Salmon Provencal is an easy and mouthwatering restaurant-quality salmon dish. You will lick your plate clean of the sauce!

filet of salmon with provencal sauce over cooked white rice

We recently took my husband’s parents to our favorite, local GF-friendly restaurant, and I was this close to ordering the dish I’m sharing with you today, Salmon Provencal.

The reason I didn’t order it on Saturday was because I’d eaten it, ahem, THREE times the week before. Cannot get enough! If you never cook with salmon, I can almost guarantee this preparation will be your gateway recipe.

fork next to a flaky piece of salmon

Easy + Succulent Salmon Recipe

Seared salmon filets are drizzled with a luscious pan sauce made from freshly chopped tomatoes, chicken broth, a splash of white wine, garlic, butter, lemon and an obnoxious amount of capers. Absolutely stunning and so, so easy.

We’re talking 10 minutes of cooking time and just one skillet — you’re going to lick your plate clean!

A note on salmon: Atlantic salmon is almost always the cheaper option at the grocery store, but it’s a bit too fishy-tasting in my opinion (I prefer it smoked).

That said, for sauted salmon, I usually go for sockeye or King if it’s on sale. Also, don’t turn your nose up at frozen salmon – it’s usually frozen right after it’s been caught so it’s extremely fresh.

beautiful filet of cooked salmon over a bed of rice

How to Make Salmon Provencal

Start by preparing the tomatoes from the pan sauce.

Score the bottom of 1 large, vine-ripened tomato with an “X” then drop it into a small pot of boiling water. Remove when the skin starts to peel away, 30 seconds, then peel it off and finely chop the tomato.

how to peel the skin off a tomato by poaching it

Measure out 1/2 cup of the tomato + liquid then set aside (you shouldn’t have too much leftover.)

I like going the fresh tomato route versus the canned petite-diced tomato route as we only need 1/2 cup for the recipe, and you’d have 1+ cup leftover tomatoes if you opened a can.

chopped fresh tomatoes in a bowl

Next heat a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over heat that’s a touch above medium.

Generously season 2, 6oz salmon filets with salt and pepper then saute skin side up for 2 minutes. Flip then saute for 3-4 more minutes or until the salmon is cooked through, and then transfer to a plate and set aside.

Let the skillet cool off the heat for a minute then add 2 minced garlic cloves and saute for 30 seconds, being very careful to not let them burn.

Next add the tomatoes plus 1/4 cup each white wine and chicken broth (or 1/2 cup chicken broth if you want to omit the wine,) plus 2 Tablespoons capers. Turn the heat up to bring the liquid to a boil then turn it back to medium and simmer until the sauce reduces by half, 2-3 minutes. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and 2 Tablespoons butter or vegan butter, then swirl until melted. Taste then add salt and pepper if necessary.

provencal sauce in a skillet for spooning over salmon

That’s all she wrote — so simple, right?

Plate the salmon then drizzle the luscious sauce over the top. I place the salmon on top of cooked white rice to soak it all up, or serve with Gluten Free Focaccia, but you could go the low-carb route and pair the salmon with a salad, or Air Fried Asparagus or Air Fryer Green Beans instead.

However you serve it – ENJOY!

filet of salmon with provencal sauce over cooked white rice

More Seafood Dinner Recipes

Save this recipe?
Get this recipe sent to your inbox, plus receive new recipes from us every week!

Salmon Provencal

5 from 4 votes

by Kristin Porter

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 2
Salmon Provencal is an easy and mouthwatering restaurant-quality salmon dish. You will lick your plate clean of the sauce!

Ingredients

  • 1 large vine-ripened tomato
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 2, 6 oz salmon filets
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 1/4 cup white wine, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio recommended — skip sweet Rieslings or Moscato
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 2 Tablespoons capers
  • juice from 1/2 lemon
  • 2 Tablespoons butter or vegan butter

Directions 

  • Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Score an “X” on the bottom of the tomato then add to the pot and remove once the skin begins to peel back, 30 seconds. Once cool enough to handle, peel the skin off the tomato and discard, then finely chop the tomato and add everything (flesh, seeds, and juices) to a bowl. Measure out 1/2 cup of the tomato and juices then set aside.
  • Heat a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over heat that’s just a touch above medium. Season salmon filets generously with salt and pepper then place skin side up in the skillet and saute for 2 minutes. Flip then saute for 3-4 minutes, or until salmon is cooked through. Transfer filets to a plate then let skillet sit off the heat for a minute to cool down slightly.
  • Add garlic to skillet then stir constantly until golden brown, 30 seconds, then add wine, chicken broth, tomatoes, and capers. Turn heat up to bring to a boil then turn back down and simmer until liquid has reduced by half, 2-3 minutes. Squeeze in a bit of fresh lemon juice (you can always add more,) then add butter and swirl until melted. Taste then add salt and pepper if necessary. Plate salmon then top with sauce and serve.

Notes

Nutrition

Calories: 367kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 124mg, Sodium: 501mg, Potassium: 1015mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 942IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 42mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.

Like this recipe? Leave a star rating below!
Photo collage of salmon provencal

Like this recipe? Share it with friends!

Related Recipes

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




31 Comments

  1. Cathy says:

    5 stars
    just made this tonight for my mom and myself it was so…..good i think I will make more of the sauce text time I found myself wanting more

    1. Kristin Porter says:

      The sauce really is so delectable! So glad this was a hit, Cathy!

  2. Phil Garner says:

    5 stars
    I made this this week. We loved it. It was absolutely delicious. My wife was smacking her lips and telling me that I could make it again.

    1. Kristin says:

      Oh that’s so great to hear! This is one of my favorites too. :) Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!

  3. Anne Stuneck says:

    I made this dish last night and turned out so good! I wish I had taken a photo as it turned out really pretty! The flavors came together very well, I love the touch of white wine, lemon and capers. This Nebraska native will gladly follow an Iowa girl!

  4. Cheryl says:

    5 stars
    A fantastic recipe for cooking
    Salmon. Will be making again.

    1. Kristin says:

      Thank you, Cheryl!

  5. Sandy says:

    5 stars
    Delicious! Tried it out on my family, and everyone commented how yummy it was.

  6. Heather says:

    This is delicious! Just made this for our dinner tonight!