Salmon with Cream Sauce

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This simple-to-make salmon with cream sauce is an easy seafood dinner meal that offers a luxurious taste without breaking the bank. A quick salmon recipe that will become a staple in your weekly dinner rotation.

If you are craving a creamy dish other than pasta, mix it up a bit by serving salmon with cream sauce. The salmon is cooked in a skillet to perfection and smothered in a white wine cream sauce with spinach and parmesan cheese.

This fish dish is so easy to put together. It's the perfect last-minute dinner meal because it can be prepared and cooked in less than 30 minutes.

It's a high-protein dish that is also rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. You can serve this creamy salmon with rice, mashed potatoes, or veggies.

Now, let's talk about the creamy white sauce.

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Cream Sauce for Salmon
Ingredients for Salmon in Cream Sauce
How to Make Pan-Seared Salmon with Creamy Sauce
How to Store Leftover Cooked Salmon with White Sauce?
How to Reheat Leftover Cooked Salmon with White Sauce without Drying it out?
Cooking Tips and Variations
📖 Recipe

Cream Sauce for Salmon

This creamy sauce plays an important role to bring this salmon to the next level.

The white wine sauce is smooth, garlicky, slightly tangy, and rich without being heavy. It adds the perfect balance to the overall dish.

Ingredients for Salmon in Cream Sauce

Here is the ingredient list you'll need for salmon with cream sauce.

Salmon. You can use any type of salmon with or without skin as long as it is fresh.
Oil and Butter. I used a combination of oil and butter to pan-sear the salmon and add richness to the sauce.
Dijon mustard. It's the secret ingredient of the sauce! The dijon mustard creates a unique and slightly tangy flavor. If possible, do not skip it.
Fresh garlic. It's a must-have aromatic ingredient in sauces. Do not skip this one either!
Fresh shallots. Shallots have a milder smell and taste than onions and are a good aromatic to add sweetness to sauces. Honesty, I've made this recipe many times with and without shallots and the end results were quite similar. So, if you don't have shallots on hand, feel free to skip them.

Broth. I added a small amount of low-sodium chicken broth as a base for the sauce. The broth also adds flavor and helps loosen the sauce a bit.
Cream. In this recipe, I thickened the sauce with heavy cream. Other alternatives, such as half n half, milk, or a combination of cream and milk will work as well.
White wine. Use dry white wine (not a sweet one) to deglaze and add a crisp and refreshing taste to the sauce. You can use any dry white wine such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc.
Parmesan cheese. It's one of the main ingredients of the sauce. Parmesan cheese has an umami (rich and savory), salty, and nutty taste. It makes a great flavor enhancer for sauce. It's so important to finely grate your own parmesan cheese to prevent gritty and/or grainy sauce. Store-bought pre-shredded or pre-grated cheese will not melt properly into the sauce due to its anti-caking ingredient.
Spinach. I added spinach at the end of the cooking to add some color and to make it a healthier dish. If you aren't a big fan of spinach, feel free to skip it. The sauce is also great by itself.
Other seasonings. I used a combination of salt and black pepper to season the salmon fillets and sauce. The sauce itself already has enough flavor, so adding fresh or dried herbs and spices are optional.

How to Make Pan-Seared Salmon with Creamy Sauce

The preparation and cooking process of this salmon and creamy sauce is very easy and not time-consuming. Here are some important steps to follow:

1. Cook the Salmon

Pat dry the salmon fillets. Use paper towels to remove moisture from the outside of the fish. This step is very important to help the salmon fillets to brown nicely and have the right flaky texture when it cooks.

season the salmon with salt and black pepper.

Season. With your hand at least 12 inches away, lightly sprinkle salt and black pepper on both sides of salmon fillets in a single layer. Be sure to season the fish right before cooking, do not do it too early.

Sear. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. With tongs or spatula, gently place the salmon, flesh side down in a pan. Allow the salmon fillets to cook, undisturbed for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Using a spatula, gently flip the fillet and cook the skin until it's crispy and the fish is fully cooked. Transfer the cooked fillets to a plate.

2. Cook the White Sauce

Cook the aromatics. In the same skillet, melt butter then saute shallots for 1 minute. Add the garlic, then saute until fragrant.

Deglaze. Add the wine and gently scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a spatula. Let the wine reduce over medium-high heat until it reduces to about 1-2 tablespoons, then add Dijon mustard and stir to combine.

Add the heavy cream and low-sodium chicken broth. Let it simmer for 3 minutes over medium-low heat until the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened.

Pour in Liquid. Add the heavy cream and low-sodium chicken broth. Let it simmer for 3 minutes over medium-low heat until the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened.
Add the cheese. Stir in a small amount of parmesan cheese at a time. Whisk it smooth after each addition, until the sauce is thickened for about 2 minutes.

Stir in the spinach and continue cooking until it's wilted.

Add the spinach. Stir in the spinach and continue cooking until it's wilted.

3. Serve

You can serve this salmon with salmon sauce in two ways.

With skin on. To preserve the crispiness of the skin, you can pour the sauce over salmon fillets right before serving.
Without skin on. You can add the salmon fillets back into the pan and spoon the sauce over them.

How to Store Leftover Cooked Salmon with White Sauce?

Discard any cold leftovers that have been left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature or 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F. You can learn more here.

Here's how to store leftover cooked salmon with sauce.

Let the hot salmon and cream sauce cool down to room temperature before refrigerating.
Put the salmon and cream sauce into separate airtight containers.
Properly stored, it can last 3-4 days in the fridge.

How to Reheat Leftover Cooked Salmon with White Sauce without Drying it out?

Preheat the oven to 275°F.
Put the salmon and white sauce in a baking dish.
Drizzle the leftover with a small amount of broth or water.
Cover the dish tightly with foil.
Reheat the leftover in an oven for about 15 minutes or longer or until warm throughout.

Cooking Tips and Variations

How do you prevent the fish fillets from sticking?

To prevent the fish fillets from sticking, you need to pat dry the flesh and skin completely with paper towels. You also need to preheat the skillet properly before adding the fish to it.

How do you keep the fish warm after cooking?

To keep the fish warm after cooking, transfer the fish to a wire rack placed over a baking sheet, uncovered. Put it in the oven at 175°F until it's ready for serving.

What are the best dry white wines to cook fish with?

You can use Sauvignon blanc or Pinot Grigio. These types of wines are lighter in taste and refreshing. They are great wines to enhance the flavor of the fish without overpowering it.

What can I use if I don't have white wine for cooking?

If you don't have white wine or are avoiding alcohol, use a small amount of broth (about ¼ cup) to deglaze the pan.

Check Out More Delicious Seafood Recipes

I hope you'll enjoy this recipe and share it with friends! If you try it and don’t mind, please leave me a comment and/or give this recipe a rating. Be sure to subscribe to receive weekly recipes and follow me on Pinterest.