Busy Day 1-Pan Lemon Salmon Skillet
This busy day lemon salmon skillet bursting with flavor is ready in only 30 minutes.
Why you’ll love Busy Day Lemon Salmon Skillet:
- This recipe is on your table in 30 minutes.
- Super easy prep- almost no chopping- just measure out a few spices and slice one lemon.
- Everything is made in one pan.
- Pantry staple centric. Most of the ingredients you probably have in your pantry- like garlic salt, smoke paprika, panko and brown sugar.
Ingredients in this busy day lemon salmon skillet:
7 Top Tips for Cooking with Salmon Filets:
- Salmon cooks very quickly. Do not overcook or it will be tough.
- The skin will crisp up nicely- do not force it from the pan. Once it has rendered its fat, it will release cleanly.
- Serve this dish on a warm plate to keep the sauce from seizing.
- If you do not have smoke paprika or garlic salt, use regular parks and kosher salt.
- King salmon or Sockeye are best for this recipe. Coho salmon is lighter in color, but acceptable. Always buy wild salmon. My least favorite is Atlantic farmed salmon.
- To reheat- warm salmon on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Do not microwave the salmon.
- Read more about the health benefits of salmon in another recipe of mine HERE.
Kitchen tools for success:
Other Salmon Dishes to try:
- Salad Niçoise
- Garlic Honey Salmon
- Quinoa and Salmon Bowl
- Protein packed green apple, salmon & lentil bowl
Busy Day Lemon Salmon Skillet
Equipment
- 1 non stick skillet
Ingredients
- 6-8 oz Wild Salmon Filets, skin on
- 2 large lemons
- 2 TBSP olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp light brown sugar
- 1 TBSP Panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 TBSP unsalted butter
Instructions
- Juice one of the lemons, set juice aside. Slice the other lemon into thin slices, set aside.
- Place the salmon filets on a board and pat dry. In a small bowl, combine 1 TBSP of the olive oil, smoked paprika, brown sugar, garlic salt, pepper, Panko. Spread the spice rub all over the skinless side of the salmon.
- Heat a large skillet on high heat. After one minute, add the remaining 1 TBSP olive oil to the hot pan. Place the salmon, skin side down into the pan and sear until the skin is crispy. The fish will release easily once the skin is cooked through. DO not force the salmon to release. Remove the fish after well seared. Cover and keep warm. With the heat OFF, add the butter, lemon juice and garlic to the hot pan. Stirring constantly, sauté the garlic until fragrant. Turn the heat up to low, add the lemon slices and let cook until softened- about 1-2 minutes. Add the fish back to the pan and spoon the garlicky butter sauce over the top of the fish and continue cooking until the fish is just cooked through- about 3 minutes more. Remove the fish to dinner plates and spoon sauce over the fish and top with cooked lemon slices.
- Serve immediately.