Brown butter salmon with capers and sundried tomatoes is a dish more sophisticated than the usual seared salmon — but no harder to prepare. This delicious weeknight salmon gets an elegant upgrade with simple ingredients and can be ready in less than 30 minutes.
This brown butter salmon with capers and sundried tomatoes is what we call in our family “Ray’s salmon.” Every summer, we join the family in western New York for a long weekend. One of the traditions of this weekend is enjoying perfectly cooked salmon served with a delicious brown butter sauce. Ray, my brother-in-law either grills or smokes fresh wild salmon fillets and serves them with this fantastic brown butter sauce with sundried tomatoes, capers, and pine nuts. To give you an idea of how delicious this dish is, both children and adults are big fans and demand it every year without fail.
Browning the butter adds a nutty richness to the salmon, and tastes delicious. The capers and sundried tomatoes add a sweet yet tart, more complex flavor and a Mediterranean feel to the dish.
I asked Ray’s permission to develop a recipe based on his signature dish, and he graciously approved (Actually he said he has no idea what the correct measurements are; he just adds them to the pan and the sauce appears. 🙂
Here is what you need
How to make this salmon
This brown butter salmon is very quick to make. It will take less than 30 minutes to sear 4 fillets and make the sauce. It can be a weeknight dinner but can effortlessly hold its own as an elevated when served at a dinner party.
Add two salmon fillets to the pan at a time.
(skin side down first if you like crispy skin. Please see recipe notes)
Cook each side for 4 minutes until golden and flaky.
Place a medium skillet on medium heat. Add the pine nuts. Toast pine nuts for 2-3 minutes until they are nice and brown. Please don’t overdo it; they will become bitter and inedible.
What to serve with this salmon
Pair this brown butter salmon with a green salad, roasted vegetables, araka (sweet peas with dill). Add some crusty bread to complete your meal and enjoy the sauce.
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Brown Butter Salmon With Capers And Sundried Tomatoes
Equipment
- large skillet
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets with skin or not, whatever you like.
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons sundried tomatoes
- 1 stick salted butter
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Pat the salmon dry on both sides. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add two salmon fillets to the pan (skin side down first if you like crispy skin. Please see recipe notes)Cook each side for 4 minutes until golden and flaky.
While salmon cooks make the sauce.
- Chop the sundried tomatoes into medium-small pieces.
- Place a medium skillet on medium heat. Add the pine nuts. Toast pine nuts for 2-3 minutes until they are nice and brown. Don't overdo it, pine nuts will become bitter and inedible.
- Add the butter to the pan. Stir the butter with a spatula continuously. After 2 to 3 minutes, the butter will start to brown. Be careful not to burn the butter. If needed lower the heat.
- Add the chopped sundried tomatoes and stir for 1 minute. Add the capers, stir brown butter sauce and serve immediately over salmon fillets.
Notes
Nutrition
We just had salmon for dinner last night. I will have to try this recipe next. That brown butter sauce is divine!
Hope you like it, Gloria! Thank you so much!
This Brown butter salmon is making me hungry! The capers and sundried tomatoes added to the perfect flavor of this.
Thank you so much, Dennis!
I love salmon so much and the flavor that the brown butter brought to this was out of this world! This is easily my new favorite way to make it!
Thank you so much, Kayla!
I made this recipe last night for my family and it was a hit. I’ll definitely be making it again!
Thank you so much, Maren!
I can never say NO to a good salmon recipe like this. I mean the amount of flavor must go through the roof, and those capers work so well with salmon!
I love every single thing about this recipe! I’m always looking for new salmon recipes, but this one is going in the regular rotation.
This salmon dish is so simple and so delicious. The combination of capers and sundried tomatoes adds so much flavor.
This is my favorite salmon dinner, packed with flavor and perfect for a weeknight family easy meal.
Such a great way to serve salmon. Thanks for such a delicious recipe.
A fantastic way to make salmon! Wow, this was so flavorful and the brown butter was such a great idea.
Wow, we haven’t had a salmon for quite some time and this is really tempting me! I am loving the brown sauce, it looks amazing. Thank you for sharing this recipe, I cant wait to try this out!
Absolutely one of the best recipes I have ever tried!! Delicious and easy to prepare.
Thank you so much Tarrie and Ray for this lovely recipe! x Jenny
Best salmon ever!! Thanks Ray 🥰
Thanks so much, Marie! Ray is very happy as well! x Jenny
I just made this recipe tonight and it was absolutely delicious. I didn’t change a thing, as I didn’t need to. Thank you so much for sharing such a delicious and fool proof recipe. X
Thank you so much Andie! Ray would be so happy! x Jenny