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Lemon Butter Salmon with Rice Pilaf

Lemon Butter Salmon with Rice Pilaf

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How to make garlic lemon butter salmon with rice pilaf for an easy dinner! Crispy salmon with lemon butter sauce AND a side—all in under an hour.
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Diet Gluten Free
Keyword confetti rice pilaf, easy dinner, garlic lemon butter salmon, lemon butter salmon, lemon garlic butter salmon, quick dinner, salmon, salmon dinner, salmon in a lemon butter sauce, salmon with lemon butter, salmon with lemon butter sauce, salmon with rice pilaf, skin on salmon, skin on salmon recipe, weeknight dinner, weeknight salmon
Prep Time 13 minutes
Cook Time 42 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Calories 580
Author Alyssia Sheikh

Ingredients

Crispy Salmon

  • 2 skin-on salmon filets (4-6oz each) King, Coho, or Atlantic
  • 1-2 Tbsp avocado oil (or light olive oil) enough to cover bottom of pan
  • salt & pepper to taste

Lemon Butter Sauce for Salmon

  • ¼ cup butter
  • 2 tsp minced garlic (or shallot)
  • ½ tsp lemon zest
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp fresh parsley (optional)
  • ¼ tsp salt to taste
  • ⅛ tsp pepper to taste

Easy Rice Pilaf

  • 1 cup long-grain white rice
  • 1 Tbsp butter (or oil)
  • ⅓ cup onion diced
  • 1¾ cups vegetable broth (or chicken)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp citrus zest (orange, lemon, lime)
  • 1 Tbsp citrus juice (orange, lemon, lime)
  • 10-12 oz frozen mixed vegetables thawed

Whole Meal (Per Serving)

Instructions

Rice Pilaf

  • Start by preparing rice pilaf, or whichever side dish you prefer.
  • Remove frozen mixed vegetables from freezer and thaw at room temperature ~30 minutes.
  • Melt butter or heat oil in saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add onion and rice and cook 4-5 minutes—until onion is softened, and rice is fragrant and toasted/browned.
  • Add broth, salt, citrus zest & juice to saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  • Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cover pan. Allow to cook for 15 minutes without removing lid.
  • While the pilaf cooks: Set a timer for 15 minutes. Remove salmon filets from fridge and allow to sit at room temperature, then prepare lemon butter sauce if desired.
  • After 15 minutes, check to ensure rice is tender and liquid is absorbed; if not, cover and cook 2-3 more minutes.
  • When rice is cooked, stir in thawed frozen veggies.
  • Remove pan from heat and allow to sit, covered, for another 5-10 minutes.
  • Yields ~6 cups rice pilaf. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Lemon Butter Sauce for Salmon

  • In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, until lightly golden brown with a nutty aroma.
  • Add garlic and saute 1-2 minutes, until garlic begins to brown.
  • Add lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cook about 1 minute.
  • Remove sauce from heat and set aside. Serve on fish within 20-30 minutes of making.
  • When sauce is ready: Proceed to pan fry salmon filets.

Crispy Salmon

  • Make sure salmon filets rest at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before cooking.
  • Pat filets dry using paper towels. Season on skin side with salt only. (No pepper on the skin or it will burn!)
  • Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes. Check to see if the pan is ready by doing a water test: sprinkle a splash of water onto the pan, and the water will sizzle/dance when the pan is hot enough.
  • While the pan heats: Check on pilaf if/when needed to add vegetables and remove from heat.
  • When pan is heated, add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan in a thin layer.
  • Heat oil until it bubbles slightly, then add salmon filets skin side down. (Be careful so the oil doesn’t splash and burn you! I use tongs. to gently place filets in pan.) Use a spatula to press down salmon filets to prevent them from curling as they cook, so the skin stays flat against the pan.
  • Sear salmon skin side down for about 5 minutes, depending on size of filets. (Mine were about 1-inch thick.) Cook until skin is crispy and fish is cooked ~¾ of the way up the sides of the filets—color will change to lighter pink as it cooks. Season flesh side with salt & pepper before flipping.
  • Flip and cook 20-30 seconds on the other side—or longer for a more well-done filet. (For reference, salmon is cooked to an internal temperature of 125°F /51°C for medium doneness, or up to 145°F / 63°C for well-done.)
  • Remove filets from pan immediately.

Whole Meal Assembly

  • Serve crispy salmon warm with fresh lemon butter sauce and rice pilaf for a quick weeknight dinner! Best enjoyed immediately.
  • Add variety to this meal by serving with different sides, or even a different sauce.
  • Yields 2 servings of salmon with lemon butter sauce, and 6 servings of vegetable rice pilaf.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1meal | Calories: 580kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 35g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 700mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 3g