Salmon Piccata (Lemon Butter Caper Sauce)
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This salmon piccata with lemon butter caper sauce is an easy, light, and fresh dish, that’s ready in about 25 minutes! This recipe gives you all the flavors you love in classic chicken piccata, but with a salmon twist. It’s an easy and elegant dinner you’ll want to make again and again.
If you love salmon, try this salmon with pesto or baked salmon steaks.
Quick Look: Salmon Piccata with Lemon Butter Caper Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Servings: 6 people
- Dietary Info: Gluten Free, Pescetarian; can be made Dairy Free
- Method: Stovetop
- Technique: Pat dry and season the salmon fillets. Cook on both sides in a skillet, then assemble the sauce ingredients in the pan and simmer to reduce. Add salmon and heat through, then serve.
- Flavor & Texture: This buttery salmon is tender and flaky, and the zingy-briny lemon caper sauce adds an incredible flavor and creaminess.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Golden and crisp on top and just cooked in the center, this pan-seared salmon is one of my go-to recipes when I crave salmon. It’s quick, easy, and elegant!
This buttery lemon sauce is a great way to serve up fresh salmon. It makes a delicious 30-minute meal that is perfect for a busy weeknight. I make this recipe in one pan, which makes for easy cleanup!
If you love these flavors, you will also want to try my Pasta al Limone or this vegetarian Ravioli Piccata!
Made With Amore,
“I made this for dinner last night and what a hit it was. Everyone lost their mind over this amazing salmon piccata recipe. It was easy and quick to make…Just so good, I will use this recipe in the future . Again, thank you, it is the real, deal piccata.”
– Carol
Table of Contents
- Quick Look: Salmon Piccata with Lemon Butter Caper Sauce
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Salmon Piccata (Lemon Butter Caper Sauce)
- Salmon Piccata FAQs
- Serving Suggestions
- Expert Tips
- More Delicious Salmon Recipes
- Salmon Piccata (Lemon Butter Caper Sauce) Recipe
Simple Ingredients
- Salmon Fillets: Wild-caught Pacific salmon is often considered the healthiest—and it’s my personal favorite. Atlantic salmon is usually farmed, but works just as well. Choose skin-on fillets to help retain flavor and prevent the fish from drying out.
- Lemon: Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds acidity to the piccata sauce and the zest deepens the lemon flavor.
- Capers: The briny, slightly tangy flavor of capers cuts through the richness of the butter and balances the acidity of the lemon juice, like in my lemon caper chicken. They also add a punch of saltiness and complexity, giving the sauce that signature sharp, savory bite that makes piccata taste so bright and bold.
- Butter: Use high fat, good quality butter; it will make a big difference in the richness of your sauce. I love the Kerrygold brand, but there are lots of other good quality high-fat butter varieties. The richer the butter in this recipe, the creamier and tastier the sauce!
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Baked Option: You can bake the salmon on a sheet pan (like in my baked salmon with potatoes) and make the sauce separately. Spoon the sauce on top of the baked salmon and serve.
- Grilled Option: You can also cook the salmon on your outdoor grill and add the sauce after the salmon is cooked.
- Use a Different Fish: Like in my lemon butter cod recipe, this caper butter sauce works just as well with tilapia, cod, Mahi-Mahi, trout, sea-bass, Wahoo, Striped Bass, or any other white fish you like.
- Skip the Capers: If you are making this dish as a family dinner and your kids do not like capers, you can leave them out. You’ll get a plain sauce as a result, like I have in my baked flounder with lemon butter sauce.
How to Make Salmon Piccata (Lemon Butter Caper Sauce)
Get ready to make this mouthwatering salmon piccata in just a few simple steps. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for more info.
- Pat the salmon fillets dry with a paper towel and season with salt.
- Heat the skillet over medium high heat with olive oil. Place the salmon skin side up in the skillet, then let it cook for 4 minutes without moving. Flip it over and continue cooking until it’s done to your liking. Remove the salmon to a plate.
- Add the butter, shallot, garlic, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt to the same skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the aromatics are fragrant and soft.
- Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, capers, and lemon zest to the skillet. Simmer for 4 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Place the salmon back in the pan and heat for an extra minute.
- Spoon the sauce over the salmon, garnish with parsley, and serve warm.
Salmon Piccata FAQs
Most definitely! Frozen wild salmon is sometimes better than fresh salmon because it’s frozen fresh off the boat and then shipped. The quality of fresh wild salmon starts to deteriorate as soon as it’s harvested, but frozen salmon bypasses that part, making it the superior choice.
Be sure to thaw it in the fridge ahead of time. If you need to quickly thaw it out, place it in a large bowl with cold water and submerge the salmon fillets in a resealable plastic bag in the water.
Piccata is true to its name (it is sharp and puckery!) but it’s also a quick and luxurious sauce. It’s essentially a warm vinaigrette that you sizzle together in a frying pan: fat (butter), acid (lemon juice and slim half-moons of lemon), biting alliums (minced shallot and garlic), and capers for briny flavor.
For a thicker sauce, I recommend cooking the sauce longer, allowing it to reduce so that it thickens naturally.
Your piccata sauce may break if it cooks at too high a temperature. “Breaking” occurs when the fat separates, and it appears greasy or oily rather than as a smooth emulsion. If this happens, add a tablespoon of broth to the skillet and whisk it quickly to restore the texture.
Serving Suggestions
Pair this dish with a few of my favorite salmon side dishes for a complete meal! Some include Italian fennel salad or citrus salad, shredded zucchini pasta, and no knead Italian bread. This will give you a meal that tastes like it’s from an Italian restaurant!
If you’re looking for quick weeknight dinner sides, we love sautéed green beans, crispy Brussels sprouts, or this Italian artichoke soup to start the meal.
If you love fish recipes, try my pan seared Chilean sea bass and blackened cod next!
My Pro Tips
Expert Tips
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick large skillet over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Your salmon must hit hot oil to prevent sticking.
- Cook without moving. Cook the salmon, skin side up, until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Resist the urge to touch the fillets as they cook. Letting the fish sear untouched in hot oil creates that lovely, flavorful, golden crust that makes this dish restaurant-worthy.
- Store any leftovers in the fridge in a tight-fitting container for up to 3 days. You can flake up the salmon and add it to a salad, or toss it with some perfectly cooked spaghetti or pasta. When reheating, you may need to add extra olive oil to thin out the sauce.
Salmon Piccata (Lemon Butter Caper Sauce)
Ingredients
For the Salmon Fillets
- 2 large salmon fillets, 5-6 ounces each
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if needed
For the Piccata Sauce
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice, about one lemon
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, about 1 large lemon
- 3 tablespoons capers
- ½ cup chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, finely chopped, for serving
- lemon slices, for serving; optional
Instructions
- Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towel, and season with 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt and with black pepper to taste.
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Cook the salmon until golden and crisp on the outside, about 4 minutes. Resist the urge to touch with the fillets as they cook. Carefully flip the fillets and reduce the heat to medium.
- Continue cooking until done to your liking, about 1-2 minutes more, depending on how well done you like your salmon. (Aim for 125°F for medium rare or 135°F for medium in the thickest part of the fillets.) Using a slotted spatula, remove the fish to a plate to rest.
- Set the pan over medium heat and add the butter, shallot, garlic, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant and soft, about 1 minute.
- Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, capers, and lemon zest. Simmer for 4 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Place salmon back in the pan and heat for an extra minute. Then, spoon the sauce over the salmon. Garnish with parsley and serve warm. Serve with lemon slices, if desired.
Notes
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick large skillet over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Your salmon must hit hot oil to prevent sticking.
- Cook without moving. Cook the salmon, skin side up, until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Resist the urge to touch the fillets as they cook. Letting the fish sear untouched in hot oil creates that lovely, flavorful, golden crust that makes this dish restaurant-worthy.
- Store any leftovers in the fridge in a tight-fitting container for up to 3 days. You can flake up the salmon and add it to a salad, or toss it with some perfectly cooked spaghetti or pasta. When reheating, you may need to add extra olive oil to thin out the sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I just made this and paired it with tuna steak and thyme cheddar mashed potatoes. So good! thank you
YUM! Sounds amazing! So happy you loved it.
I donโt know why sheโs lying about putting shallots in her sauce! I put Shallots and it was purple and clumpy! Picatta sauce does not call for it and do not do it unless you want a purple clumpy sauce
Hi! I’m sorry to hear the sauce didn’t turn out as you expected.
I do use finely minced shallots in my piccata sauce, and when cooked gently until soft and translucent, they should melt into the sauce rather than make it clumpy. A purple color can happen if red shallots are used and they aren’t sautรฉed long enough before adding the other ingredients.
Traditional piccata recipes vary by family and regionโsome include shallots or onions, while others use only garlic or neither. This version is the way I make it and enjoy it, but you’re always welcome to omit the shallots if you prefer a more classic lemon-butter-caper sauce.
Thank you for giving the recipe a try and for sharing your experience.
Made with Amore,
Elena
I’ve made this recipe a few times, exactly as written, and it’s terrific. Everyone I have served it to has loved it so thank you. I’m wondering if I could substitute half the butter with olive oil to make it a little more healthy? Do you think you could make the sauce ahead and spoon it over salmon that has been cooked on the BBQ?
Thank you so much! I’m thrilled to hear you’ve made it several times and that it’s been a hit with everyone you’ve served it to.
Yes, you can absolutely substitute half of the butter with good-quality olive oil. The sauce will still be delicious, though it may be slightly less rich and silky than the original version.
And grilling the salmon is a wonderful idea! I would prepare the piccata sauce separately and keep it warm on low heat. Then simply spoon it over the freshly grilled salmon right before serving. The smoky flavor from the BBQ pairs beautifully with the bright lemon, capers, and buttery sauce.
If you try it that way, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Made with Amore,
Elena
Thanks! Iโll let you know how it turns out.
This recipe looks very tasty and I’m going to try it. You indicate this makes 6 servings. That would make each serving of salmon 1.1 to 2 ounces. Is that correct? Typical servings are 3.5 – 4 ounces. Should I at least double the nutritional values?
Hi!Great question, and Iโm so glad youโre going to try it!
The serving size can definitely vary depending on how youโre serving it. If itโs paired with pasta, vegetables, or a few sides, the portions can be smaller. But youโre absolutely right, a typical salmon portion is closer to 3.5โ4 ounces per person.
If youโre planning to serve it as the main protein, I would recommend adjusting the portions accordingly and yes, you can scale the nutritional values based on the portion size you serve.
Thank you for catching that and for your thoughtful question!
If you enjoy this, you might also love my chicken piccata meatballs next time, same bright lemony flavors in a different way.
๐ Mangia!