Servings: 4 Servings
Creamy Pesto Salmon Recipe
This perfect crispy salmon is engulfed in a creamy pesto sauce for a fresh and delicious meal! Pair it with brown rice, white rice, pasta noodles, and roasted veggies or a salad for a nutritious meal.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs salmon cut into individual filets
- 1/2 tsp sea salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp onion powder to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper to taste
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- ½ cup pesto sauce
Instructions
- Remove the salmon from its packaging and place them on a plate lined with a long paper towel. Use the paper towels to pat the salmon to remove any excess moisture. Season salmon fillets with garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Allow the skillet to heat up for a few minutes so that the surface is sizzling hot.
- Place the salmon fillets on the hot skillet skin-side up. For large salmon filets, cook salmon for 4-6 minutes per side, until both sides have a great sear. For very thin filets such as sockeye salmon, cook for 1-2 minutes per side.
- Place the skillet back onto the hot stove top and allow it to cool off for a few minutes. Heat the skillet over medium heat and add the canned coconut milk and pesto sauce. Stir and bring the mixture to a gentle bubble, allowing the coconut milk to fully melt.
- Transfer the salmon fillets back to the skillet with the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the salmon filets.
- Cook, spooning sauce over salmon, until the salmon has cooked through. The FDA considers salmon to be fully cooked at 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Insert a digital thermometer into the thickest part of each fillet to check its internal temperature.
- For thick salmon filets, you may need to cover the skillet with a lid to get the salmon to fully cook. Be careful to continue spot checking the internal temperature to avoid overcooking the salmon. If you enjoy rare salmon, cook it to 125-130 degrees F but understand there is a risk of illness with undercooked fish.
- Serve pesto salmon immediately with your choice of side dishes. I recommend rice, cauliflower rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta noodles and roasted vegetables or a side salad for a well balanced meal.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Serving (of 4), Calories: 567kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 52g, Fat: 38g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 132mg, Sodium: 631mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g