Salmon with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce
Crisp-skinned, pan-seared salmon with a silky cream sauce full of fresh dill, lemon, Dijon and a few briny capers.
Nutrition per serving
1 fillet with sauce- Net carbs
- 3.1g
- Calories
- 583kcal
- Protein
- 37g
- Fat
- 46g
- Total carbs
- 3.6 g
- Fiber
- 0.5 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Pan-seared trout: Delicate rainbow trout fillets are thinner than salmon and cook in about 4 minutes. A classic match for dill and cream.
- Cook the trout skin-side down 2–3 minutes, until the skin is crisp, then flip for 30–60 seconds, until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily (145°F/63°C). Work in batches.
Chicken with dill cream: Golden chicken cutlets in the same lemony dill cream sauce. A cozy, Scandinavian-leaning weeknight dinner.
- Pound the cutlets to an even ½ inch (1.25 cm). Sear them 4–5 minutes per side over medium-high heat, until golden and 165°F (74°C), then make the sauce in the same pan and return the chicken to coat.
- Salmon
- Lemon dill cream sauce
- Salmon
- Lemon dill cream sauce
- Salmon
- Lemon dill cream sauce
Estimated cost $21.20 for 4 servings ($5.30 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Season the salmon all over with the salt and pepper.
-
Heat the oil in a large nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the fillets in skin-side down and press gently for 10 seconds so the skin stays flat.
-
Cook without moving 4–5 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the flesh is opaque about two-thirds of the way up. Flip and cook 1–3 minutes more, until the thickest part reads 145°F (63°C). Transfer to a plate.
-
Pour off the fat and lower the heat to medium. Melt the butter and cook the shallot 2 minutes until soft, then the garlic for 30 seconds.
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Add the wine and scrape up the browned bits. Simmer 1–2 minutes, until reduced by half. Stir in the cream and Dijon and simmer 3–4 minutes, until the sauce lightly coats a spoon.
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Off the heat, stir in the lemon zest, juice, dill and capers and season to taste. Spoon the sauce onto plates and set the salmon on top, skin-side up, so the skin stays crisp. Serve with roasted asparagus or garlic green beans.
Tips for success
-
Add the lemon juice off the heat. Acid added to boiling cream can make it curdle. - Dried dill works in a pinch (1 tbsp), but fresh dill gives the sauce its bright, grassy flavor.
- For skinless fillets, sear the presentation side 3–4 minutes, flip and cook 2–3 minutes more.
Nice to have, not needed
- A fish spatula gets under the crispy skin cleanly — any thin, flexible spatula works.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 3 days in the fridge
- Doesn’t freeze well
Reheat: Warm the salmon at 275°F (135°C) for 10–15 minutes and the sauce gently on the stovetop with a splash of cream.
Prep tip: Store the sauce and salmon separately so the skin doesn’t turn soggy.
Refrigerate salmon and sauce separately up to 3 days. Rewarm the sauce gently, thinning with a splash of cream, and the salmon at 275°F (135°C) for 10–15 minutes.
Variations
2 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosPan-seared trout
ProteinDelicate rainbow trout fillets are thinner than salmon and cook in about 4 minutes. A classic match for dill and cream.
- skin-on salmon fillets (6 oz / 170 g each) → small skin-on trout fillets (about 3 oz / 85 g each)
3.1 g net · 469 kcal · 36 g protein · 33 g fat · ≈$4.93 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Chicken with dill cream
ProteinGolden chicken cutlets in the same lemony dill cream sauce. A cozy, Scandinavian-leaning weeknight dinner.
- skin-on salmon fillets (6 oz / 170 g each) → boneless skinless chicken breasts
3.1 g net · 434 kcal · 40 g protein · 27 g fat · ≈$2.75 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
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