Name: Creamy Tuscan Salmon
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 4 salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each); ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste); ½ teaspoon pepper (or to taste); 2 tablespoons olive oil (or oil drained from sun dried tomatoes); 2 tablespoons butter (unsalted); 4 cloves garlic (minced); ¼ cup dry white wine; ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes (roughly chopped); 1 cups heavy cream; ½ cup Parmesan cheese; 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)

This Creamy Tuscan Salmon features restaurant quality pan seared salmon served with a creamy sun dried tomato, garlic and Parmesan sauce. Ready in just 20 minutes, this salmon is perfect for a special occasion or any night of the week!

closeup of creamy tuscan salmon in a black skillet.

Creamy Tuscan Salmon Recipe

Salmon is my all time favorite fish and I love figuring out different ways to make it. It’s a no brainer pairing this delicious salmon with a creamy sauce made with garlic, white wine, sun dried tomatoes, cream and lots of parmesan cheese. Let me just say the sauce is epic and it totally makes this dish!

The salmon is pan seared giving you a super crispy outside but an incredibly juice and flaky inside. So look no further, because this delicious salmon will surely become your favorite weeknight meal!

a piece of creamy tuscan salmon with some asparagus on a black plate.

Why You Should Make This Salmon

Incredibly Easy To Make. It’s amazing what you can make with just a few simple pantry ingredients. Totally crispy salmon with a tender interior in an epic creamy sauce. A must try!
Super Quick. Believe it or not you can finish this salmon in about 20 minutes from start to finish. Sear the salmon, make the sauce and serve! Easy peasy!
Totally Versatile. That’s right! Want to have more veggies? Then just add some veggies to the sauce like spinach, cherry tomatoes or asparagus!

Ingredients You’ll Need

overhead shot of ingredients needed to make creamy tuscan salmon.

Salmon – You’ll want 4 salmon fillets, with skin or without skin. You can replace it with other fish such as trout, cod, tilapia, or haddock.
Olive Oil And Butter – You’ll need some olive oil to pan sear the salmon in and some butter for the sauce. I like to use unsalted butter, this way I can control how salty my dishes are.
Garlic – Fresh garlic is the way to go in this recipe for the best garlic aroma and flavor.
White Wine – For a non-alcoholic substitute use a low sodium chicken broth. Best wine for this sauce is a dry wine like a Pinot Gris or Chardonnay.
Sun Dried Tomatoes – Sun dried tomatoes are a star ingredient in a creamy Tuscan sauce. Don’t discard the oil for it, use that to pan sear your salmon in, lots of great flavor there.
Heavy Cream – You’ll want to use a high fat heavy cream to thicken the sauce nicely.
Parmesan Cheese – My favorite ingredient in this sauce, for that mild salty flavor. I prefer to use freshly grated Parmesan cheese but the store bought grated cheese will work as well.

How To Make Creamy Tuscan Salmon

Prep the salmon. Season salmon on both sides with salt and pepper.
Cook the salmon. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add salmon and cook for about 5 minutes per side or until golden and cooked through. Transfer the salmon to a plate and set aside.
Cook garlic. Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic. Add the wine and deglaze the pan. Cook for another minute while stirring then add the sun dried tomatoes. Continue cooking for another minute so the tomatoes release their flavor.
Finish the sauce. Add the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese to the skillet and stir everything together. Taste and season the sauce with salt and pepper to your taste. Simmer for another 2 minutes.
Add salmon back to skillet. Add the salmon back to the skillet and spoon sauce over the salmon. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

What To Serve With Creamy Tuscan Salmon

Pasta or Rice. Both pasta and rice are perfect for this dish because they both go well with this incredible sauce.
Roasted Veggies. I love a good side of roasted veggies with this dish. Try some roasted asparagus, oven roasted broccoli or steamed broccoli, skillet green beans, or some smashed potatoes.
Breadsticks. I love dipping some delicious freshly made breadsticks in this great sauce to soak it all up.

What’s The Best White Wine To Use In This Sauce?

You’ll want to use a dry white like a Pino Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or a Riesling.

How Do You Know When Salmon Is Cooked?

The easiest way to tell when salmon is cooked right, is when you gently press it with your finger it should gently flake. If the salmon is overcooked, it will be dry and tough when you eat it. Using a meat thermometer will also ensure your fillets are cooked properly. The temperature of cooked salmon should be above 110°F but below 145°F.

Expert Tips

If your salmon fillets come with skin on, don’t remove the skin. The skin will protect the fillets from overcooking and it’s much easier to remove once the salmon is cooked.
Remove the salmon from the fridge at least 15 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature.
The avoid your creamy sauce from curdling the key is to gently simmer it over medium low heat.
Feel free to use other fish like trout, cod or haddock.

Leftovers

You can store this creamy Tuscan salmon in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. I wouldn’t recommend freezing it because of the creamy sauce, but you can safely freeze the pan seared salmon fillets in an air tight container for up to 1 month.