Pan-Seared Salmon with Crispy Skillet Baby Potatoes (1 Serving)
Asher Sadler·30 min·Serves 1A stovetop, no-oven dinner that eats like a bistro plate: ultra-crispy baby potatoes and a juicy salmon fillet with a quick lemon-butter pan finish. The key is patience—let the potatoes brown undisturbed, then sear the salmon hard for a crackly surface before finishing gently. Great for a next-day meal too: the potatoes stay tasty reheated in a skillet, and the salmon stays moist if you warm it carefully.
- stovetop
- quick
- low-sodium adaptable
- one-pan-ish
Ingredients
- Crispy Skillet Potatoes
- •8–10 oz baby potatoes, halved (quarter any large ones)
- •1 tbsp olive oil
- •1/2 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)
- •Black pepper
- •1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced (optional)
- •1 tsp chopped parsley or dill (optional)
- Salmon + Pan Finish
- •1 salmon fillet, 5–6 oz (skin-on preferred)
- •1/4 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)
- •Black pepper
- •1 tsp olive oil (if your pan is dry)
- •1 tbsp unsalted butter
- •1–2 tsp lemon juice (plus lemon wedges to serve, optional)
- •1–2 tbsp water
- •Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
Start the potatoes (most of the work)
Boil to par-cook: Put the halved baby potatoes in a small pot, cover with cold water, and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until a knife slides in with slight resistance, not fully soft, 8–12 minutes. Drain well.
Steam-dry: Return drained potatoes to the hot pot for 1 minute, shaking, until the surfaces look dry and slightly rough. This helps crisping.
Crisp in skillet: Heat a 10–12 inch skillet (cast iron is perfect) over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add potatoes cut-side down in a single layer. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper.
Don’t touch them: Cook undisturbed until the cut sides are deep golden and crisp, 6–10 minutes. You should hear a steady sizzle; if it’s aggressively smoking, lower heat slightly.
Finish potatoes: Flip and cook 2–4 minutes more to brown the other side. If using garlic and herbs, toss them in for the last 30 seconds. Transfer potatoes to a plate.
Cook the salmon
Season: Pat salmon very dry. Season both sides with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper.
Sear: Return the skillet to medium-high. If it looks dry, add 1 tsp olive oil. Place salmon in skin-side down (or presentation side down if skinless). Press gently for 10 seconds so it doesn’t buckle.
Cook mostly on first side: Let it sear until the surface is well-browned and it releases easily, 3–5 minutes. You’ll see the color change creep up the sides.
Flip and finish gently: Flip and cook 1–3 minutes, depending on thickness, until the salmon is just barely translucent at the very center and flakes with a gentle push. (If you like it more done, cook to fully opaque.)
Quick lemon-butter pan finish
Make a fast pan sauce: Reduce heat to low. Add 1 tbsp butter; when melted, add 1–2 tsp lemon juice and 1–2 tbsp water, scraping up browned bits. It should look glossy, lightly thickened, and smell bright.
Serve: Plate potatoes and salmon. Spoon the lemon-butter over the salmon. Finish with pepper and lemon wedges.
Tip: If your potatoes are browning too slowly, increase heat a touch; if they’re burning before crisping, you likely didn’t steam-dry enough—next time give them an extra minute in the pot.