Pan Seared Salmon With White Wine Sauce

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This Pan Seared Salmon With White Wine Sauce is quick, easy to make, and incredibly flavorful! King salmon is pan-seared for a perfectly crispy crust, then topped with a lemon butter white wine sauce. This is restaurant-quality salmon made at home! If you think you have to go to a restaurant to get a crispy, pan-seared salmon – think again! This salmon recipe will blow you away. This yummy meal is ready in less than 30 minutes and is served with a mouthwatering white wine lemon tarragon sauce.

cooked salmon fillets on a plate with a white wine sauce

At our house, we love easy dinners that taste great, but can still be made on busy nights. For easy recipes that the family will rush to the table for, try this sheet pan chicken and veggies, honey garlic chicken bites, or this chicken and stuffing in the crockpot.

What You’ll Love About This Salmon Recipe

Perfectly seared salmon: The pan-searing technique locks in the salmon’s natural juices for succulent, tender fish with a crispy exterior.
Flavorful seasoning: A blend of kosher salt, black pepper, and paprika adds a burst of savory, delicious flavor to the salmon.
Heavenly white wine sauce: The rich and velvety sauce made with white wine, shallots, butter, lemon juice, and fresh tarragon complements the salmon beautifully.
Quick and easy preparation: With just a few simple steps, this salmon dish is ready in no time.

What to Serve with Salmon?

For a complete meal, serve this salmon recipe with any of these easy sides:

Roasted asparagus spears drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil.
Cheesy mashed potatoes or cauliflower mash.
Steamed green beans tossed in a light vinaigrette or sauteed in garlic and lemon juice.
A mixed green salad with a sweet Vidalia dressing.
Crusty bread or dinner rolls to soak up the delicious white wine sauce.

Ingredients

TO MAKE THE SALMON:

4 6-ounce king salmon filets
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon olive oil

TO MAKE THE WHITE WINE SAUCE:

1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
1 shallot, minced
4 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into cubes
½ lemon, juiced
3 teaspoons fresh tarragon, chopped

uncooked salmon filets on parchment paper

How to Make

STEP ONE: Prep the salmon and mix the seasoning. Pat the salmon filets dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl, combine the Kosher salt, black pepper, and paprika. Sprinkle the mixture on both sides of the salmon.

STEP TWO: Sear the salmon. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add salmon to the skillet and cook for 4 minutes on each side (depending on thickness). You might need to cook the salmon in batches depending on how big your skillet is.

STEP THREE: Make the sauce. In a small saucepan, bring the white wine (or chicken broth) and shallots to a boil. Boil until the wine reduces to approximately 2 tablespoons (about 2-3 minutes). Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until incorporated. Stir in the lemon juice and fresh tarragon. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

STEP FOUR: Serve. Spoon the sauce over the salmon before serving.

Tips and Recipe Notes

Try adding this sauce to chicken, steak, asparagus, and other fish. It’s delicious!
Use a stainless steel pan to cook the salmon. It will give it that perfect crust you’re looking for.
Make sure the pan is good and hot before you add the salmon. This will help it get nice and crispy quickly on the outside instead of it just soaking up oil.
Don’t try to flip the salmon early. If it’s still sticking to the pan, that means it’s not ready to be flipped yet. Give it another minute, and it should lift off the pan easily.
Adding cold butter to the sauce at the end will prevent the sauce from breaking. Add the butter one cube at a time until it incorporates together into a smooth sauce.

How to Store Leftovers

This salmon will make excellent leftover meat for salads or wraps. You can keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. You can also freeze the salmon steaks by wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap, then placing them in a Ziploc bag. Store for up to 2 months.

To reheat the salmon and maintain its deliciousness:

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Place the thawed salmon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until heated through.

Can this recipe be made gluten-free?

Absolutely! This recipe is naturally gluten-free, so just make sure that the ingredients you use, such as the spices and broth, are certified gluten-free.

FAQs

Can I substitute the white wine with something else?

Absolutely! While the cooking process does remove the effects of the alcohol and tame the wine flavor, you may still want to replace it. Try chicken or vegetable broth instead as they’ll add a nice flavor to the sauce.

Is it necessary to remove the skin from the salmon fillets?

You do not need to remove the skin, and if you leave it on, it will provide a beautifully crispy outside. That’s one of the best parts of this recipe! But if you want to remove the skin, you can. Use a small, sharp knife to slowly and carefully separate the skin from the salmon flesh.

Can I use frozen salmon for this recipe?

Yes, you can, but you need to allow it to thaw before you cook it. You can leave it in the fridge overnight or place it in a cold water bath for an hour or two to speed up the process. Once it’s thawed, pat it well with a paper towel to remove any excess water.

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