Salmon Piccata
Updated: 2 days ago
By Chef Jon Ashton | Published June 18, 2025
Why you'll love it: fancy without the fuss · crisp skin, tender fish · a sauce worth writing poetry about · weeknight-friendly, guest-worthy.
Buttery, zesty Salmon Piccata perfection.
Tested in my kitchen · As seen on TODAY and The Tonight Show · Parade magazine's chef for 10 years · About Chef Jon →
Before you start: The sauce in this recipe is a classic pan sauce, one of the skills in my Kitchen School. The lesson takes about five minutes to read. Also useful: How to make a pan sauce · Safe internal temperatures
Easy Salmon Piccata
Serves 4
Brine: 15 minutes
Cook: about 25 minutes
Level: Easy
Equipment: Stainless Steel Frying Pan, Sauce Pan, Chef's Knife. Also useful: Nonstick Frying Pan and Paring Knife.
Ingredients
For the Brine
½ cup table salt
2 quarts cold water
For the Salmon and Sauce
4 (6- to 8-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
½ cup dry white wine
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Instructions
Brine the Salmon: In a large container, dissolve the ½ cup salt in the 2 quarts cold water. Submerge the salmon and let it sit for 15 minutes. Remove the fillets and pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels.
Season and Sear: Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper evenly over the bottom of a cold 12-inch nonstick skillet. Lay the fillets in skin-side down and sprinkle the tops with another ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Set the skillet over medium-high heat and cook without moving the fish until the fat renders, the skin browns, and the bottom quarter-inch of the fillets turns opaque, 6 to 8 minutes. You'll know it's right when the skin is browned and crisp and the bottom quarter-inch of each fillet has turned opaque. If the skin sticks when you try to move it, leave it another minute. Once it has browned, it lets go on its own.
Flip and Finish Cooking: Using tongs, gently flip the fillets. Cook, undisturbed, until the centers are still slightly translucent when checked with the tip of a paring knife and register 125°F for farmed salmon (120°F for wild), 6 to 8 minutes more. Transfer to a serving platter, skin-side down, and let rest for 5 minutes. You'll know it's right when the center is still slightly translucent at the tip of a paring knife and reads 125°F for farmed salmon or 120°F for wild.
Make the Sauce: Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the olive oil and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook for 15 seconds. Whisk in the wine, water, capers, lemon zest and lemon juice. Season lightly with salt and pepper, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30 seconds.
Finish and Serve: Remove the skillet from the heat. Whisk in the butter one piece at a time until the sauce is smooth and glossy, then stir in the dill. Spoon the warm sauce over the salmon and serve immediately. You'll know it's right when the sauce is smooth and glossy and lightly coats the back of a spoon. If the sauce looks greasy or starts to split, it got too hot. Keep the pan off the heat and whisk in a splash of water to bring it back together. Note: 120°F to 125°F are chef’s temperatures for medium-rare salmon. Food safety guidance recommends 145°F.
How to Store
Fridge: refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 2 days.
Reheat: warm gently in a low oven just until heated through, or flake the salmon cold over a salad.
Tips for Success
Brine Your Salmon: A quick 15-minute brine keeps the fish juicy and seasons it all the way through.
Use Skin-On Fillets: Starting skin-side down in a cold pan renders the fat, crisps the skin, and helps prevent sticking.
Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: Give the salmon room to brown evenly. Crowding leads to steaming, not searing.
Finish Off the Heat: Whisk the butter in off the heat for a smooth, emulsified sauce that won’t split.
Fresh Is Best: Use fresh lemon juice and zest for that unmistakable zing. Bottled juice simply won’t do.
Key Ingredients
Skin-On Salmon Fillets: Started skin-side down in a cold pan, the skin renders and crisps while the rich flesh stays tender.
Salt Brine: A quick 15 minute brine seasons the fish all the way through and helps it stay juicy as it cooks.
Capers: Rinsed of excess brine, they pop with salty little bursts that make the sauce sing.
Fresh Lemon Juice and Zest: They give the sauce its unmistakable zing and cut through the richness of the salmon.
Dry White Wine: Whisked into the pan, it forms the bright, tangy base of the sauce.
Unsalted Butter: Whisked in off the heat a piece at a time, it turns the sauce smooth, glossy and silky.
Garlic: Thinly sliced and cooked just until fragrant, it adds a mellow savoury note to the sauce.
Fresh Dill: Stirred in at the end, it brings a fresh, grassy lift that loves salmon.
Farmed vs. Wild: A Temperature Tale
Here’s the scientific bit. Farmed salmon has more fat, so I cook it to 125°F for the ideal balance of silky and succulent. Wild salmon is leaner, so I take it to 120°F to keep it moist and marvelous. Because no one wants to weep over dry salmon.
These are chef’s temperatures for medium-rare. Food safety guidance recommends cooking fish to 145°F.
How to Serve Salmon Piccata Like You Have Michelin Stars
On a bed of farro or orzo: these grains catch every drop of sauce like gossip in a country village.
Over garlicky sautéed spinach: if Popeye had tasted this, he’d have ditched the can.
Next to creamy mashed potatoes: the kind that could double as a cashmere throw.
Pair it with a crisp white wine, a candle or two, and someone who appreciates the finer things in life, even if it’s just you and your dog.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Skipping the pat-dry: wet fish steams instead of searing
Moving the fish too soon: let the skin release on its own once it has browned
Boiling the sauce after the butter goes in: it will split; keep it off the heat
Cooking by the clock: check the center with a knife tip or thermometer
What to Serve with Salmon Piccata
Farro or orzo to catch the sauce
Garlicky sautéed spinach
Creamy mashed potatoes
A crisp Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
Frequently Asked Questions
Why brine salmon?
A short saltwater brine seasons the fish evenly and helps it stay moist as it cooks.
Can I use skinless salmon?
Yes, though skin-on gives a crisper, more forgiving sear. Skinless fillets cook faster, so watch them closely.
What temperature should salmon be?
I cook farmed salmon to 125°F and wild to 120°F for medium-rare. Food safety guidance recommends 145°F.
Can I make it without wine?
Yes. Use chicken or fish stock in place of the wine and add an extra squeeze of lemon.
Why rinse the capers?
Rinsing removes excess brine so the capers add pop without making the sauce too salty.
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