Description
Whipping up Pan Seared Salmon with Pesto Butter brings pure weeknight dinner magic to your kitchen. Creamy herb-infused butter melts perfectly over crispy salmon, making your plate shine with restaurant-worthy flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Proteins:
- 4 4-ounce salmon fillets, skin removed
Supporting Flavors:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons basil pesto
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ lemon juice
Cooking Liquids:
- 2 tablespoons light olive oil
Instructions
- Blend 4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter with 2 tablespoons basil pesto in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Set the mixture aside at room temperature.
- Heat 2 tablespoons light olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat (375°F).
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper evenly across 4 salmon fillets.
- Carefully place seasoned salmon fillets in the hot skillet, cooking for 4 minutes on the first side until a golden-brown crust forms.
- Flip the fillets and cook an additional 3-4 minutes, ensuring the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
- Remove salmon from heat and squeeze juice from half a lemon directly over the fillets.
- Transfer salmon to serving plates and top each fillet with a generous tablespoon of prepared pesto butter.
- Serve immediately while the salmon is hot and the butter is melting.
Notes
- Ensure butter is truly softened at room temperature for smooth, easy blending with pesto.
- Pat salmon fillets completely dry with paper towels before seasoning to get a perfect golden-brown sear.
- Use a nonstick skillet or well-seasoned cast iron pan to prevent salmon from sticking and breaking apart.
- For dairy-free diets, swap butter with olive oil and mix herbs directly into the pesto for similar flavor complexity.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
- Category: Pan-Seared
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 425 kcal
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg