Salmon Piccata 30 Minute Meal

Published 3/18/2021 • Updated 6/4/2022

The BEST Salmon Piccata

This salmon piccata recipe is our number one salmon recipe right now (and we have a lot of delicious salmon recipes on FFF). We are big fans of perfectly baked salmon, grilled salmon, and these tasty salmon rice bowls. This salmon piccata is an amazing addition to our salmon recipe book. There are so many reasons to love this salmon piccata. Let us count the ways.

The salmon has a delicious flaky inside and a crispy outside. It is ready in 30 minutes!The lemon piccata sauce is delicious and adds so much flavor to the fish.

All the Ingredients You Need

Here are all of the ingredients that you need to make this salmon piccata.

Salmon filets– we designed this recipe to serve 4 people. We used 5-oz. salmon filets, but if you can only find smaller or larger filet, that is ok.The cook time will just change.Salt + Pepper– the salt in this salmon piccata recipe is sprinkled on top of the raw salmon before you cook it! The salt and pepper flavor the salmon and help get the juices flowing. White whole wheat flour– the flour in this recipe is mixed in with the spices. You can use white whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, or even almond flour.Spices– there are a mixture of spices (garlic powder, onion powder, and fresh thyme) that go into the breading for the salmon. Butter– we suggest searing the salmon in butter, but feel free to use olive oil instead! Dry white wine– the white wine in this salmon recipe adds brightness to the sauce! Chicken broth– any broth will work for this recipe. Fresh lemon juice– don’t skip the fresh lemon juice!Minced garlic– adding a bit of minced garlic to the sauce brings things up a level. Fresh thyme– a little fresh thyme goes a long way in adding some flavor to the sauce. Capers- it wouldn’t be a salmon piccata recipe without capers! They add a tart, vinegary, and saltiness that only capers can add to a dish. Corn starch– you need a little corn starch to thicken the piccata sauce.

If you are looking for a frozen salmon filet, we do really like Trader Joes Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Fillets.

Tips + Tricks

The Secret to the Piccata Sauce

The secret to this piccata sauce is a multifaceted answer. Letting the sauce simmer once you add in the corn starch slurry is very important to allow the sauce to reduce and thicken.

We take a fork and gently break the filet a part and if it is flakey and falls apart it’s most likely ready. The FDA recommendation for an internal temperature is 145ºF. However, we like to take our salmon out around 138ºF-140ºF with the expectation that it will continue to cook a bit more when we remove it from the pan.

The capers and lemon juice are also two very important ingredients to make this a true piccata sauce. Don’t skip them!

Substitutions

It’s ok if you don’t have everything for this recipe at your house. There are some great substitutions for every meal.

white whole wheat flour —> all purpose flourchicken broth —> any type of broth capers—> minced olives or just skip them and add more saltfresh thyme—> dried thyme white wine—> white wine vinegar, water, ginger ale

Storage

To store this salmon piccata, let the salmon cool completely before placing it in an air tight container (sauce and fish). Place it in the fridge for up to 5 days.