Potato Crusted Salmon with Lemon Brown Butter Sauce

If I were ever to find myself in some bizarre scenario where I was forced to choose one, and only one, thing to eat for the rest of my life – it would undoubtedly be this salmon. This Potato Crusted Salmon with Lemon Brown Butter Sauce is almost literally what my dreams are made of.

In This Post

Salty, crunchy, golden brown potatoes.

Perfectly cooked, succulent salmon fillets.

Luscious lemon butter sauce.

What’s more, it’s really easy to make this recipe – just a handful of ingredients are all you need – and it is a total blank canvas for additional flavorings and taste profiles. Want to take it in say, a Pan Asian direction? Maybe add some soy sauce or teriyaki sauce to the mayo before you press the shredded potatoes into the fish.

Or, you could add some cumin, hot sauce, garlic powder, and maybe some chili powder and give it a Tex-Mex vibe. Finish with some chopped cilantro (on both fronts) and you’re golden. Or, your salmon is – but you know what I’m saying …

The Breakdown: Potato Crusted Salmon with Lemon Brown Butter Sauce

Simple and elegant, delicious and quick to make, this potato crusted salmon is honestly fabulous on its own – no special sauces, spices or extras needed. But, it also is a wonderful starting line to a world of flavor possibilities. Feel free to add some spices to the salmon before the potatoes go on, or some extra seasoning to the mayo – anything is possible here!

No matter how you shake it, this salmon always seems to come out perfectly cooked (the potatoes sort of help that happen) and absolutely succulent. We’ll cook the salmon fillets almost entirely on one side – flipping them only after the potatoes have reached a deliciously golden brown color with a visible crunch. The salmon will only need to “kiss” the pan on the other side – we’re talking one more minute of cooking tops.

The potatoes are like an indicator of when to flip the fish, which I find super helpful, honestly. Cooking fish can be a little intimidating sometimes, I get it, but this recipe tends to always come out perfectly, thanks to those potatoes.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1.5 cups (give or take) shredded russet potatoes (I use a box grater to shred them)

4 salmon fillets

2 TBSP mayonnaise

Salt and pepper, to taste

Olive oil, for cooking

For the Simple Lemon Brown Butter Pan Sauce:

6 TBSP butter

1.5 TBSP fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper, to taste

Here’s how to make this potato crusted salmon:

Squeeze as much liquid out of the shredded potatoes as you can, just right over the sink. Put the squeezed potatoes on a sheet tray, spread out in a thin layer. Sprinkle with the flour and toss to coat/mix that in.

Spread one side of each salmon fillet with some of the mayonnaise (this is the glue for the potatoes). Season with salt and pepper. Press the salmon fillets, mayo side down, into the shredded potatoes, making sure the entire surface (of the mayo side) is covered with potatoes.

Add about 2 TBSP olive oil to a large non-stick skillet set over medium heat. Place two salmon fillets at a time in the skillet, potato side down, and allow the potatoes/salmon to cook until the potatoes are golden brown and crunchy; about 6 to 8 minutes. Flip the fillets and cook for about 45 seconds to one minutes more – just so the other side is barely cooked. Transfer to a plate or tray and season with a little salt and pepper.

Repeat with the remaining fish until all of the fillets are cooked. Serve right away.

For the Simple Lemon Brown Butter Pan Sauce:

Place the butter in a small saucepan or skillet set over medium heat; allow it to melt and then continue to cook it until it turns visibly golden brown and smells nutty; about 2 to 3 more minutes after melted. As soon as this happens, pour into a small bowl.

Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. This will stay liquid for about half an hour, but if it begins to solidify on you, simply reheat it in the microwave or in the pan on the stovetop over low heat.