Barley Free Pan-Seared Salmon with Brown Butter and Capers
Few things hit the dinner table quite like a perfectly seared piece of salmon — golden, crispy skin on the outside and buttery-tender flesh all the way through. The real magic here is the pan sauce: grass-fed butter cooked low and slow until the milk solids turn a deep, nutty brown, then finished with briny capers, bright lemon juice, and fresh parsley. It's the kind of sauce that tastes like it came from a restaurant kitchen but comes together in just a few minutes in the same pan you used for the fish. Pressing the fillets skin-side down with a spatula is a small step that makes a huge difference, locking in that crackling, deeply golden crust. Grain-based sauces and thickeners are nowhere in sight here — every ingredient is straightforward and clean, so there's no second-guessing labels or scanning for hidden additives. Avocado oil, fresh herbs, real butter, and good salmon are genuinely all you need. Serve it with lemon wedges and something simple on the side, and this one will absolutely earn a permanent spot in your weeknight rotation.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 4 salmon fillets (6 oz each), skin-on, pin bones removed
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
For the brown butter sauce
- 4 tbsp grass-fed unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp capers, drained
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
For serving
- lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Pat the salmon fillets thoroughly dry with paper towels, then season both sides with the kosher salt and black pepper.
- 2
Heat the avocado oil in a 12-inch stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and just begins to smoke. Place the salmon fillets skin-side down and press each fillet gently with a fish spatula for the first 30 seconds to prevent curling. Cook undisturbed for 4–5 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and crisp and the flesh has turned opaque about two-thirds of the way up the sides.
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