Pan-Seared Salmon in a Creamy Red Pepper Parmesan Sauce

Perfectly tender, pan-seared salmon smothered in a decadent, rich and creamy Parmesan roasted red pepper sauce. I make this for my family often, and it’s one of our favorites. It’s easy enough to make on a weeknight but delicious enough for company. The sauce is absolutely to die for!

What Makes This Recipe So Good

• It’s no secret we’re big fans of one-pan meals around here. Can you blame us? They’re typically super easy, plus the fewer dishes you have to use (and clean), the better. All of the cooking in this salmon recipe takes place in the same skillet, so get excited!
• The flavors in this recipe are SOSOSOSO good. SO GOOD. SO! GOOD! It’s seriously restaurant quality. Vaguely reminiscent of our marry me chicken with the rich alfredo-esque parmesan cream sauce, but it’s got just a little more kick thanks to the roasted red peppers. This might be my new favorite salmon recipe ever. Like… EVER. It’s not overwhelmingly “fishy”, either, so it’s a great option for your picky eaters. Yup, even your salmon-haters will love it!
• This is one of those entrees that tastes amazing with basically any side. Keep things keto/low carb with cauliflower rice or palmini pasta. If that’s not your thing, serve it over rice, mashed potatoes, couscous, or traditional pasta. If you want to go green, try it with air fryer broccoli, sautéed green beans, or a little shaved brussels sprouts salad.

Love Salmon? Try These!

Air Fryer Salmon with Brown Sugar Crust

Smoked Salmon Bagel Salad

Lemon Garlic Salmon (Whole30, Paleo, Low Carb, Keto)

Chef’s Tips

• Fish cooks really quickly, so you want to be careful not to overcook it. If you’re not sure how to tell when the salmon is done, keep these in mind. 1) Cut into the thickest part – it should be more of an opaque pink than a translucent red. 2) You want it to flake when you press on it with a fork. 3) It should be anywhere from 120° Fahrenheit (for medium rare) to 145° Fahrenheit (for well-done salmon). It’ll keep cooking a little while it rests, so you’ll want to take it out of the skillet when the thermometer reads roughly 5° lower than your desired end-temperature.
• Like fish, garlic also cooks really quickly. 30 to 60 seconds is all you need to get it nice and fragrant. Much more than that and you’ll end up with bitter garlic that throws off the flavors of the salmon and red pepper sauce.
• To get a really crispy crust on your salmon, pat the fillets totally dry before seasoning them. Also, don’t move them around in the pan if you can help it. If you move them too much, they won’t develop that beautiful crust.

Other Amazing Recipes You Should Try

• Whole30 Marry Me Chicken (Paleo, Dairy Free)
• Everything Bagel Chicken with Scallion Cream Cheese Sauce (Keto)
• Baked Brie and Steak Cheese Fries
• Oven-Baked Celebration Chicken
• Blackened Fish Taco Bowls with Mango Salsa and Cilantro-Lime Rice
• Shrimp and Corn Soup

Hey – you’ve made it this far, so now we’re basically best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook, too!

5 from 2 votes

Pan-Seared Salmon with Creamy Red Pepper Parmesan Sauce

Prep:15 minutes

Cook:20 minutes

Total:35 minutes

Tender and flaky pan-seared salmon with a creamy, rich, and decadent roasted red pepper sauce that's guaranteed to please everyone in your house.

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4 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 salmon fillets approximately 6 ounces each
• ▢ 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• ▢ seasoning salt or Redfish Magic seasoning, see Notes
• ▢ 1 cup chicken broth
• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 cup roasted red peppers chopped
• ▢ 1 cup heavy cream at or close to room temperature
• ▢ ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan at room temperature

Optional Garnishes

• ▢ additional freshly grated parmesan
• ▢ chopped fresh parsley or chives

Equipment

• Large skillet
• Plate
• Medium bowl

Instructions 

• Liberally season both sides of each salmon fillet with seasoning blend (see Notes).
• Add avocado oil to large skillet and warm over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, place salmon fillets in skillet with skin-side down. Sear 4 minutes or until skin is golden and crisp.
• Flip fillets and cook skin-side up for 2 to 4 minutes or until desired doneness is reached. Transfer fillets to plate and return skillet to stove.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and pour 1 cup chicken broth into skillet. Deglaze pan, scraping up any browned bits that may be stuck to bottom. Simmer until liquid is reduced by 50%, then pour remaining liquid into medium bowl.
• Return skillet to stove and increase heat to medium. Melt butter in skillet, then add minced garlic and sauté 30 to 60 seconds or until just fragrant.
• Add in chopped roasted red peppers, fresh lemon juice, and heavy cream. Return reduced chicken broth to skillet and stir well. Bring liquid to boil and reduce until slightly thickened, approximately 3 minutes.
• Remove skillet from heat and stir in freshly grated parmesan until cheese is fully incorporated. Return salmon fillets to skillet and spoon plenty of sauce over tops, then serve immediately with desired sides.

Notes

• Seasoning Blend: Redfish Magic seasoning with a little salt is our favorite, but you can use a simple salt & pepper mixture if you prefer it. Just be sure to adjust the salt you add depending on how much salt is already in your seasoning blend.
• Make it Dairy Free: Use coconut cream instead of heavy cream, a vegan butter or a neutral oil, and vegan parmesan.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 550kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 39g, Fat: 41g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 176mg, Sodium: 866mg, Potassium: 1010mg, Fiber: 1g, Vitamin A: 1285IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 155mg, Iron: 2mg, Net Carbs: 4g

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

 

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

 

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

© Author: Cheryl Malik