Salmon with Dill Cream Sauce

This delicious pan-fried salmon with dill cream sauce is a restaurant-worthy dish that is easy enough for any night of the week. With just a handful of fresh and simple ingredients, the flavors in this easy salmon dinner are simply perfect.

this recipe

As a food blogger and photographer, I am developing and cooking new recipes just about every day. It’s a super fun and amazing job, and I’m so grateful I get to do it. And while I love all the recipes I post on the blog, there are some that get me extra excited. Like text-my-sister-immediately-after-making-it-and-demand-she-make-it-tonight excited. This is one of those recipes! (This one was too). 

I expected this salmon to be good. The sauce is a spin on my chicken cordon bleu sauce, which I have made a million times and totally love. But paired with simply seasoned salmon and lots of fresh dill, the flavors of the sauce really pop, and this was so much better than I expected! 

This pan-friend salmon is seasoned with pantry-staple spices like garlic powder and onion powder, and topped with a velvety-smooth dill and Dijon mustard cream sauce that is so delicious! Serve this with mashed potatoes or rice, and some simple green veggies, for an unforgettable meal that is easy enough for the weeknights but special enough for a fancy dinner or holiday feast. 

You Will Love This

• This easy salmon dinner recipe is on the table in less than 30 minutes. 
• This cream sauce is lick-the-plate good, flavored with Dijon mustard and lots of fresh dill. 
• This is a perfect recipe for a small holiday dinner. 

Ingredients

To make salmon with dill cream sauce you need the following ingredients (full ingredients list with exact measurements is included in the recipe card below):

Ingredients Notes

• Salmon: I purchase salmon filets with the skin off for this recipe. If you have skin-on salmon, you can pan fry the salmon with the skin on (Step 2). After the salmon is cooked, it should be easy to peel the skin off.  
• Dill: Fresh dill is a necessity in this recipe! I would not substitute dried dill. 
• Cream: Make sure to use heavy cream, not milk. Heavy cream is what gives this simple sauce its silky texture and rich flavor. 

Instructions

Step One: Pat the salmon filets dry with a paper towel. Season the top of the salmon filets with kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. 

Step Two: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the salmon in the pan seasoned side down and cook until the it has a nice golden-brown crust, about 3-4 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook another 3-4 minutes on the second side, until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. Remove the salmon from the pan and set aside.

Note: Fish is delicate and can break apart easily when cooked. For this reason, I like to use a nonstick skillet along with plenty of olive oil to keep it from sticking to the pan and breaking the filets. 

Step Three: Add the chicken stock to the pan and stir for 1-2 minutes, making sure to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the Dijon mustard and stir well to combine. Turn the heat down to medium-low.

Step Four: In a separate bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and heavy creamy until no lumps remain. Slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into the pan. Allow the sauce to reach a low simmer and stir for 2-3 minutes until the sauce is thick and creamy. 

Note: The sauce is thick enough when you can trace a trail through it with a spoon. 

Step Five: Add the chopped dill to the sauce, and season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. (I added ¼ teaspoon of additional kosher salt to the sauce at this step). Spoon the sauce over the salmon and enjoy immediately! 

Storage

This recipe is best eaten right away, so I wouldn’t plan for leftovers. Salmon can get overcooked easily when reheated in the microwave. That said, if you happen to have leftovers, don’t throw them out (please no!!). Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. When ready to reheat them, do it in short bursts on medium power, until the fish is just reheated.