I’ve made this marsala sauce for years, usually over chicken cutlets, but once I moved to Portugal and started cooking more seafood, salmon became my favorite pairing.
With this salmon marsala the richness of the fish works beautifully with mushrooms, dry marsala wine, and a sauce finished with a simple French technique that gives the sauce its glossy, restaurant-perfect texture.
Even better: it's a one-skillet dish that comes together in about 30 minutes. Sear the salmon, build the sauce in the same pan, slide the fish back in. And dinner's ready.
If you want the sauce on its own for a protein of your choice, grab the Creamy Marsala Sauce Recipe here.
Ingredients for recipe:
Full measurements and directions included in the printable recipe card below.
Why This Recipe Works
A good marsala sauce is built on layered, caramelized flavor, and salmon gives you a running start. Searing the fillets first leaves a golden fond in the pan that seasons everything you build on top of it. The flour dusting does double duty - it gives the salmon a thin, even crust, and the little bit of flour that comes along helps the finished sauce cling to the fish. Then a beurre manié, butter and flour mashed together, thickens the sauce to a silky, spoon-coating finish without dulling it. The result is a fish that tastes seared, not poached, in a sauce that sticks.
Step by Step Instructions
1. Sear Salmon
Season dried salmon with salt and pepper, dust with flour. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Place the salmon presentation-side down until golden brown. Flip and cook until medium (salmon will cook a bit in the sauce later). Remove fish from skillet and tent with foil.
2. Build Sauce Base
Add butter to the skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange mushrooms in a single layer and cook until deeply golden. Add shallots and cook about 2 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
3. Finish Marsala Sauce
Pour in the dry marsala, increase heat to high, and simmer until reduced by half. Add stock, cream, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the butter-flour mixture until the sauce becomes glossy and coats the back of a spoon. A small squeeze of lemon juice brightens the sauce.
Taste here. A quarter teaspoon of salt is a starting point, and depending on how sweet your marsala runs, you may want more. If it tips too far, a squeeze of lemon pulls it back into line.
4. Finish and Serve
Nestle the salmon back into the skillet. Remove from heat, sprinkle with parsley, and serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or a green vegetable.
Can I use skin-on salmon?
Yes. Simply sear the presentation side first, then finish skin-side down.
Can I make this without cream?
Yes. The sauce will be lighter but still delicious from the marsala wine reduction and beurre manié.
Should I use dry or sweet marsala?
Dry, for anything savory. Sweet marsala will throw the sauce off balance and read more like dessert. While "marsala cooking wine" won't bring the same flavor intensity, I've used it many times and heard no complaints!
What kind of stock works best?
Mushroom stock is my favorite for this recipe, since it doubles down on the earthy flavor already in the pan. Vegetable or chicken stock both work well if that's what you have.
Print
Salmon Marsala Recipe
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Pescatarian
Description
Pan-seared salmon in a creamy mushroom marsala sauce, all in one skillet in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Salmon
- 4 skinless salmon fillets (4-5 ounces each. Skin-on works, too.)
- 3 tablespoons Wondra flour (or all-purpose)
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Marsala Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 6 ounces mushrooms (baby bella or cremini), sliced
- ¼ cup shallots, minced
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ cup dry marsala wine
- ⅔ cup stock (mushroom, vegetable, or chicken)
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt, more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter + 1 ½ teaspoons flour, mashed together
- ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
- 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, minced
Instructions
- Pat the salmon dry. Season with salt and pepper, then dust all sides with Wondra. Shake off the excess just before cooking.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once it shimmers, place the salmon presentation-side down and sear 4 to 5 minutes, until golden and crisp. Flip and cook the second side 2 minutes so the center stays medium. Transfer to a plate. Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel to remove excess oil, leaving the fond behind.
- Add the butter to the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer and cook undisturbed 2 to 3 minutes until golden on the bottom, then stir and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until browned and tender.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the shallots and cook about 2 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Pour in the marsala, increase the heat to high, and simmer 2 to 3 minutes until reduced by about half, scraping up any browned bits.
- Add the stock, cream, salt, and pepper. Lower to a gentle simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until it starts to thicken. Stir in the butter-flour mixture a little at a time until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Taste for seasoning. Stir in the lemon juice if using.
- Nestle the salmon back into the sauce presentation-side up and cook 1 to 2 minutes to warm through. Off the heat, sprinkle with parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.
Notes
- Dry marsala wine gives this sauce a more balanced savory flavor, while sweet marsala creates a richer, slightly sweeter finish.
- Wondra flour creates a delicate crust on the salmon and blends smoothly into sauces, but all-purpose flour works well too.
- Don’t overcrowd the mushrooms while browning or they’ll steam instead of caramelize.
- The beurre manié (butter mixed with flour) gives the sauce its silky, glossy texture without making it heavy.
- A squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end brightens the richness of the cream and marsala wine.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Easy Recipe
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American, Italian
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