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Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Salmon…with garlicky browned butter and fried sage. Think spinach and artichoke dip, but with the addition of buttery, flaky salmon. It’s all made in one skillet with healthy salmon, shallots, garlic, a touch of cream, parmesan cheese, plenty of fresh baby spinach, artichokes, and warming winter sage. Not only is this salmon easy and delicious, but it feels fancy too. And the best part? It comes together in under an hour and is equally great as both a weeknight dinner or for entertaining with family and friends this season.

overhead photo of Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Salmon in skillet with spoon in sauce

Simple skillet dinners are my go-to right now. With December 25th quickly approaching things are busier than ever. This means I’m relying on easy dinners both for weeknights as well as for entertaining in the coming weeks. Last week I shared a creamy Tuscan inspired sun-dried tomato chicken and this week? Switching it up with salmon in a creamy spinach and artichoke sauce. Similar…ish, but different, and both so DELICIOUS.

This is what I am calling “winter” salmon. Personally, I always associate seafood with spring and summer. But I know many of you love to cook salmon throughout the winter months as well. So, I drew inspiration from everyone’s requests and created a cozy, creamy salmon that’s perfect for these snow-filled winter days.

And trust me, around here we have had some very snowy days and nights. As I mentioned in Sunday’s favorite’s post, our weekend was filled with snow and days inside cooking and baking. I happily spent Saturday with my litter sister, Asher, making gingerbread houses and sipping on steaming hot chocolate. Twas the perfect snowy December weekend.

With days like the ones we are having, warming recipes are just what we need…enter this salmon. It’s a good mix of comfort food paired with healthy fish and even some vegetables too.

So. Very. Balanced.

side angled photo of garlic butter in skillet browning

Making this salmon is easy, here is how.

I do bake this salmon, but I usually, like to start out by searing each filet in a super hot skillet to get a nice browned “crust”. I do this more for additional flavor and color. But I’ll be the first to tell you that if you don’t feel like messing up the stove, or simply don’t have the time, you can easily skip this step. Completely up to you.

Once the salmon is seasoned up and seared (if you choose), it’s onto the creamy spinach and artichoke sauce. This sauce is the heart of this recipe. It’s basically spinach and artichoke dip, just a little lighter and looser to be more like a sauce. The first step is the garlicky butter that also has shallots and sage. Besides finely chopping the garlic, I like to smash it down to infuse the butter with garlic flavor. But not overwhelm all the other flavors happening throughout this dish.

Once the garlic is caramelizing, toss in a handful of fresh sage and allow the sage to slowly fry up as the butter begins to brown. It’s a five minute or so process, but within those five minutes, your kitchen is going to smell amazing. Nothing is better than herby browned butter with hints of garlic.

Once the butter is browned, the garlic caramelized, and the sage fried.

Add in some cream, or canned coconut milk is what I normally use. Then add the cream cheese, and nutty manchego cheese. Whisk until creamy and toss in fresh spinach and marinated artichoke hearts. Remove from the heat, add the salmon, and transfer the dish to the oven to finish baking.

Ten minutes later the salmon should be cooked throughout, and the sauce bubbling up around each buttery piece, so GOOD.

salmon after searing in skillet

Can you prepare this ahead of time?

You can! The number one question I seem to be getting is if recipes can be made in advance. So I kept that in mind when creating this recipe. If you want to prep the sauce and salmon ahead for entertaining, that’s easy to do. Just mix up the sauce, add the salmon, and keep the whole dish in the fridge until ready to bake. When you want to serve, just remove the dish from the fridge, let it come back to room temperature, then bake and enjoy.

This easy prep ahead step makes this a wonderful recipe to entertain with over the holidays. I know my cousins are already looking forward to giving this a try. They’re actually the ones who encouraged me to make this!

overhead close up photo of Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Salmon in skillet

What shall you serve this with?

I recommend a pretty winter salad and crusty bread for scooping up extra artichoke sauce. If you want a heartier side dish, go for my favorite stacked potatoes. Something lighter? Steamed quinoa or cauliflower rice.

Keeping this recipe in my “back pocket” for the weeks ahead. It’s already a favorite of mine and my dad’s, and now I’m excited to share this with the rest of the family…very soon! And of course, if you need a quick Monday night dinner that feels comforting, but is still healthy-ish, this is that recipe.

Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Salmon | halfbakedharvest.com #salmon #garlicbutter #easyrecipes

If you make this creamy spinach and artichoke salmon, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Salmon

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 660 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rub the salmon with paprika, salt, and pepper.
    2. Optional: Sear the salmon before baking. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the salmon and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the salmon is seared on 1 side. Remove from the skillet. If using skin-on salmon, sear the skin side.
    3. To the same (oven-safe) skillet, add the butter, shallots, and garlic. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the sage and continue cooking another 2-3 minutes, until the butter is browned and the garlic golden and caramelized. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, coconut milk, and cream cheese. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth and creamy. Add the parmesan, spinach, and artichokes, and cook until the spinach is wilted, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Remove from the heat. If desired, remove the smashed garlic.
    4. Slide the salmon into the sauce. Transfer to the oven and bake 10-15 minutes or until salmon is cooked through.
    5. To serve, plate each piece of salmon, then spoon the sauce over top. Serve with flaky sea salt.

Notes

To Prepare Ahead of Time: Skip step 2 completely and do not sear the salmon. Then complete the recipe through step 3. Let the sauce cool, then slide the salmon into the sauce. Chill for up to 1 day ahead of time. When ready to bake, remove the dish from the fridge 30 minutes prior to baking, then bake as directed. 
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overhead horizontal photo of Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Salmon in skillet

This post was originally published on December 16, 2019
4.28 from 543 votes (428 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. The recipe calls for 4 cups spinach. But fresh spinach comes in ounces. Should I just measure 4 cups of fresh spinach?

    Reply

    1. Hey Suzy,
      I would serve this with a large salad and potatoes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  3. This recipe is amazing! Your recipes are quickly becoming my favorites, everything I’ve tried is so good.

    Reply

    1. Hey Maria,
      Awesome, I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

  4. 5 stars
    This is one my favorite HBH recipes! Love the flavor of the sauce. I actually liked the sauce so much that I double the sauce for 4 salmon fillets! Can’t get enough!

    Reply

  5. 4 stars
    I liked this recipe and the salmon was really good and flavorful. I think I had the heat too high for the sauce so mine wasn’t that nice white color, more brown. Overall it was good and I would make it again.

    Reply

  7. 5 stars
    This recipe was FANTASTIC! My husband got seconds before he finished his plate. Thanks so much for your delicious salmon recipes. This one is officially being added to the rotation.

    Reply

    1. Hey Mary,
      Yes, that is what I do:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  9. 5 stars
    Family LOVED this meal! Definitely don’t skip searing the salmon. I used heavy cream, reduced the red pepper flakes by half to make it more family friendly and covered the skillet in the last 3-5 minutes of baking to ensure the salmon was fully cooked. Took longer to prep the ingredients than to cook them!

    Reply

  11. 5 stars
    Made this for my in-laws and it did not disappoint. Everyone loved it and I was able to prepare it beforehand so I could relax with the family while they were here. Can’t wait to make it again for friends, delicious!

    Reply

  12. 5 stars
    Fantastic! I’ve been meaning to try a recipe of yours for a while now and finally have (other than drinks ?) and it was great!! The whole family agreed! Will definitely be making this again! Thank you!

    Reply

  13. 5 stars
    Loved this! I’ve made it twice now and it’s amazing, something I’d order in a restaurant for sure. It’s pretty quick and easy to make which is also a plus!

    Reply

  14. 5 stars
    This was great my daughter in law forwarded this recipe which I made for my family (I don’t like salmon). While cooking I tasted the sauce for seasoning and it was fantastic. I am making again tonight and I will even give salmon another try as long as it is sitting in this amazing sauce. Thanks so much!

    Reply

  15. 5 stars
    This was delicious! The sauce had the perfect zing and made for a moist, delicious salmon. This recipe is a keeper!

    Reply