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Golden pan-seared salmon fillets on a bed of green asparagus, covered in a creamy lemon dill sauce and garnished with fresh herbs in a black skillet.

Pan Seared Salmon Fillets

This classic recipe for Pan-Seared Salmon with a Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce yields flaky, golden salmon fillets blanketed in a rich, citrusy herb cream. Beautifully presented on a crisp bed of fresh green asparagus.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 450
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Salmon:
  • 4 salmon fillets skin-on or skin-off
  • 1 tbsp high-quality olive oil
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
For the Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce:
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ cup chicken or fish stock
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese optional, for natural thickness
  • 3 tbsp fresh dill finely chopped

Method
 

Dry the fish:
  1. Pat the salmon fillets completely dry with a paper towel to get a good sear.
Season:
  1. Rub the fillets with olive oil, then season both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Cook:
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the salmon in the pan (skin-side down first if using skin-on).
Flip:
  1. Sear undisturbed for 4 minutes until golden. Flip and cook for 2–3 minutes more until almost cooked through. Remove to a clean plate.
  2. Build the Cream Sauce
Sauté aromatics:
  1. Lower the heat to medium. Melt the butter in the same pan, then sauté the minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant.
Deglaze:
  1. Pour in the chicken stock, scraping up any delicious browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let it simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
Thicken with cream:
  1. Pour in the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over low heat. Whisk in the Dijon mustard and Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth.
  2. Finish and Serve
Incorporate citrus & herbs:
  1. Stir the lemon juice, lemon zest, and chopped fresh dill directly into the simmering sauce. Taste and add a pinch of salt or pepper if needed.
Combine:
  1. Nest the cooked salmon fillets back into the skillet.
Simmer:
  1. Spoon the rich sauce generously over the top of the fish. Let everything simmer together for 2–3 minutes until the salmon is completely opaque and heated through.
Garnish:
  1. Garnish with extra fresh dill fronds and lemon wedges just like the picture!

Notes

  • Asparagus Base: For the perfect visual representation matching our images, serve these fillets resting over a beautiful bed of pan-charred or oven-roasted green asparagus.
  • Yogurt Alternate: To make this lighter or dairy-free-friendly, you can substitute heavy cream with full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream. Remember to stir the yogurt in off-heat at the very end to prevent separating or curdling.
  • No Alcohol / No Pork: This dish is completely pork-free and wine-free. It relies entirely on chicken/fish stock and fresh lemon juice to deglaze and flavor the pan.