This simple 4-ingredient recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner: Salmon with Brown Butter, Almonds and Capers.
I may have mentioned that I recently returned from a trip to Alaska to learn about the Copper River Salmon fishing industry. It was the most amazing trip. The sights were beautiful, the town of Cordova, AK was charming, and the salmon… OH THE SALMON… was the most delicious salmon I’ve ever tasted. I’ll be sharing all about that Alaska trip with photos galore for you to enjoy in my next post, but for now we’ll just enjoy some salmon.
Unfortunately, what you see here isn’t Copper River Salmon (you’d be spotting a deep, rich hue of pink if it were). Since that Alaska trip, I’ve decided to buy Copper River Salmon only from here on out- but alas… this recipe was made and photographed before my trip, so here ya go. It’s a delicious and tender sautéed salmon (sautéed in butter!) with a quick and simple topping of brown butter, almonds and capers.
Turns out I’m kind of obsessed with everything in this recipe. The salmon! I could eat salmon every week for dinner. The brown butter? Hand me a straw! Almonds? They are part of my daily diet. And capers? Their salty nature draws me in, and I always add more than a recipe calls for. (Which is why I gave you a range in this recipe. Add as many capers as you’d like!)
We did bring back some salmon from Alaska, shipping a couple of good-sized fish that my son Brooks caught fly fishing. One was a pink salmon, and one was one of those gorgeous Copper River Salmon- a Sockeye. Brooks wrote a little bit about his catches and shared a recipe for cooking salmon in a cast iron skillet here: Skillet Sockeye Salmon.
If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you’ll find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card below.
Favorite salmon recipes:
Salmon with Brown Butter, Almonds and Capers
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- Four 5-ounce skinless salmon fillets
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- 2 to 4 tablespoons capers (depending on preference)
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Season the salmon fillets with about ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add to pan and cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side, then transfer to plates.
- Wipe out the skillet and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring frequently, until the almonds and butter are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes (be careful not to burn!) Stir in the capers. Spoon over the salmon fillets and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My family and I love fish, especially salmon and cod! I like the added almonds; it gives the dish a nice crunch!
This looks amazing!!
I’m glad you enjoyed your Alaska trip. I bet it was beautiful! This salmon looks terrific.
Love salmon and almonds…can’t wait to make this!
Salmon is my favorite and I am always looking for new ways to make it. This looks fantastic, Lori! Capers and salmon are amazing together but with brown butter and almonds? That sounds melt in your mouth amazing!
I eat salmon once or twice a week for dinner, and when it’s really fresh, it’s the best because it just melts in your mouth! Your salmon must be that delicious, and love the brown butter, almonds, and capers. What a delicious meal!
I love Everything about this dish. Capers, brown butter, salmon.
I need to hop on the caper train. I am already firmly entrenched on the browned butter salmon train. Yum!!
I could eat this every night of the week – adore salmon and capers. Loved following your beautiful photos in Alaska!! What a trip of a lifetime!
What a gorgeous salmon dish! I do not make salmon enough and it’s my very favorite fish! Can’t wait to try this recipe!