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Salmon Skillet with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce is the ultimate 30 minute weeknight dinner. Serve over orzo for a restaurant-worthy dinner.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Sun-Dried Tomato Salmon:
Crispy salmon, sun-dried tomatoes, and a garlicky cream sauce = the holy trinity.
Just like my favorite Broiled Salmon, this recipe tastes like something out of swanky seafood restaurant, yet you won’t believe how simple it is.
Plus, it comes together in just 30 minutes, making it 100% weeknight-friendly. (Or date-night-friendly, if that’s on your agenda this week!)
The sauce forms right in the pan, making the recipe ultra easy, and the flavor payoff is superb. (You’ll notice a similar sauce in this Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi.)
The sun-dried tomatoes add bright umami flavor to cut through the richness of the creamy sauce. Shallots and garlic add a layer of aromatic goodness, while spinach ups the nutrient ante.
One trick to infuse the salmon with extra flavor is to cook it in the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar. (I also use this method in my Ricotta Stuffed Shells recipe!)
Most often, this is olive oil that has been infused for months with that bright, tomato flavor. In this recipe, it’s pure liquid gold!
Serve over orzo with a simple side salad, and devour this delicious dinner.
And if you need more salmon meal inspo, check out this Miso Ginger Salmon or Sesame Crusted Salmon next!
The Ingredients
- Salmon: When it comes to seeking the right salmon, I recommend talking to your local fishmonger—or the person behind the fish counter at your local grocery store—to find out what’s best. I suggest wild King salmon, or farmed Atlantic salmon from Norway.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: You need both the tomatoes AND the oil from the jar. This provides a double dose of bright, tomato-y flavor.
- Heavy Cream: A little goes a long way in bringing together the sauce.
- White Wine: Look for a dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc. Alternatively, you can use chicken or vegetable broth.
- Spinach: To effortlessly sneak in some extra fiber and nutrients.
- Shallots: To form the aromatic backbone of the sauce.
- Garlic: Fresh is a must here! Use as much or as little as you desire.
- For serving: I love serving this salmon skillet meal over orzo pasta. You can serve it over a bed of sautéed spinach for a lower carb option.
For a complete list of ingredients and quantities, see the recipe card below.
The Directions
Step 1: Sauté Salmon
Heat sun-dried tomato oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Season salmon and cook, skin-side down, until skin is crispy. Flip, and continue cooking 2 more minutes.
Step 2: Cook shallots until soft, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, and cook 1 more minute.
Step 3: Deglaze the pan with white wine. Stir in heavy cream and gently simmer.
Step 4: Add Spinach, and stir until wilted. Add salmon back in pan, and garnish with parsley.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving this sun-dried tomato salmon over orzo pasta!
A simple, fresh side salad or veggie option is also a great accompaniment to this dish. Something crisp and nutritious will help cut through the richness of the sauce.
Here are a few of my favorites:
- Brussels Salad: Tossed with pear, pecans, and a zippy mustard dressing.
- Sautéed Broccoli: Simple, no frills, and ready in right around 10 minutes.
- Tahini Brussels Sprouts: Only 5 ingredients for this delicious side dish!
Recipe FAQs
The best salmon selection often depends on where you live and the time of year. Salmon is in season from May to October, so this is when you can expect to find the best selection.
However, during summer and winter months, frozen wild salmon is usually the next best thing. My personal favorite is King salmon, also known as Chinook. This variety has a high fat content, which makes the flesh super buttery and rich. Coho salmon is also a good choice, which will have a more delicate texture than King, but similar flavor.
If you purchase farm-raised as opposed to wild, look for the phrase “sustainably-farmed” on the label. This is generally a more responsible and environmentally-sound way to control overfishing.
There are a couple tricks to cooking salmon that’s moist and flaky on the inside with a crisp exterior. One of which is to only cook it on ONE side for most of the time.
Start the salmon skin-side down over medium-high heat and don’t flip it until it’s cooked about halfway through. (The skin should naturally release from the pan… if it sticks, it may need another minute or two.)
After the salmon is flipped, let the residual heat help cook the remainder of the fish without aggressively cooking the tender flesh.
Since King salmon and most farm-raised varieties have a higher fat content, they may take about 8 to 9 minutes total. Leaner varieties like sockeye may only take 6 minutes for medium-rare.
How to Store and Reheat:
- Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 2 days.
- Reheat: You can reheat this dish on the stove or in the microwave (I prefer the stove method). After reheating, I like to add a little lemon juice to freshen up the flavors.
- For the stove, heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil in the pan so that the salmon does not stick. After about a minute, add your salmon and sauce to the skillet and let it heat, covered, for about 5 minutes.
- For the microwave, place your salmon and sauce on a microwave-safe plate, cover it with a paper towel, and microwave for 30 to 60 seconds. After 30 seconds, adjust the salmon and stir the sauce for even heating.
Give this 30 minute recipe a try this week for a guaranteed weeknight win.
And, as always, be sure to snap a pic and tag @dishingouthealth so I can see your beautiful creations! Also follow along on Pinterest and Facebook for the latest recipes, plus what I’m loving lately.
More Salmon Dinner Recipes:
Salmon Skillet with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
Equipment
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 1.25 lbs. skin-on salmon, cut into 4 fillets
- 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper, divided
- 1/2 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes in oil (plus 2 Tbsp. oil from the jar)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 to 3 handfuls fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Thoroughly dry salmon fillets with a paper towel. Season evenly with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper.
- Heat sun-dried tomato oil in a large skillet over medium. Arrange salmon, skin-side down, in pan and cook until crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Gently flip, and continue cooking for 2 more minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through.Transfer salmon to a clean plate and cover to keep warm.
- Add shallots to pan and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and sun-dried tomatoes; cook 1 more minute, until aromatic.Add wine to deglaze the pan, and gently simmer until most of the alcohol evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in heavy cream, and bring mixture back to a gentle simmer. Stir in spinach, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper; cook until spinach wilts, about 2 minutes.
- Nestle salmon fillets back into the pan, and spoon sauce over each piece. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 2 days.
- Reheat: You can reheat this dish on the stove or in the microwave (I prefer the stove method). After reheating, I like to add a little lemon juice to freshen up the flavors.
- For the stove, heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil in the pan so that the salmon does not stick. After about a minute, add your salmon and sauce to the skillet and let it heat, covered, for about 5 minutes.
- For the microwave, place your salmon and sauce on a microwave-safe plate, cover it with a paper towel, and microwave for 30 to 60 seconds. After 30 seconds, adjust the salmon and stir the sauce for even heating.
Nutrition
I calculate these values by hand to ensure accuracy, however expect up to a 10% variable depending on food brands.
Made it exactly as written and it was delicious! Served with pearl couscous, roasted Brussel sprouts, and a slice of toasted sourdough bread. Will definitely make again!
Made it exactly as written and it was delicious. Served with pearl coucous, roasted Brussel sprouts, and a slice of toasted sourdough bread. Will definitely make again!
So good! I can’t use alcohol so I used apple juice and vinegar instead! Worked great.
I’ve made this twice now and it’s delicious! Personally I like a thinner sauce so I add milk instead of heavy cream and simmer it a little until it thickens to my taste. A little lighter too. Her recommendation to serve it over orzo is spot on. It’s a perfect combination!
Delish. Easy and fast to put together for a week night dinner. Impressive enough to make for company. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
What can I substitute for the cream that could be low fat?
My husband couldn’t stop saying “mmmm” this is amazing! It’s delicious!!
This tastes restaurant-worthy! We have made it twice already.
So good! Literally restaurant style. If you have a date you want to impress make this dish 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Sarah! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
This one is a hit in our house! So quick and easy to put together, and delicious too! We served over orzo as suggested and will definitely be making again soon.
I’m so glad the recipe was a hit! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
This was phenomenal! We lapped up the entire dish
Served over a quinoa salad
I’m so glad you enjoyed this one! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a rating & review.