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Salmon Picatta – Quick, Easy and Delicious School Night Meal

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Golden pan-seared salmon is sautéed to perfection in a tangy, bold picatta sauce that perfectly complements the salmon’s rich, full flavor in this quick and easy Salmon Picatta recipe.

Salmon Picatta served over a bed of jasmine rice garnished with parsley and lemon slices

Easy Meals in 30 Minutes or Less: Salmon Picatta

Now that school is back in session, it seems that there is a lot less time to do everything that needs to get done. And when it comes to cooking a delicious and nutritious dinner, time becomes even more of a constraint. So, when this time of the year rolls around, I start looking for quick and easy dinners to make for my family.

This sumptuous seafood recipe for Salmon Picatta is easy, delicious, gluten free and literally takes just 30 minutes from stove to table!

Simple Salmon Dinner Recipe

I’ve never been a huge fan of fish. While I love crab, lobster and shrimp, there’s just something about fish that is… well, fishy! My husband, on the other hand, loves fish, so I figured I’d fix this for him, and make myself something different. However, after making it, I just had to give it a quick taste.

Much to my surprise, I was astounded – this recipe was delicious! The salmon was light and flaky, and the tasty tart lemon caper sauce complimented it perfectly. It didn’t taste fishy at all! Best of all, it only took 30 minutes to have it on the table.

How to Make Salmon Picatta

If you’re a fan of chicken piccata, you are going to love this Salmon Piccata recipe! It’s a tasty twist on the classic dish, served with tender and flaky salmon instead of chicken. It’s an easy salmon recipe that’s absolutely packed with flavor and very easy to make.

Plus, to make this salmon dinner recipe a full meal, it’s served over tender and flavorful jasmine rice. This Salmon Picatta recipe is a great recipe for whenever you need a nutritious dinner that the whole family will love.

Kitchen Tools You May Need

Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links for products or services I think you’ll like. This means if you make a purchase from one of these links, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend items I use and love.

Ingredients Needed to Make Salmon Picatta with Jasmine Rice

This easy salmon dinner recipe calls for just a few common ingredients. This is a list of ingredients you will need to make this easy Salmon Piccata recipe along with the Jasmine Rice. You will find the full ingredient measurements along with step-by-step instructions are in the free printable Salmon Picatta recipe card further down below.

  • Olive Oil
  • Kosher or flake sea salt
  • Coarsely ground black pepper
  • Lemons
  • Fresh parsley
  • Jasmine rice
  • Salmon filets
  • Minced garlic
  • Chicken stock concentrate
  • Capers

Salmon Picatta Instructions

Step One: Prep.

  1. Begin by cutting the 2 lemons in half, then slice one of the halves in to 4 slices.
  2. Roughly chop the parsley.
salmon picatta step one slice lemons and parsley

Step Two: Make the Jasmine Rice

  1. In a small saucepan, over high heat, bring the water and salt to a boil. Stir in rice and return to a boil.
  2. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
  3. Turn off heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. You’ll season it in a bit.
salmon picatta season rice

Step Three: Cook the Salmon

  1. Meanwhile, pat the salmon dry and liberally season with salt and pepper on both sides.
  2. In a medium-sized fry pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil.
  3. Add the salmon, skin side down, and saute for 3-4 minutes on each side until cooked through.
  4. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
salmon picatta saute in sauce pan

Step Four: Make the Sauce

  1. In the same sauté pan, add the garlic. Sauté for one minute, then whisk in the stock concentrate and 1 cup hot water. Bring to a boil, making sure to scrape off all of those delicious brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Let simmer for 3 minutes.
  2. Whisk in the juice from the three lemon halves. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat.
  3. Stir in capers.
salmon picatta add lemons and capers

Step Five: Finish the Salmon

  1. Place the salmon back into the pan. Add in the lemon slices, 1/4 of the parsley, and a pinch of pepper into the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the salmon and lemon slices several times (really soak them).

Step Six: Finish the Rice

  1. Just before serving, fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the remaining 3/4 of the parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Mix well.

Step Seven: Serve Salmon Picatta Recipe

  1. Divide the rice between two plates and top each with a salmon fillet.
  2. Spoon remaining sauce over the top.

And that’s it! Now all that’s left is to serve and enjoy!

terras kitchen salmon picatta

What temperature should salmon be cooked to?

One of the most frequent questions I get on this post is what temperature salmon should be cooked to, so you know it is done. The FDA recommends you need to cook salmon until the thickest part reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.

While that temperature will give you moist, flaky fish, I’ve found that we prefer our fish a little closer to 135° F.

When measuring temperature, make sure you insert the food thermometer in the thickest part of the salmon filet and make sure you don’t go all the way through the filet to the pan on the bottom. It should read at least 135-145 °F.

How long will this salmon piccata last?

I always try to cook any type of fresh seafood within 1-2 days of buying. Once cooked, you can store the salmon picatta in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Reheat it or add it to salads and rice bowls for a quick and filling lunch.

Can I freeze Salmon Piccata?

Yes, you can freeze this salmon picatta, although it always tastes best when eaten immediately. To freeze, allow the salmon to cool completely, then store it in an air-tight container or wrap in tinfoil. Freeze for up to three months.

When ready to eat, thaw it overnight in the fridge, then reheat until warmed through.

More Easy Weeknight Recipes

Looking for more quick and easy recipes? Look no further! I think you will really like these other weeknight dinner recipes that taste amazing but take very little time to make.

Did you make this recipe

SHOW ME WHAT YOU’VE GOT!

Did you make this easy salmon dinner recipe? If so, I’d love to see how it turned out!

Nothing makes me happier than seeing your take on my recipes. So please be sure to tag me on Instagram @bullocksbuzz or using #bullocksbuzz!

And finally, if you get a chance, please comment and leave me a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating on the printable recipe card below!

Yield: 2 salmon filets

Salmon Picatta - Quick, Easy and Delicious School Night Meal

salmon picatta recipe

Golden pan-seared salmon is sautéed to perfection in a tangy, bold picatta sauce that perfectly complements the salmon’s rich, full flavor in this quick and easy Salmon Picatta recipe.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • Olive oil
  • Sea Salt, to taste
  • Coarsely ground black pepper. to taste
  • 3/4 cups Jasmine rice
  • 2 lemons
  • 1 ounce fresh parsley (0.5 cups chopped)
  • 10 ounces salmon filets
  • 2 tsp fresh, minced garlic
  • 0.3 ounces chicken stock concentrate (1.6 tbsp)
  • 0.5 ounces capers (1 tbsp)

Instructions

    For the Jasmine Rice

    1. Cut the 2 lemons in half, then slice one of the halves in 4 slices.
    2. Roughly chop parsley.
    3. In a small saucepan, over high heat, bring 1 1/4 cups water and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil. Stir in rice and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
    4. Turn off heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Just before serving, fluff rice with a fork and stir in 3/4 of the parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

    For the Salmon

    1. Pat salmon dry and liberally season with salt and pepper.
    2. In a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil.
    3. Add salmon, skin side down, and saute 3-4 minutes on each until cooked through.
    4. Remove to a plate and cover with foil.

    For the Sauce

    1. Into the same saute pan, add garlic, and saute for one minute.
    2. Whisk in the chicken stock concentrate and 1 cup hot water. Bring to a boil, scraping off all of those delicious brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Let simmer for 3 minutes.
    3. Whisk in the juice from the three lemon halves. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in capers.

    Finishing the Salmon

    1. Place the salmon back into the pan, and add lemon slices, parsley and a pinch of pepper into the sauce.
    2. Spoon the sauce over the salmon and lemon slices a few times (really soak them).

    To Serve:

    1. Divide the jasmine rice between two plates and top each with a salmon fillet. Spoon remaining sauce over.
    2. Serve and enjoy!



Notes

Recipe courtesy Terra's Kitchen Meal Kits

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 468Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 89mgSodium: 561mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 35g

Nutritional information is automatically calculated with ingredients and serving size and may not be accurate. Please always double check with your own nutritional apps as well.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram and tag @bullocksbuzz

A delicious and easy Salmon Picatta recipe served over a bed of jasmine rice.

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Luna Regina

Monday 8th of February 2021

Looks so inviting with that creamy sauce!

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