Pan Seared Salmon + Herbed Butter Sauce

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Pan Seared Salmon = Pan Seared Amazing. If you love easy but flavorful recipes that take just a few minutes to prepare, Pan Seared Salmon with Herbed Butter Sauce should be at the top of your list. I'm talking about thick, wild king salmon filets seared in rich butter to perfect medium rare so they are flaky on the outside and super rich on the inside. Then we top it all off with a simple rosemary butter sauce with hints of lemon. So...who is hungry?

Pan Seared Salmon + Herbed Butter Sauce

My, my, my doesn't that sound fancy? It totally isn't. I mean, yes, it is, but fancy isn't the same thing as hard to make. I would straight up order this in a restaurant. You know what, I've ordered similar dishes to this at a restaurant, and I'm going to raise them 20. This is the absolute best salmon meal I have ever eaten. In my life.

Well, maybe other than the fresh salmon I caught and ate when I was in Alaska back in the 1990's. But outside of that, this is the ultimate pan seared salmon recipe, and we're going to show + tell how to create this date night worthy recipe at home.

How to make Pan Seared Salmon at Home

The most important thing is selecting fresh, wild caught king salmon. Wild salmon is seasonal. That means buying it at the peak of its season ensures the freshest fish and the widest variety. King salmon, also known as chinook salmon, is in my opinion the best tasting of all the salmon. It holds up really well to pan searing and has a high fat content. It has a very rich enjoyable flavor that I love.

We picked ours up from the Fresh Seafood Department at The Fresh Market. The selection of salmon is great, plus the staff can help you pick out exactly what type of salmon you need for what you are cooking. Click here for more cooking tips and ideas from The Fresh Market.

I picked out two large, thick wild caught king salmon filets. Yes, I am totally trying to impress my husband with this recipe. They also had smoked salmon, sockeye and coho salmon varieties available.

• King Salmon - King Salmon has rich, red flesh that’s firm and vibrant. Its high oil content gives it a delicious, distinct flavor. When cooked, King Salmon tastes buttery and retains its moisture. We recommend serving it grilled, roasted or pan-seared.
• Sockeye Salmon - This fish has deep, firm red flesh that retains its hue throughout the cooking process. Its medium oil content gives it rich flavor that’s only slightly milder than king salmon. Sockeye Salmon retains its moisture when cooked. Try it grilled or smoked for the best flavor and texture.
• Coho Salmon - Orange-red in color, Coho Salmon is one of the milder varieties of salmon due to its lower oil content. Its texture is medium-firm. These fillets are quite versatile and are best enjoyed grilled on wood planks, steamed, poached or even sautéed.

To prepare this Pan Seared Salmon recipe, you will need:

• Two wild caught king salmon filets - All bones removed, skin on. Ours weighed about 0.75 pounds each.
• Salted butter
• Lemon juice - freshly squeezed
• Fresh chopped rosemary - You can also use dill or basil, or a combination of all three.
• Sea salt and black pepper - a pinch to taste

For this pan seared salmon recipe, I VERY HIGHLY recommend a non-stick skillet like the one shown. If you don't have a non-stick skillet, you'll be ok as long as you follow the directions.

Melt a tablespoon or so of butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Wait for the butter to start bubbling, then place one piece of salmon in the skillet SKIN SIDE DOWN. Let it sizzle and cook for about 5 minutes until the skin is well browned. While it is cooking, don't move it around or try to flip it. You want the skin to get nice and crisp.

Then, carefully slip the salmon and cook for another 3 minutes. Add a little more butter if you need to. Watch the heat so the butter doesn't burn.

That's it.

That's how you cook expertly prepared Pan Seared Salmon. As long as you have fresh, high quality salmon, that's all you need. Well, that and our easy herbed butter sauce.

When you have cooked the salmon, transfer it to a dish and keep it warm. Wipe out the skillet (you don't want any burnt bitter butter bits for this part). Then on LOW heat, melt ¼ cup of real butter. Don't use margarine or butter substitute. I used the best quality butter I could find at The Fresh Market for this recipe. There is no point in getting a great cut of salmon only to top it with cheap butter.

Swirl in lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper. Then stir in fresh chopped rosemary.

We aren't going for browned butter for this topping to our pan seared salmon...let's call it "golden butter". Slowly stir and swirl the herbs in the warm butter and lemon mixture until you can just smell the rosemary in the air and the butter starts to foam. It will take about 3 to 5 minutes and will look like this:

To serve, plate the prepared salmon with fresh slices of lemon and your favorite vegetable side. (We picked this gorgeous bunch of asparagus from the produce section of TFM.)

Then drizzle each salmon filet with the rosemary-lemon butter sauce.

I wish you could smell this right now. The fragrant rosemary with the golden butter really brings out the fresh flavor of the wild king salmon. I can't wait for you to try this easy recipe for Pan Seared Salmon and Herbed Butter Sauce.

While we were at The Fresh Market, we also picked out fresh flowers for the table to make our meal even more special. The selection of flowers and seasonal items is always the best.

I picked up a few fall items for our home, too. The Fresh Market carries a wide variety of sauces, spices, wine, candies and chocolate that I love.

The Fresh Market is the place I go to when I want to create an amazing meal. They always carry items that I can't find anywhere else, all in one place. It is the grocery destination for a foodie adventure. They also carry a great selection of wine and items needed for entertaining.

More of our favorite recipes that started at The Fresh Market:

Baked Cheddar Cheese Grits with Crab Cakes

Insanely Delicious Rosemary Standing Rib Roast

Blackened Fish Tacos + Mango Pico

Smoked Gouda + Cheddar Ham Potato Casserole

Honey Garlic Salmon Stir Fry

This is truly a special + simple way to prepare salmon that we know you are going to love. You can mix and match the flavor combinations by changing the seasoning on the salmon and the herbs used in the butter. I'm thinking next time we will go with a citrus-honey ginger butter.

During your next visit to The Fresh Market, be sure to check out their selection of premium quality seafood like Wild Caught Salmon.

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