Seared Salmon with Lemon Orzo

Seared salmon with lemon orzo is the salmon dinner I make when I want something that feels fresh but doesn’t leave a pile of pans in the sink. The salmon gets a golden crust first. Then the orzo cooks in the same skillet with garlic, broth, lemon and spinach, and the fish goes back on top to finish.

Why Make This Recipe

It’s one pan, start to finish. The browned bits the salmon leaves behind go straight into the orzo, so you get a lot of flavor without doing anything extra.

Orzo is also a little underrated. It cooks like risotto but takes half the effort, and it soaks up broth so each bite tastes seasoned all the way through. If you’ve never cooked with it, the orzo page on Wikipedia gives a quick background on this rice-shaped pasta.

The flavors are simple and clean: lemon, garlic, olive oil, herbs and fish. It fits right in with the way people eat on the Mediterranean diet, and it’s still filling enough for hungry people at the end of a long day.

How to Make Seared Salmon with Lemon Orzo

Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 25 minutes. Total: 35 minutes. Serves 4. You’ll need a 12-inch skillet with a lid, deep enough to hold 3 cups of liquid.

Ingredients:

• 4 salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each), skin on or off
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/4 cups dry orzo
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 large lemon, zested and juiced (about 3 tablespoons juice)
• 3 packed cups baby spinach
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (optional)
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

1. Pat the salmon very dry with paper towels. Season both sides with 1/2 teaspoon salt, the pepper and the smoked paprika. Let it sit while you chop the shallot and garlic.
2. Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Lay the salmon in presentation side down (skin side up if it has skin). Don’t touch it for 4 minutes. It should sizzle steadily and release from the pan on its own.
3. Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, just to set the other side. The middle should still be underdone. Move the salmon to a plate.
4. Lower the heat to medium. Add the butter and shallot and cook 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
5. Add the dry orzo and stir for about 2 minutes, until a few pieces look lightly toasted and smell nutty.
6. Pour in the broth and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 9 to 11 minutes, stirring every few minutes so the orzo doesn’t stick. It’s ready for the next step when it’s almost tender and still a little loose.
7. Stir in the lemon zest, spinach and Parmesan until the spinach wilts.
8. Nestle the salmon back in, seared side up, along with any juices from the plate. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 5 minutes, until the salmon flakes easily and the orzo is creamy.
9. Take the pan off the heat. Squeeze the lemon juice over everything, then scatter the parsley and dill on top. Taste the orzo and add salt if it needs it.

How to Serve Seared Salmon with Lemon Orzo

I bring the skillet straight to the table. It looks nice, and the orzo stays warm longer that way.

A plain side works best because the orzo already has a lot going on. Try sliced cucumbers and tomatoes with olive oil and salt, roasted asparagus, or a few leaves of arugula with lemon. Set out extra lemon wedges and some Parmesan so people can add more if they want.

For a sweeter, stickier salmon on another night, my Brown Sugar Chili Salmon Dinner is a good one to rotate in.

How to Store Seared Salmon with Lemon Orzo

Let the leftovers cool, then refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

The orzo keeps soaking up liquid in the fridge, so it’ll be thick the next day. To reheat, add a splash of broth or water and warm it gently in a skillet over medium-low heat, covered, for about 5 minutes. A microwave works too if you keep it at 50% power. Full power makes the salmon tough and fishy.

I don’t freeze this one. The orzo goes mushy and the spinach turns watery when it thaws.

Tips to Make Seared Salmon with Lemon Orzo

• Dry fish sears. Wet fish steams. Pat it well, and don’t crowd the pan.
• Don’t flip too early. If the salmon sticks, give it another minute. When the crust has formed, it lets go on its own.
• Undercook it on purpose at first. The salmon finishes on top of the orzo, so if it’s done after searing, it’ll be dry by dinner. The FoodSafety.gov chart lists 145°F as the safe minimum for fish, so check the thickest part with a thermometer.
• Use low-sodium broth. The Parmesan adds salt as it melts. Season at the end, not the beginning.
• Add the lemon juice last. Lemon juice cooked for 10 minutes tastes dull. Stirred in off the heat, it tastes bright.
• Keep a little extra broth nearby. Orzo brands absorb differently. If the pan looks dry before the orzo is tender, add 1/4 cup at a time.

Variation

You can swap the protein. Shrimp works well. Stir in 1 pound of peeled large shrimp during the last 3 to 4 minutes instead of nestling in salmon, or try the rice version in my Lemon Garlic Shrimp Rice Skillet. For a more Greek-style plate, leave out the Parmesan and add crumbled feta, halved cherry tomatoes and a handful of chopped Kalamata olives at the end. If you want crispy little pieces of salmon instead of whole fillets, cut the fish into cubes and follow the method in my Crispy Lemon Pepper Salmon Bites, then pile them on the orzo.

Seared Salmon with Lemon Orzo

Golden-seared salmon is finished on top of lemony orzo cooked with garlic, broth, spinach and Parmesan in the same skillet. It's a fresh one-pan dinner that leaves very few dishes.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 4 salmon fillets about 6 ounces each, skin on or off
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 medium shallot finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 1/4 cups dry orzo
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 large lemon zested and juiced (about 3 tablespoons juice)
• 3 cups baby spinach packed
• 1/3 cup Parmesan finely grated
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped, optional
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes optional

Method

 

1. Pat the salmon very dry with paper towels. Season both sides with 1/2 teaspoon salt, the pepper and the smoked paprika. Let it sit while you chop the shallot and garlic.
2. Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Lay the salmon in presentation side down (skin side up if it has skin). Don't touch it for 4 minutes. It should sizzle steadily and release from the pan on its own.
3. Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, just to set the other side. The middle should still be underdone. Move the salmon to a plate.
4. Lower the heat to medium. Add the butter and shallot and cook 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
5. Add the dry orzo and stir for about 2 minutes, until a few pieces look lightly toasted and smell nutty.
6. Pour in the broth and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 9 to 11 minutes, stirring every few minutes so the orzo doesn't stick. It's ready for the next step when it's almost tender and still a little loose.
7. Stir in the lemon zest, spinach and Parmesan until the spinach wilts.
8. Nestle the salmon back in, seared side up, along with any juices from the plate. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 5 minutes, until the salmon flakes easily and the orzo is creamy.
9. Take the pan off the heat. Squeeze the lemon juice over everything, then scatter the parsley and dill on top. Taste the orzo and add salt if it needs it.

Notes

Use a 12-inch skillet with a lid that is deep enough to hold 3 cups of liquid. Pat the salmon dry and don't crowd the pan. Don't flip it too early, because it releases on its own once the crust forms. Undercook the salmon at first since it finishes on the orzo, and check the thickest part for 145°F. Use low-sodium broth and season at the end because the Parmesan adds salt. Add the lemon juice off the heat so it tastes bright. Keep extra broth nearby and add 1/4 cup at a time if the pan looks dry. If you use gluten-free orzo, start checking it around 7 minutes. Thaw frozen salmon overnight in the fridge and pat it very dry. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, add a splash of broth or water and warm gently in a covered skillet over medium-low for about 5 minutes, or microwave at 50% power. This dish does not freeze well.

FAQs

Can I use frozen salmon?

Yes. Thaw it overnight in the fridge first, then pat it very dry. Frozen fish releases more water, and that water can keep you from getting a good sear.

Should I leave the skin on?

It’s up to you. Skin-on fillets hold together better in the pan, and the skin peels off easily after cooking if you don’t want to eat it. Skinless is fine too. Sear the rounded top side first so it looks nice on the plate.

Can I make this gluten-free?

Use a gluten-free orzo and check the label on your broth. Gluten-free orzo usually cooks faster and can go soft quickly, so start checking it around the 7-minute mark.

Conclusion

Keep a box of orzo and a lemon on hand and this becomes a reliable weeknight salmon dinner. After the first try, you’ll know how your stove and your skillet handle it, and the second time will go even faster.