5-Ingredient Pesto Salmon Skillet
Jar of pesto + salmon = dinner. That's it.
This is the recipe for when you're tired, the fridge is half-empty, and you still want something that feels like a real meal. Pesto salmon is one of those combinations that just works — the basil pesto coats the fish, keeps it moist, and does all the flavor lifting so you don't have to. You need five ingredients, one pan, and about 18 minutes. The salmon comes out tender and herb-bright, and nobody has to know how little effort it took. Serve it straight from the pan over rice, pasta, or with whatever's in the fridge.
Ingredients
- 2 unit salmon fillets — about 6 oz each, skin-on or skinless
- 3 tbsp store-bought basil pesto — jarred is fine and encouraged
- 1 unit lemon — half for juice, half cut into wedges for serving
- 0.5 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Method
- 1 Pat the salmon fillets dry with a paper towel. This helps them sear instead of steam. Season both sides with kosher salt.
- 2 Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 1 minute.
- 3 Place salmon fillets in the pan presentation-side down (the side without skin, or the prettier side). Cook undisturbed for 4 minutes.
- 4 Flip the fillets. Reduce heat to medium.
- 5 Spoon the pesto evenly over the tops of the fillets. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon over everything in the pan.
- 6 Cover the pan loosely with a lid or foil and cook for another 4–5 minutes, until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and is cooked through. Thicker fillets may need an extra minute.
- 7 Remove from heat. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Use two thick portobello mushroom caps instead of salmon. Cook gill-side down for 4 minutes, flip, spoon pesto on top, cover, and cook another 5 minutes until tender.
- Faster swap — Use thin salmon fillets (under ¾ inch) and skip covering the pan — they'll cook through in about 3 minutes per side with no lid needed.
- No fresh lemon — A teaspoon of white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar stirred into the pesto before spooning gives you the same brightness without a lemon on hand.
Notes
Salmon is done when it flakes easily at the thickest part and the center is just barely opaque. A 1-inch thick fillet takes about 9 minutes total. Don't overcook — pesto helps keep it moist but can't save dry salmon. Jarred pesto varies in saltiness, so taste before adding extra salt at the table.
Equipment that helps
- 12-inch skillet with lid — Covering the pan traps steam and gently finishes the salmon through without drying out the top.
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