This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This creamy Tuscan salmon recipe has an amazing cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, garlic, and lemon juice. The best part? It only takes about 20 minutes to make!

close-up of creamy Tuscan salmon in a skillet
Photos updated 10/2020

I originally made Tuscan Chicken, and I knew that style of sauce would go fabulously with salmon, so I had to make it. Olive Garden inspiration strikes again! 

You know what? As good as the chicken one was, this pan-seared salmon version has it beat! I just love this flavor combo. Searing the salmon over a high heat gives it a wonderful slightly crispy crust and tender, flaky inside.

Love creamy salmon recipes? You may also like Creamy Garlic Salmon Pasta, my Creamy Lemon Salmon recipe, this Creamy Garlic Salmon, or this Creamy Salmon Piccata.

creamy Tuscan garlic salmon on a plate with spaghetti and lots of creamy sauce

How do you make creamy Tuscan salmon?

Coat the salmon pieces in salt, pepper, and garlic powder; dredge in flour. Sear the salmon on both sides; take it out of the pan and set aside. Make the sauce by adding the chicken broth, lemon juice, and sun-dried tomatoes, followed by the cream. You then add the spinach and salmon and let the fish cook through. Take it up a notch and serve it with freshly grated parmesan cheese and basil on top! (Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below)

Recipes notes & tips:

  • Go up to 2 cups (packed) spinach if you like lots of spinach since it really does shrink down.
  • If you buy salmon with skin on and don’t want to eat it, it’s really easy to peel off once you sear it on both sides (peel it off before adding it back to the skillet).
  • You will get the best results using heavy cream, but if you’re looking for a dairy-free alternative, you may want to try Silk brand dairy-free whipping cream; readers have recommended it to me.
  • Skip the flour if you want this to be low-carb.
  • If you want this to be extra garlicky, add in a couple cloves of minced garlic prior to adding the chicken broth.

creamy Tuscan butter salmon in a skillet

What do you serve with Tuscan salmon?

I typically serve this dish with spaghetti or linguine, but any kind of pasta would work, as would rice or mashed potatoes. Or, make it a lower-carb dinner by serving it with cauliflower rice.

If you’re looking for a wine pairing, this Tuscan salmon would go well with sauvignon blanc. You could also add some into the recipe (instead of the chicken broth) if you want.

Love Tuscan flavors? Try these:

creamy Tuscan garlic salmon close-up

Will you make this salmon in a creamy sun-dried tomato and spinach sauce? It’s DELICIOUS. 😉

close-up of creamy Tuscan salmon in a skillet
5 from 15 votes

Creamy Tuscan Salmon Recipe

By Natasha Bull
This creamy Tuscan salmon recipe has an amazing cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, garlic, and lemon juice. The best part? It only takes about 20 minutes to make!
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Save Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Print Recipe

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound fresh salmon cut into 4 pieces
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Flour for dredging
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth or dry white wine
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (see note)
  • 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
  • 1-2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach

Optional:

  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil sliced thin 
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese 

Instructions 

  • Prep your salmon and sprinkle each piece on both sides with salt & pepper and garlic powder, then dredge the salmon in flour. 
  • Add the oil and butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the salmon. Cook the salmon for 3-4 minutes/side or until it has a nice crust (careful not to overcook - it should not be fully cooked yet). Take the salmon out of the pan and set aside.
  • Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and sun-dried tomatoes to the pan. Let it bubble for a couple of minutes.
  • Stir in the cream and let it cook for a couple more minutes. 
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and add the spinach to the skillet. Let it wilt for 30 seconds or so, then add the fish in. Cook for a few minutes until the salmon is cooked through and the sauce thickens up a bit.
  • Serve with the basil and fresh parmesan if desired. 

Notes

  • Anything around 3/4-1 pound of fish will work. Most grocery store salmon is about an inch thick in the thickest part, so use that for reference when considering how long to cook it. 
  • I used the oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (draining them prior to adding to the sauce), which tend to taste more concentrated. If using a variety not packed in oil, you may want to add more if desired. 
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 453kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Cholesterol: 151mg, Sodium: 270mg, Potassium: 1061mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 6668IU, Vitamin C: 27mg, Calcium: 114mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.

Leave a star rating and comment below!

Hi! I’m Natasha.

Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!

More About Me

The Salt & Lavender cookbook is here! Order Now

Leave a comment

Please leave a recipe rating!

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

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

59 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Delicious, definitely new weekday dinner fave! Seasoned the salmon with fresh garlic, paprika, thyme, S&P— left out the flour. Creamy but also just insane flavor from the sun dried tomatoes. Perfect with a side of lemony broccoli!

    Reply

  2. Delicious! We used Scottish salmon and half the amount of cream (with more broth) and it was absolutely amazing! Making it again this Friday!

    Reply

  5. This looks amazing and I would love to try it but is there a non-dairy substitute for the heavy cream?

    Reply

    1. Hi Lisa! I heard Silk makes a whipping cream substitute. You could try that. I haven’t ever tested it before, so I don’t know if it acts like the real thing or not. You could try coconut cream but it’ll be a different recipe. Some readers have had luck doing that in my recipes. Again, it won’t be the same, but you may like the results.

      Reply

  6. 5 stars
    DELICIOUS! The sauce complemented and really made the salmon the star of the show. Boy, did I get compliments! Fantastic recipe!!

    Reply

  7. Hi Natasha,

    Recipe is for 4 salmon, would I double for 6? Or do you think the original recipe would be enough sauce for that quantity.

    Reply

    1. It depends how much sauce people eat. Like there is quite a bit of sauce for four, but doubling it would definitely make a lot of sauce. Maybe double the salmon too and have leftovers?

      Reply

  8. Really yummy, thanks for posting this wonderful recipe! Since we’re doing keto I used almond flour, and kale since we had no spinach. It’s absolutely amazing!

    Reply

  9. 5 stars
    Thank you for this recipe. It was delicious! I added mushrooms, artichokes, & mixed arugula with the spinach. It was really easy and tasted wonderful. A lot of variations can be done with this recipe. We ate it over zucchini noodles to add some more greens.

    Reply