I’m keeping things fresh and springy today with 5-minute Pan Seared Salmon with Lemon-Artichoke Salsa. There’s nothing like a burst of lemon and fresh herbs to instantly transport you to a warmer place and time, which this light, fresh, low-carb dinner recipe definitely does.
Salmon with Lemon-Artichoke Salsa
If you’re a long time IGE reader, you may recognize the Lemon-Artichoke Salsa – I’ve shared it before paired with chicken. It’s so good that I came up with this salmon dish to highlight it again! The salsa recipe comes from a restaurant mys husband and I used to visit weekly when we lived in Minneapolis after college. After deciding to move back to Iowa I begged them for the recipe and thankfully they delivered. I thought the salsa would be perfect to spoon on top of pan seared salmon, and man oh man, the fresh dill, capers, and lemon juice in the salsa compliments the salmon so very well.
5 Minute Salmon
As I mentioned, the 5-minute pan seared salmon cooks in, you guessed it, just 5 minutes! Seafood is my favorite crazy-weeknight protein because it cooks so quickly and my entire family enjoys it. Move over, tuna – salmon is the real chicken of the sea! Salmon filets are seasoned simply with salt and pepper then seared for just a couple minutes per side. Top with Lemon-Artichoke Salsa that can be prepared a day ahead of time and you’re set. Buttery, flaky salmon topped with cold, tangy salsa – it does not get any better!
How to Make this Recipe
Start by making the Lemon-Artichoke Salsa. Like I said you could make this one or even two days ahead of time. In a medium-sized bowl add:
Quartered artichoke hearts Capers Red onion Fresh dill Fresh garlic Dried oregano, salt, pepper Fresh lemon juice Extra virgin olive oil
Stir to combine then set aside or refrigerate if making ahead of time.
Next, season salmon filets generously with salt and pepper. The color of these salmon filets have not been edited at ALL. They are this bright and beautiful. That’s wild-caught Alaskan sockeye salmon for you!
Place the filets skin-side down in a large skillet with extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute for 2 minutes then flip and saute for another 2-3 minutes, depending on how thick your filets are. Use tongs to peel off the crisped skin, which should come right off. The total cooking time will depend on how thick your salmon filets are. Some filets are flat and wide, while others are tall and skinny. You can always put the salmon filets back into the skillet to cook a little more, but err on the side of undercooking vs overcooking. Overcooked salmon can be kind of chalky and let’s be real – wild-caught Alaskan salmon is pricy and not something you want butcher. I prefer salmon medium-rare so I cook for 2 minutes per side if my filets are wide and flat like the ones in the photo.
That’s all she wrote! Plate the salmon, spoon the Lemon-Artichoke Salsa on top, then serve with a large salad or fresh vegetable – asparagus pairs nicely, fwiw. I hope you love this light, fresh, gorgeous and quick-cooking salmon recipe — enjoy!
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