, garnish with parsley, and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Instant-Read Meat Thermometer: If you want an easy way to make sure your salmon is done, I highly recommend using an instant-read thermometer. Easy and quick! Salmon is cooked through when its internal temperature at the thickest part registers at 145˚F.
- Press and hold: When you lay your fillets in the pan, they sometimes curve upward. Avoid this by using your fish spatula to press the salmon fillets against the hot pan until they’re partially cooked.
- Use wild-caught when possible: Wild-caught salmon is known for being more flavorful and more nutritious than farmed salmon, so definitely use it when possible!
What to Serve with Salmon
You can serve almost anything with pan fried salmon, from buttered pasta to a garden salad. I love serving my crispy air fryer roasted broccoli as a side dish and these especially amazing sweet potato wedges. My roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots is an easy and scrumptious roasted veggie recipe that also goes perfectly with salmon.
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Pan Fried Salmon
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ pounds salmon fillets, skin ON or OFF, see my notes
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 4 ounces jar of sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, and tomatoes chopped or sliced, reserve 2 tablespoons oil for the recipe
- ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Prep. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat.
- Cook the fish. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Add the fillets to the heated oil and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until cooked 3/4 of the way up. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fillet. Using a fish spatula, carefully flip over the salmon and cook for 3 to 4 more minutes, or until cooked through. To check for doneness, you can use an instant-read meat thermometer; salmon is done when the thickest part of the salmon registers at 145˚F. Remove the fillets from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté the onions with the sun-dried tomato oil. In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon of the reserved sun-dried tomato oil and heat it over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for a minute. Add the remaining tablespoon of sun-dried tomato oil only if needed.
- Add the garlic and tomatoes. Stir in the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and Italian seasoning; cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
- Stir in the liquids. Add the vegetable broth to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Stir in the heavy cream and cook until heated through. Taste the sauce for salt and pepper and adjust accordingly.
- Combine. Return the salmon fillets to the skillet and cook for 2 more minutes, or until the sauce is slightly thickened.
- Rest and serve. Remove the skillet from the heat and let it rest for a few minutes. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Then, spoon the sauce over the salmon fillets, garnish with parsley, and serve.
Notes
- Salmon with skin ON or OFF? This is up to you; however, I like to use fillets with the skin on because it’s easier to keep the fillets from falling apart while cooking.
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.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge. To store, place leftovers in shallow airtight containers and refrigerate for 2-3 days. You can use leftover salmon to make my salmon cobb salad or toss it in this chopped salad.
- To reheat, place leftovers in a covered skillet and heat on low until the fish reaches a safe internal temperature of 145°F. You can also reheat the salmon and sauce, covered with foil, at about 350°F, until it reaches the correct internal temperature.
Oh my God!!! This salmon recipe is delicious! My family loved it!!! I canโt wait to make it again! I would give this recipe 10 stars if I could!! I paired it with mashed potatoes and asparagus. Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Yay! That is so wonderful to hear! I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
We loved this recipe! Thank you!
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
Absolutely awesome recipe! Simple and yet rich and elegant on the plate. Fish market didn’t have salmon so I went with halibut, but I didn’t change anything else. Definitely a new favorite on our dinner rotation.
Thank YOU! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! ๐
This is absolutely one of the best salmon recipes I have made! The flavors of the garlic, onion, and sundried tomatoes in the sauce are just marvelous!!
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐