Description
This bright, creamy one-skillet salmon with lemon orzo is a quick and elegant dinner—ready in 30 minutes with flaky salmon, tender pasta, and a lemony Parmesan finish.
Ingredients
Salmon
4 salmon fillets (5–6 oz / 140–170 g each), skin-on or skinless
¾ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
Lemon Orzo
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (185 g) dry orzo pasta
2 cups (480 ml) low-sodium chicken broth or seafood stock
Zest of 1 lemon (≈ 1 Tbsp) + 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 cups loosely packed baby spinach, roughly chopped (optional)
½ cup (45 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill or parsley, for garnish
Instructions
Sear Salmon – Pat salmon dry; season all sides with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high. Place fillets skin-side (or presentation side) down; sear 3–4 min until deeply golden. Flip; cook 2 min more. Transfer salmon to a plate (it will finish later).
Toast Orzo – Reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic; sauté 30 sec until fragrant. Stir in dry orzo; toast 1 min.
Simmer – Pour in broth, lemon zest, and juice, scraping up browned bits. Bring to a gentle simmer, then nestle salmon on top. Cover; cook 6–7 min, stirring orzo once, until pasta is tender and salmon flakes easily.
Finish – Fold spinach into orzo until wilted (1 min). Reduce heat to low; stir in Parmesan until creamy. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh dill or parsley and serve straight from the skillet.
Notes
Cheese swap: Feta adds tang in place of Parmesan.
Extra flavor: Deglaze with ¼ cup white wine, reducing broth accordingly, for deeper sauce.
Heat kick: Pinch of red-pepper flakes with the garlic.
Whole-wheat orzo: Needs 2–3 extra minutes plus ¼ cup more broth.
Dairy-free: Omit cheese and finish with an extra drizzle of olive oil.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Category: Dinner / Main Course
- Method: One-Pan / Skillet
- Cuisine: Mediterranean-Inspired
