This Easy Salmon Piccata is guaranteed to become your new favorite salmon recipe. Made from a tender, pan-cooked salmon, paired with a creamy lemon-butter-caper sauce, this recipe practically melts in your mouth. And the best part? It comes together in just 20 minutes, making it the simplest and easiest weeknight dinner.
When it comes to a simple and easy dinner, there is nothing I love more than salmon. This tender, flaky fish is ridiculously easy to prepare, and I truly feel like I’ve mastered it. From my 12 Minute Citrus Broiled Salmon to my Creamy Spinach Stuffed Salmon, salmon is such a versatile fish, making it the perfect protein to keep in your fridge. And this may just be my favorite way to prepare salmon yet!
This Easy Salmon Piccata comes together in 20 minutes, which is why it’s the newest recipe in my “Dinner in Twenty” series. In case you’ve missed it, every week I’ve been sharing a brand new dinner recipe that comes together in just 20 minutes, so that you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your loved ones. I’ve created so many new and exciting recipes, like my viral “Marry Me” Chicken Orzo and my Saucy Beef and Broccoli, to show you that making a restaurant-quality meal from home doesn’t have to take up your time!
But, back to this salmon piccata. While chicken piccata is a classic recipe, known for combining tender chicken with a creamy lemon-butter piccata sauce, I love this salmon variation. The result is a buttery, flakier fish that practically melts in your mouth. Truly, what could be better than that?
What You Need to Make This Easy 20 Minute Dinner Recipe
- Salmon: Of course, you’ll need salmon to make this recipe! Just make sure the bones are removed from the salmon before making it.
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Seasoning this salmon is simple – just some sea salt and ground black pepper is all that you need!
- Olive Oil: Olive oil is full of healthy fats and adds a delicious flavor to this salmon recipe!
- Unsalted Butter: The key to making a piccata recipe is a creamy butter sauce. Since the salmon and capers have plenty of salt, unsalted butter is key, here.
- Shallot: Shallots add a rich flavor that truly brings this sauce to the next level.
- Garlic: As always, I highly recommend using fresh garlic in this recipe. Why? Because fresh garlic adds the best flavor!
- Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth: Both chicken broth and vegetable broth work just as well, here!
- Lemon Juice and Zest: You’ll need both the juice and zest of one lemon in order to make this recipe.
- Capers: Capers have a salty, briny flavor that truly helps to cut through the fat of the piccata sauce.
- Arrowroot Starch or Tapioca Flour or Cornstarch: A thick sauce is key to any restaurant-style recipe, so a thickening agent is necessary here to achieve that perfect texture. This recipe has been tested with all three of the above ingredients, and they all work just as well!
- Italian Parsley: A sprinkle of chopped parsley adds the perfect finishing touch to this recipe!
How to Make This Simple & Easy Salmon Piccata
To make this salmon piccata, start by preparing the salmon. Place the salmon filets on a cutting board and season them generously with sea salt and ground black pepper. Then, set them aside. Next, chop the shallot, mash the garlic, and juice and zest the lemon into individual bowls, and set them aside.
Next, heat a pan, on the stove, over medium-low heat, and add in the olive oil. While the pan is heating, cut a square of parchment paper, large enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Press it into the pan, then flip the paper to the other side and press it down again, so both sides are covered in the oil. Then, add the salmon filets, skin-side down, on top of the parchment paper, and allow them to cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes.
Once the 5 minutes are up, gently flip the salmon filets to the other side and allow them to cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, or until the salmon reaches your preferred doneness. When the salmon has finished cooking, remove the filets from the pan and transfer them to a plate. Then, add the butter to the pan.
Once the butter has melted, add in the shallots and garlic and sauté them for 1-2 minutes. Then, add in the broth, lemon juice and zest, capers, and starch, and stir them together for 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken. Once the sauce is thick, remove it from the heat.
Add the salmon back to the pan, and use a spoon to scoop the sauce onto the salmon. Finally, garnish with chopped parsley, then serve and enjoy!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.
** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim
Ingredients
- 16 Ounces Salmon, this can be 2, 8 ounce filets or 4, 4 ounce filets
- Sea Salt, to taste – to season the salmon
- Ground Black Pepper, to taste – to season the salmon
- 2 Teaspoons Olive Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 Large Shallot, finely diced
- 3 Cloves Garlic, mashed
- ¾ Cup Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth
- ¼ Cup Lemon Juice, this is approximately one lemon
- 2 Teaspoons Lemon Zest
- 3 Tablespoons Capers
- 2 Tablespoons Arrowroot Starch or Tapioca Flour or Cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons Italian Parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- To make this salmon piccata, start by preparing the salmon. Place the salmon filets on a cutting board and season them generously with sea salt and ground black pepper. Then, set them aside.
- Next, chop the shallot, mash the garlic, and juice and zest the lemon into individual bowls, and set them aside.
- Next, heat a pan, on the stove, over medium-low heat, and add in the olive oil.
- While the pan is heating, cut a square of parchment paper, large enough to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Press it into the pan, then flip the paper to the other side and press it down again, so both sides are covered in the oil.
- Then, add the salmon filets, skin-side down, on top of the parchment paper, and allow them to cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes.
- Once the 5 minutes are up, gently flip the salmon filets to the other side and allow them to cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, or until the salmon reaches your preferred doneness.
- When the salmon has finished cooking, remove the filets from the pan and transfer them to a plate.
- Then, add the butter to the pan.
- Once the butter has melted, add in the shallots and garlic and sauté them for 1-2 minutes.
- Then, add in the broth, lemon juice and zest, capers, and starch, and stir them together for 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Once the sauce is thick, remove it from the heat.
- Add the salmon back to the pan, and use a spoon to scoop the sauce onto the salmon.
- Finally, garnish with chopped parsley, then serve and enjoy!
Rate & review
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What others are saying
Another super easy, inexpensive, and healthy dish! Only thing was that my sauce turned bright blue, not sure how to avoid that in the future haha
Hmmm, I am not sure why that happened, MacKenzie! It sounds like something might have gone bad.
Hi I don’t understand the purpose of the parchment paper. Do you leave it in the pan while cooking the sauce?
Hi Leslie, you will prepare the sauce, then prepare the salmon with the parchment paper.
Great recipe, easy to follow. Using the parchment paper was super helpful to prevent the salmon from sticking or falling apart in the pan.
I’m so happy to hear that, Cristina! Thank you for your review!
1. I dislike salmon. 2. I LOVE lemon. 3. I’ll sell my soul for anything with lemon AND capers. 4. An attempt at eating healthier.
Nicole, this recipe hands down is mouth wateringly delicious and I can’t thank you enough for posting. It’s delicious. It was easy to make and our guest enjoyed it as much as we did and even took a serving home with her!
This is now on our dinner rotation. Make it. You won’t be disappointed.
Wow! Amy, I am so thrilled to hear that!! Thank you so much for giving it a shot, I am so thrilled that you found a salmon recipe that you enjoyed and can add to your weekly rotation!