Salmon in Creamy Lemon Sauce with Capers and Spinach

Tender salmon fillets with a crisp golden crust, wrapped in a rich cream and lemon sauce with capers, a subtle chile warmth and fresh spinach — a quick restaurant-style dinner made in one skillet and consistently juicy.

Ingredients

• Skin-on salmon fillets — 1.3 lb | 600 g
• Salt — 1/2 tsp | 1/2 ч. л.
• Ground black pepper — 1/4 tsp | 1/4 ч. л.
• Olive oil — 1 tbsp | 1 ст. л.
• Yellow onion — 2.8 oz | 80 g
• Capers — 1 tbsp | 1 ст. л.
• Lemon juice — 2 tbsp | 2 ст. л.
• Lemon zest — 1 tsp | 1 ч. л.
• Chile flakes — 1/4 tsp | 1/4 ч. л.
• Fresh spinach — 3.5 oz | 100 g
• Heavy cream, 20% — 3/4 cup | 200 ml

Step-by-step recipe

1. Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels, then season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the salmon skin-side down and cook until golden, about 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
3. In the same skillet, sauté the finely chopped onion until softened, 2–3 minutes.
4. Add the capers, chile flakes, lemon zest and lemon juice, then warm for 1 minute so the sharp acidity mellows slightly.
5. Add the spinach and cook just until wilted, then pour in the cream and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
6. Return the salmon to the skillet, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, until the fish is just cooked through and the sauce turns silky.
7. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve immediately, spooning the sauce over the fillets.

Serving and storage

Perfect with boiled rice, pasta, couscous or a crusty baguette to mop up the sauce. Leftovers can be kept for up to 1 day in the refrigerator in an airtight container and gently reheated over low heat, without letting the sauce boil hard.

Tips and variations

• Salmon stays especially juicy if you avoid overcooking it: the internal temperature at the thickest part should be about 122–126°F | 50–52 °C.
• You can replace the cream with a mixture of milk and cream cheese, or with coconut cream for a lactose-free version.
• No capers? Use finely chopped olives and a pinch of citric acid or a little extra lemon juice.
• Prefer more heat? Increase the chile flakes or add a pinch of smoked paprika.
• For a thicker sauce, let it reduce over low heat for 2–3 minutes before returning the fish.

Nutritional value (per serving)

FAQ