Creamy White Wine Salmon Recipe with Garlic and Herbs

Tender, fall-apart pan-fried salmon in a rich, creamy white wine and garlic sauce. Everything cooks in one pan, with a few simple extras that make the sauce extra tasty. Ready in 15 minutes — perfect for a quick but special weeknight dinner.

I aim to cook fish at least once a week, and this pan-fried salmon is a go-to for clean plates all round. The fillets finish gently in the sauce, so they stay juicy and tender rather than drying out. Pair with potatoes and green vegetables to soak up the decadent sauce.

What do we need?

• Boneless salmon fillets with the skin on — skin helps protect the flesh and keeps it tender. Use thinner portions or tail fillets as preferred.
• Base sauce ingredients — white wine, chicken stock, heavy cream, parmesan.
• Aromatics and seasonings — garlic, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and fresh parsley to finish.

How to make this pan-fried salmon

Full ingredient list and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.

• Heat a little neutral oil in a frying pan over high heat and place salmon in the pan skin-side down. Cook 2 minutes.
• Turn the fillets and cook a further 2 minutes until lightly browned, then return them to skin-side down.
• Lower the heat to medium, add garlic and cook 30 seconds, then pour in the white wine and allow it to bubble briefly.
• Add the chicken stock, then stir in cream, grated parmesan, salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 3–4 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens and the salmon finishes cooking in the sauce.
• Stir in lemon zest and scatter with freshly chopped parsley before serving.

The parmesan and stock deepen the flavour of the cream and wine, making a silky, savoury sauce that complements salmon perfectly. The same sauce works well with chicken, steak or king prawns if you want to swap proteins.

Skin-on or skinless fillets

I recommend skin-on fillets: the skin shields the flesh from direct heat and reduces the risk of overcooking. If you prefer, the skin can be removed after cooking — it peels off easily.

Replace with other fish

This method suits many fillets:

• Use skin-on trout, sea bass or sea bream and follow the same timings.
• For firmer, skinless white fish like cod or haddock, season well with salt and pepper first. These fillets can be thicker but will cook in roughly the same time, with the sauce helping to keep them moist.

Tips for pan-frying salmon with a sauce

• Take salmon out of the fridge 15–20 minutes before cooking so it cooks evenly.
• Make sure the pan and oil are very hot and start skin-side down to get a good sear.
• If finishing the salmon in a sauce, sear only briefly on each side — just long enough to brown it slightly. The salmon will finish cooking in the simmering sauce.
• Simmer the sauce for a few minutes until it reduces and slightly thickens; this keeps the fish juicy and infuses it with flavour.
• If you cook the fillets a little longer, the sauce will still help keep them moist.

Watch how to make it

Salmon with Creamy White Wine Sauce Recipe

Easy pan-fried salmon with a creamy white wine and garlic sauce. All cooked in one pan and ready in 15 minutes.

Prep Time:
5 mins

Cook Time:
10 mins

Total Time:
15 mins

Servings:
2

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: British, French

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp neutral oil (e.g. avocado oil)
• 2 salmon fillets, boneless, skin-on
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) white wine
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) strong chicken stock
• 180 ml (3/4 cup) double cream (heavy cream)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Fresh parsley, chopped, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tbsp neutral oil in a frying pan over high heat.
2. Add the salmon, skin-side down, and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Turn the salmon and cook a further 2 minutes until lightly browned, then return to skin-side down.
4. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble for about a minute.
5. Stir in the chicken stock, bring back to the boil, then add the cream, salt, pepper and parmesan. Simmer gently for 3–4 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens and the salmon is cooked through.
6. Stir in the lemon zest and finish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately with potatoes and greens.

Video

Notes

Make-ahead and freezing

I don’t recommend making this ahead or freezing. The salmon and sauce are best served fresh — the sauce gains flavour from the juices released while frying the fish.

Fillet size

I use regular salmon portions about 2 inches wide and 6–7 inches long. Tail-end fillets are fine too — they may be thinner but cook in similar time, especially with the finishing time in the sauce.

Swapping fish

This method works well with skin-on trout, sea bass or sea bream. For thicker, skinless white fish (cod, haddock), season well and follow the same steps — the sauce helps keep them moist.

Nutrition

Calories: 607 kcal |
Carbohydrates: 5 g |
Protein: 29 g |
Fat: 50 g |
Saturated Fat: 29 g |
Cholesterol: 196 mg |
Sodium: 537 mg |
Sugar: 1 g

Nutrition information is an approximation and will vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.

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