Creamy garlic salmon is a quick and easy one-pan meal that you can whip up in under 30 minutes. Perfectly seasoned salmon is seared and tossed in a delicious homemade creamy garlic sauce. It's flaky, tender, and so comforting. Serve this simple but so flavorful seafood meal over rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes. Who says healthy meals can’t be indulgent? Because this creamy garlic salmon gives you everything you need and more!
Why You'll Love Creamy Garlic Salmon
- The most flaky, tender salmon. There’s nothing better than a fatty, flaky fillet of fish. With this creamy garlic salmon recipe, you’ll sear your salmon to perfection before reintroducing it to the creamy garlic sauce for the best texture and flavor.
- Salmon is a healthy choice. You are getting some great health benefits when you introduce salmon into your weekly dinner rotation. Salmon brings omega-3 fatty acids, clean proteins, all the B vitamins, and essential minerals! Plus, despite the creamy sauce being higher in calories, the added dairy of half and half, butter, and Parmesan bring even more vitamins and minerals like calcium, zinc, copper, and vitamins A, B6, and B12!
- Quick and easy to make. Salmon is quick and easy to make, so you can't go wrong with a like this which takes less than 30 minutes to prep, cook, and serve (which is more than enough time to get your rice cooking in the rice cooker!). Plus, clean-up is just as easy.
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make this delicious creamy garlic salmon, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in recipe card below):
- salmon fillets
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- butter
- onion
- garlic
- cornstarch - cornstarch helps to thicken up the sauce. We used cornstarch to keep this recipe gluten-free, but you can also use all-purpose flour.
- heavy cream
- white wine
- Italian seasoning
- Parmesan cheese
- fresh parsley - optional, for serving.
- lemon - optional, for serving.
You will also need: measuring cups and spoons, and a large skillet.
How to Make the Best Creamy Garlic Salmon
- Prepare the salmon. Pat dry salmon fillets and season with salt and pepper. Set aside at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Sear the salmon. In a large skillet, heat oil for 2 minutes over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles. Sear the salmon fillets (skin side facing up first) for 5-6 minutes on each side until golden browned and fully cooked. When salmon is cooked, the flesh will turn opaque, and it will flake easily when inserting a fork. Transfer the cooked salmon onto a plate.
- Make the creamy sauce. Add butter, onion, and garlic to the same skillet, and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in cornstarch and mix well until combined, about 1 minute. Add wine and stir well to combine, about 1 minute. Add heavy cream, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. Stir well and bring the sauce to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and keep stirring until thickened to a desired consistency, about 4-5 minutes.
- Assemble and serve. Return the cooked salmon to the skillet and spoon the creamy sauce over to coat. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately with pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or a side of crusty bread. Drizzle with lemon juice and top with more Parmesan if desired.
How to Serve
This creamy garlic salmon tastes so good over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes. It's also really good on it's own with a side of crusty bread for some major dunking to soak up all that delicious sauce. I also recommend serving some vegetables on the side. Try:
- Honey Roasted Carrots
- Roasted Harvest Vegetables
- Sautéed Asparagus
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Garlic Green Beans
Storing Instructions and Tips
- How to store: Creamy garlic salmon can last for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Allow the salmon to cool down to room temperature before storing.
- How to reheat: Reheat creamy salmon with the sauce on the stovetop over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes until warmed through. You can also reheat in the microwave in 20 second increments until warmed through. If you are planning to reheat in the microwave, I If you want to reheat your meal in the microwave, I would recommend storing leftovers in a meal-ready microwavable container. That way, you can pop the whole thing in your microwave when it’s time to eat again.
More Salmon Recipes
- Teriyaki Salmon
- Miso Salmon
- Honey Garlic Glazed Salmon
- Baked Maple Salmon
- Greek Salmon
- Pistachio-Crusted Salmon
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Recipe
Creamy Garlic Salmon
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Creamy garlic salmon is a quick easy one-pan meal ready in under 30 minutes, with seared flaky tender salmon tossed in a delicious creamy garlic sauce.
Ingredients
- 6 pieces skin-on salmon fillets, about 2-inches wide
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, sliced into wedges
Instructions
- Pat dry salmon fillets and season with salt and pepper. Set aside at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.
- In a large skillet, heat oil for 2 minutes over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles. Sear the salmon fillets (skin side facing up first) for 5-6 minutes on each side until golden browned and fully cooked. When salmon is cooked, the flesh will turn opaque, and it will flake easily when inserting a fork. Transfer the cooked salmon onto a plate.
- Add butter, onion, and garlic to the same skillet, and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in cornstarch and mix well until combined, about 1 minute. Add wine and stir well to combine, about 1 minute.
- Add heavy cream, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. Stir well and bring the sauce to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and keep stirring until thickened to a desired consistency, about 4-5 minutes.
- Return the cooked salmon to the skillet and spoon the creamy sauce over to coat.
- Garnish with parsley and serve immediately with pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or a side of crusty bread. Drizzle with lemon juice and top with more Parmesan if desired.
Notes
How to store: Creamy garlic salmon can last for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Allow the salmon to cool down to room temperature before storing.
How to reheat: Reheat creamy salmon with the sauce on the stovetop over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes until warmed through. You can also reheat in the microwave in 20 second increments until warmed through. If you are planning to reheat in the microwave, I If you want to reheat your meal in the microwave, I would recommend storing leftovers in a meal-ready microwavable container. That way, you can pop the whole thing in your microwave when it’s time to eat again.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salmon
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: creamy garlic salmon, how to make creamy garlic salmon, homemade creamy salmon with garlic, easy creamy garlic salmon, creamy salmon with garlic
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