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This salmon piccata comes together in 20 minutes! Juicy salmon fillet pieces in a flavourful lemon butter sauce with capers. A restaurant quality meal that is more than achievable at home!
If a creamy sauce is more your style, take a look at our Pan Seared Salmon with Mustard Cream Sauce.
Ever since I launched this website my main desire was always to show that making high quality meals at home doesn’t have to be time consuming and exhausting. This salmon recipe definitely fits and could be added to the Quick and Easy Category!
The pan seared Salmon Piccata in a lively lemon butter sauce flavoured with shallots, garlic and capers is stunning and tastes every bit as good as it looks.
It takes no more than 20 minutes to prepare and required only a handful of ingredients to deliver a dish that will absolutely wow your family! Quick to make and impressive enough to serve to guests…what’s not to love!
What is Picatta?
The Italian term ‘picatta’ usually refers to the meat that’s been pounded flat and turned into cutlets. The most famous example is Chicken, although Veal Piccata is pretty stunning as well.
And although the recipe for the sauce traditionally served with that dish is not set in stone, the most recognised flavour combination is lemon, butter and capers.
Chicken is great and so versatile but I wanted to change things up and use fish instead. The flavours of this Italian dish are not too dissimilar to the classic Sole Meuniere. And we know how well the lemon caper sauce compliments the delicate white fleshed fish, so why not try it on my beloved salmon?
The recipe I am sharing today is inspired by the same flavours as Chicken Piccata, but of course I am not pounding my salmon flat. There is no reason as salmon needs no help in terms of tenderising! It’s tender and juicy as is.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Dredge the salmon fillet pieces in flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, as per the traditional Piccata method. Be careful to keep your flour-dusting light. Using too much flour will make it vulnerable to burning during frying, look unsightly and contribute bitter undertones to the sauce.
- Once you have finished pan searing the salmon, keep the cooked pieces warm in a preheated to the lowest temperature oven while making the sauce. The oven helps to keep the outside of the salmon pieces crispy.
- Make the sauce by sautéing the shallots in butter, then adding minced garlic, white wine, lemon juice, capers and simmering till slightly reduced.
- The white wine used here should be dry so you aren’t accidentally adding sweetness to the sauce. A sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio will do nicely, but a can be used as well.
- Return the salmon back to the pan and serve with a touch of fresh parsley for a hit of freshness and colour.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is could be served with so many side dishes. In the summer months go for something light like my Air Fryer Potatoes and Tomato Salad with Herb Vinaigrette.
In colder months I love making my fluffy Herb and Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Lemon Garlic Green Beans with Parmesan Cheese.
This salmon is also delicious when served with rice or couscous.
Storage and leftovers
Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. You may actually be surprised when you pull them out to enjoy again, as the added time gives flavours more of a chance to combine and enhance.
To reheat leftovers, cover the portion with foil and cook in an oven preheated to 135C/275F for 15 minutes. Checked that the salmon is hot throughout before serving.
More Salmon Recipes
- Tuscan Salmon with Parmesan Cream Sauce
- One Pan Chilli Garlic Salmon
- Teriyaki Salmon with Bok Choy
- Salmon and Potatoes in Foil
- Salmon with Lemon Dill Sauce
Salmon Piccata
Ingredients
- 4 X 120g (4 oz) salmon fillet pieces
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp pepper
- 3 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 shallot , chopped
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 0.5 lemon, sliced
- 125ml/1/2 cup dry white wine , such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
- 4 tbsp capers
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to the lowest temperature. Remove the skin from salmon, then pat the salmon pieces dry with a paper towel, season with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan, brown the salmon pieces in the hot oil until golden for 5 minutes on each side. A couple of minutes into the cooking add the butter to the pan. This will add more flavour and colour to the salmon. You might want to do the frying in batches to avoid overcrowding.
- Then remove the salmon from the pan and keep it warm in an oven preheated to the lowest temperature while you are making the sauce.
- To the same pan add the chopped shallot and sauté over low heat for 2 minutes, add the minced garlic and let it cook over low heat for 30 seconds, then add the white wine and let it bubble for a 2-3 minutes. Add the lemon juice, lemon slices, capers and parsley, turn up the heat and bring to a boil, as soon as it boils, lower the heat and simmer the sauce until it’s reduced in volume for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Return the salmon back to the pan and spoon the sauce all over.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello Julia,
In my comment last week (Chicken Pie ) I promised to try my hand at Salmon Picatto
and my wife and I were very pleased with the result last night. Delicious !
Next week it’s going to be Baked Salmon with the Best Marinade.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Wow, the sauce is so good over the salmon! I have always loved capers, so I knew I had to try this. Will be making again for sure!
Love hearing this, Natalie!
This was so delicious. That sauce is AMAZING. I love capers!
I love capers too, Cathy! Happy you enjoyed it!
Made this for dinner and I will be adding to my regular rotation! So tasty!
So glad to hear it, Allyson!