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Keeping things super quick and very delicious with this Garlic Butter Creamed Spinach Salmon. This one skillet salmon is for those nights when you’re craving something fancy…ish, but need to keep things quick and easy too. It’s all made in one skillet with heart healthy salmon, shallots, garlic, a touch of creamy coconut milk, parmesan cheese, plenty of fresh baby spinach, and spring herbs. Not only is this salmon easy and delicious, but it feels fancy too. Best part? It comes together in less than 30 minutes.
There are some days that I head into the kitchen and I really do not have a clue what I’m going to cook. To be honest, I don’t love to be overly planned out when it comes to the recipes I share. I’ve learned that when I spend a day or two plotting out new recipes, and putting the concepts on my list of recipes to test, that when the time comes to actually make the recipe, I find that I’ve already changed my mind.
What I’ve found most productive is to start each week fresh and only plot recipe concepts every 2-3 days. Any more lead time and I will end up changing my mind and move on from the concept. Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but if something is not exciting me in the moment, I’m not going to create it. Of course, there are some ideas that are just always exciting, and will always make the cut. But then there are also some that just aren’t.
I leave the non-exciting ones behind, and run with the exciting ones…
Anyway, my point in this little behind the scenes peek into my recipe development process, is that I made this garlic butter salmon last week on a whim, and without much thought. It just sounded amazing, so I ran with it and had the recipe tested and ready for photographing in just a couple of hours.
For whatever reason, I was thinking about how much I used to love my mom’s homemade Chicken Florentine. She made it heavy on the butter, lemon, spinach, and parmesan. It’s one of those childhood comfort foods I will always love.
I thought about how delicious that Florentine sauce would be with pan seared, crispy salmon. Once the thought hit, I knew this would be one of the recipes I’d be testing out that day.
I was almost certain it would turn out to be a great recipe to share with you all. So I was very excited about it from the start. Clearly all went as planned, because here it is! And you guys…it’s just as good as it sounds, but better.
And so easy, which I think is always nice on a Monday.
This is another one of my one skillet recipes.
The salmon is pan seared until both sides are perfectly crisp. I love cooking salmon filets with the skin on, as it adds an incredible amount of flavor. Plus the skin is where a lot of the healthy oils are, so there are also additional health benefits. You can certainly use skin-off salmon as well, but I do recommend skin-on for best flavor!
Once you sear the salmon, it’s time to make the sauce. All you need is a pat of butter, shallots, garlic, coconut milk, parmesan, spinach, and herbs. Now, I know the coconut milk may sound odd, but you really don’t taste any coconut flavor. I like to use coconut milk for its creaminess. I find it to be incredibly delicious in cream sauces and prefer it over heavy cream. Bonus that it’s also much healthier!
Slowly cook the garlic until fragrant, then add the milk, spinach, and herbs. I also add plenty of lemon, since that was a key ingredient in my mom’s sauce.
Finish up with some fresh chives and done. It doesn’t even take 30 minutes, and it’s really just one of the most delicious ways you can cook up salmon on a weeknight. The sauce is a touch buttery, a little garlicy, very creamy, and made fresh with the squeeze of a lemon. It’s the perfect pairing to a pan seared, crispy filet of salmon.
Serve this with crusty bread for dipping, baby potatoes, roasted asparagus, a big salad, or maybe even a combo of them all! This makes for a great weeknight meal, but can easily be used as a main course for your next spring or summer dinner party.
And yes, it’s great for Easter too!
If you make this garlic-butter creamed spinach salmon, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the How To Video:
Garlic Butter Creamed Spinach Salmon.
Ingredients
- 4 salmon filets, skin on or off, (your preference)
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk, or heavy cream
- 2 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach
- juice from 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, plus more for serving
Instructions
- 1. Season the salmon all over with salt and pepper. 2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the salmon, skin side down and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the salmon is crisp. Gently flip, and continue cooking the salmon for another 2-3 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked to your liking. Remove from the skillet. If desired, peel away the skin and discard. 3. To the same skillet, add the butter, shallots, and garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, coconut milk, and cream cheese. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth and creamy. Add the parmesan, and spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, parsley, and chives. Remove from the heat and slide the salmon back into the sauce. 4. To serve plate each piece of salmon, then spoon the sauce over top. Serve with additional herbs.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I made this delicious Salmon with creamed spinach and it was a huge success!!! Thank you so much you are a really great cook.
Thank you for these recipes!!!
MV
Thank you Melanie! I am really glad you have been enjoying my recipes! xTieghan
This was delicious! I made it just as written and it turned out beautifully!
Amazing!! I am so glad this turned out so well for you, Kellianne! xTieghan
This was amazing. Everyone in my family enjoyed it. It was so easy. We paired it with some left over hamburger buns. I buttered them up and toasted them and they worked perfect sopping up the yummy sauce.
Thank you so much Catherine!! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I made this last night for my boyfriend and he said “this is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten in my life!!”
This was SO DELICIOUS and packed full of flavour. I didn’t have spinach so I added in some zucchini and mushrooms to the coconut milk and it came out perfectly! Will definitely be making this every week now.
Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Wow that is so amazing to hear! I am so glad you both loved this recipe, Sandy! Thank you! xTieghan
Delicious!
Thank you DeeDee! xTieghan
The best thing I have ever made!!!
Thank you Ella!! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
This was amazing and I can’t believe how quick it ACTUALLY was. I swapped a lot of the ingredients for non-dairy options and used frozen spinach instead of fresh (just what I had on hand), and it was delicious. Thank you for a great recipe!
Thank you so much for trying this one, Glo! I am really glad it turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This was great! My picky husband enjoyed it as well!
Thank you so much Lynn! xTieghan
This was such a big hit with my family. I did chicken for my kids and I had the salmon. Made the sauce separately & I just spooned it over the each protein. Thanks so much! I am dying to try more of your recipes. As a working mom, this was quick and easy!
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you for trying this one Kelly! xTieghan
So good! And easy to make. Really hard to stop eating though!
Thank you so much Rosie! xTieghan
Very realistic and doable recipe. Sounds delicious. Looking forward to practice this recipe this weekend. Thank you.
Thank you Xuan! xTieghan
Easy and so delicious!!
Thank you so much Nicole! xTieghan
So good! The creamy coconut sauce, oh my!
The salmon was perfectly cooked. I also had cauliflower as a side dish and scooped the sauce with the salmon over red quinoa. The coloring was a nice touch. I will definitely use this recipe again. My older kids loved this too. Thank you!
Thank you so much Elizabeth! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This was terrific! Thank you. I didn’t have a pretty picture but just wanted to say how easy and great it was. I have made many of your recipes lately and all have been terrific.
Thank you Cynthia! xTieghan
This is my fiance’s new favorite dish! And the best part is that I was able to make this entire thing DAIRY FREE! Well, minus the Parmesan. I just didn’t add that. But people with dairy problems, a creamy amazing salmon dish like this is possible to enjoy 🙂 I used Earth Balance butter sticks for the butter, I used half coconut milk and half Trader Joe’s Soy Creamer (for a heavy cream feel), and wow did this not disappoint. Thank you for giving us a great recipe that feels like comfort food without upsetting my stomach. We are obsessed!
Hi Jenna!! Thank you so much! I am so glad you all loved this one and it was easy to make dairy free! xTieghan