This 5 Ingredient Salmon and Chorizo number really evokes some fantastic Spanish tapas vibes for me – it’s awesome that way. Incidentally, tapas is/are my favorite genre of food. So, recipes like this are pretty much my jam. Inspired by a Jamie Oliver recipe, this one takes only 5 core ingredients (we love a five ingredient salmon recipe, always) and one pan to whip up and you wind up with something hugely tasty and really quite pretty, don’t you think?
Tips for cooking skin-on salmon
There are few meals I enjoy more fully than one that revolves around a beautifully piece of perfectly cooked, crispy-skin salmon. That salty, potato chip like skin makes the whole salmon experience all the more enjoyable, and is absolutely worth trying if you never have. If you have not, fear not friends! I’ve got you.
How to get really crispy salmon skin
- Pat the salmon dry before you do anything else to it. It seems sort of self-explanatory, but any moisture clinging to the fish will totally inhibit any crisping ability. So, just use a paper towel or some such implement and blot away. Now for the fuller run-down on this, and for a recipe that really puts crispy skin salmon front and center, check out my crispy skin salmon with easy pan sauce (it’s SO good).
- Be generous with the olive oil! You need to get a good layer of oil down in the pan to ensure that you salmon skin is totally submerged when it’s cooking. Otherwise, some parts could burn while others cook just fine. An even coating of oil will support even cooking. Makes sense.
- Don’t fiddle with it. Once the salmon is in its hot, oily bath – don’t move it around. That will prevent any good browning from occurring. So, just leave it be and let it do it’s thing for a few minutes until it’s browned and ready to flip.
5 Ingredient Salmon and Chorizo : Frequently Asked Questions
What can I substitute for chorizo?
If you have trouble locating the dried, cured type of chorizo that I call for in this recipe, it’s fine! You can absolutely still whip up a fantastic rendition of the basic recipe with a fine alternate. I’d probably look first for a spicy andouille, and if I could’t find that, I reach for a smoked sausage or even a kielbasa or something along those lines. Those can be found literally everywhere. The main point here is to use sausage that has already been cooked, so we can slice it into coins and really crisp them up in the pan. It’s that great texture we’re going for here, and it complements the buttery salmon and jammy tomatoes wonderfully.
Can I use skinless salmon?
Yes! Totally. If you happen to already have some skinless salmon filets on hand, or you just don’t care much for the skin – all good! You can stick to the same recipe, but you won’t need as much olive oil to cook the salmon. Stick with just a tablespoon or two (two good turns of the pan), rather than coating the whole surface, and you’ll be good to go (since you’re not crisping any skin, you don’t need all that oil).
What wine goes best with salmon and chorizo?
Really I think it’s whatever you like, but classically, a chilled Pinot Noir is a great option for salmon as is a good dry rose‘ (these are my favorite pairings for crispy skinned salmon). A buttery chardonnay would be my third choice, as I was taught to match wine to the food. So, buttery salmon + buttery wine = great match!
How to store this salmon and chorizo
If you happen to have some salmon and chorizo leftover, you can store it in the fridge in a covered container for up to three days. You could freeze it for a month or so, but I wouldn’t really recommend it.
What you’ll need for this five ingredient salmon recipe
This five ingredient salmon and chorizo recipe is an adaptation of Jamie Oliver’s, from his wonderful book, 5 Ingredients. I just switch around some things and reach for ingredients that are very easy for me to find in my American supermarket, but it’s a version of his base recipe for sure. SO great, y’all!
INGREDIENTS
4 links of chorizo sausage, sliced into thin coins (cooked, not the raw variety)
Olive oil, for cooking
4 skin-on salmon filets (check out this article to learn how to purchase salmon like a pro)
Salt and pepper, as needed
½ pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup pitted olives, any kind you like
Fresh green herbs, for topping (I like dill, basil, or cilantro or a mix of any)
How to make this Five Ingredient Salmon Recipe
A simple, one-pan recipe that really can sort of be flipped and flopped around, order-wise, and still produce something truly great. I like to start by cooking the fatty chorizo, so the salmon can crisp and cook in the rendered drippings. The flavor that is left in the pan after crisping up the sausage will flavor the fish, so I like to do it in that order. The tomatoes and olives need only a quick rendezvous in the hot pan to release their juices. As such, I tumble them in while the salmon is sizzling away.
A quick topping with some fresh green herbs is a great way to seal this mighty delicious deal.
DIRECTIONS
- Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet set over medium high heat. Add the sliced chorizo and cook, stirring only occasionally, until deeply browned and crispy; about 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate for now.
- Add more oil to the pan, just until you’ve fully covered the entire surface. Pat the salmon totally dry (paper towels work great), and season all over with S&P. And the filets to the pan, skin side down. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until crispy and easily flipped (they should release when ready to). Flip the salmon, add the tomatoes and olives, and continue cooking until the salmon is just done all the way through, about 4 to 5 minutes more. The tomatoes should have started releasing their juices by this point.
- Add the chorizo back in and serve with a shower of chopped green herbs.
If you like the looks of this 5 Ingredient Salmon Recipe, you might also enjoy:
Butter Roasted Salmon with Lemon and Capers
Crispy Skin Salmon with Easy Pan Sauce
Pan Roasted Salmon with Gnocchi, Tomatoes, and Mozzarella Fondue
Simple Roasted Salmon and Veggies with Whipped Brown Butter Vinaigrette
Tuscan Garlic Butter Salmon and Shrimp
Whiskey Cream Salmon and Corn Skillet
Chipotle Brown Sugar Salmon and Potatoes
Print5 Ingredient Salmon and Chorizo Skillet (with olives and tomatoes)
A super flavorful yet very simple salmon recipe that evokes some classic Spanish Tapas flavors, thanks to the juicy tomatoes and spicy chorizo.
- Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 links of chorizo sausage, sliced into thin coins (cooked, not the raw variety)
- Olive oil, for cooking
- 4 skin-on salmon filets (see note for skinless)
- Salt and pepper, as needed
- 1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup pitted olives, any kind you like
- Fresh green herbs, for topping (I like dill, basil, or cilantro or a mix of any)
Instructions
- Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet set over medium high heat. Add the sliced chorizo and cook, stirring only occasionally, until deeply browned and crispy; about 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate for now.
- Add more oil to the pan, just until you’ve fully covered the entire surface. Pat the salmon totally dry (paper towels work great), and season all over with S&P. And the filets to the pan, skin side down. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until crispy and easily flipped (they should release when ready to). Flip the salmon, add the tomatoes and olives, and continue cooking until the salmon is just done all the way through, about 4 to 5 minutes more. The tomatoes should have started releasing their juices by this point.
- Add the chorizo back in and serve with a shower of chopped green herbs.
Notes
NOTE: If you prefer or already have skinless salmon on your hands, this works, too! But you won’t need as much olive oil to cook the fish in. Instead of coating the whole pan in oil, as directed here, just use a couple of tablespoons and you should be good to go. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if you used all the oil that I call for, but you may as well save it if you don’t need it, and skinless fish requires less oil for cooking.
