Macadamia Free Pan-Seared Salmon with Brown Butter and Capers
Few things hit the dinner table quite like a perfectly seared salmon fillet — crispy skin, tender flesh, and a sauce that makes you want to mop the plate clean. The real magic here is the brown butter, cooked low and slow until the milk solids turn deep golden and the whole pan smells like toasted hazelnuts without a single nut in sight. Briny capers and a bright squeeze of fresh lemon juice cut right through the richness, keeping every bite balanced and lively. The technique of pressing the skin down in a hot cast iron or stainless steel pan for those first crucial seconds is what delivers that shatteringly crisp exterior most home cooks only dream about. Grass-fed butter, avocado oil, fresh parsley, and a handful of pantry staples are all you need — no specialty ingredients, no hidden surprises. It comes together in minutes and feels genuinely restaurant-worthy, which makes it just as good for a Tuesday night as it is for company.
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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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