Salmon Piccata

It takes less than 30 minutes to make this restaurant-worthy salmon piccata dish.

Salmon cooks quickly and pairs well with a variety of flavors and ingredients. And if there’s one thing my family loves, it’s variety—so although we eat salmon at least once a week, it’s easy to make each iteration unique by using different marinades, seasoning blends or sauces. This salmon piccata—a new family favorite—combines salmon fillets with a zesty, lemon-flavored piccata sauce.

When buying salmon, avoid fillets that smell strongly of fish, are leaking liquid, have brown spots or appear dried out. Don’t be afraid of frozen fish, especially because wild-caught salmon is often flash-frozen to preserve its fresh flavor.

What is piccata?

Piccata is a white wine sauce made with bright lemon juice, briny capers and creamy butter. It’s an essential element of chicken piccata. This variation uses salmon fillets in place of chicken breasts.

Salmon Piccata Ingredients

• Salmon: You can use skin-on or skinless salmon for this recipe; skin-on salmon will be the most flavorful type of salmon for this recipe. I prefer wild-caught Alaskan salmon—especially coho and sockeye varieties—but farmed Atlantic salmon is a fine substitute. You can use frozen fillets to make this dish, thawing them overnight in the refrigerator first. To make this four-serving salmon recipe, you will need four fillets that weigh 4 to 6 ounces each.
• Olive oil: Olive oil is used to cook the salmon. You can use regular olive oil here; save your extra virgin olive oil for drizzling or dipping.
• Salt and pepper: The salmon is seasoned simply with salt and pepper.
• Piccata sauce: The piccata sauce is a combination of bright, briny and savory ingredients including capers, low-sodium chicken broth, fresh lemon juice, white wine, garlic and butter. When it comes to choosing a wine, opt for a dry white varietal like pinot grigio.

Directions

Step 1: Make the piccata sauce

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the wine, chicken broth, capers, lemon juice and minced garlic. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Cook it until it’s slightly reduced, about one to two minutes.

Stir in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it’s creamy. Continue simmering the sauce for one more minute, then remove it from the heat.

Step 2: Pan-roast the salmon

Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a separate, large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.

Place the salmon fillets in the pan, skin-side down. Cook the fish without disturbing it until the skin is crispy, about four to five minutes.

Step 3: Add the sauce

Flip the fish over and pour the sauce over the salmon. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast the fish for 6 to 10 minutes, or until it reaches your desired level of doneness. (A 1-inch thick salmon fillet should take a total of 12 to 14 minutes to cook.)

Editor’s Tip: You can also finish cooking the salmon on the stovetop, if you prefer, but transferring the salmon to the oven ensures an even temperature throughout the fillet.

Step 4: Serve the salmon

Serve salmon fillets on plates. Spoon the sauce on top, and garnish it with fresh parsley.

Salmon Piccata Variations

• Skip the wine: If you prefer not to cook with wine, simply double the amount of broth.
• Make it creamy: For a creamy piccata sauce, stir in 2 tablespoons of heavy cream before adding the butter.
• Use a different protein: Instead of salmon fillets, make this recipe with chicken breasts or pork chops. Cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165º, and the pork to an internal temperature of 145º.

How to Store Salmon Piccata

Transfer leftover salmon piccata to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator.

How long does salmon piccata last?

Leftover salmon piccata lasts up to four days in the fridge.

What’s the best way to reheat salmon piccata?

For the best texture, transfer the salmon and sauce to a pan, add a little chicken broth, and reheat it on the stovetop over medium-low heat until it’s heated through. Salmon piccata can also be reheated in the microwave in a covered, microwave-safe dish.

Salmon Piccata Tips

Can you make piccata with another type of fish?

Absolutely! You can also make piccata with cod, trout or tilapia.

How do you avoid overcooking salmon?

An instant-read thermometer is an essential tool that can help you perfectly cook salmon and other proteins. Although the USDA recommends cooking salmon to 145º, this can temperature can result in overcooked, dry and rubbery salmon. For perfectly flaky fish, cook the salmon to a temperature between 120º and 125º.

What else can you serve with salmon piccata?

These salmon fillets are delightful on their own, but you could serve them over a bed of spaghetti or angel hair pasta. Serve salmon piccata alongside a fresh green salad or vegetable side such as roasted green beans, steamed broccoli or pan-roasted asparagus.

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