One Pan Seared Salmon with Burst Cherry Tomatoes
on Apr 27, 2023, Updated Mar 28, 2024
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I LOVE this one pan seared salmon recipe with burst cherry tomatoes! This salmon tomato recipe will be your new pan frying salmon staple. You know my obsession with tomato season, and this new recipe is heavily inspired by all the bounty of tomatoes I’ve been seeing at the markets and the farmer’s markets in my area.
What else is so perfect about this one pan seared salmon dish is that it is a fully one pot meal. Which means: less dishes, and it comes together in less than 30 minutes. You can serve this recipe with any of your favorite vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, top with herbs like fresh basil leaves, spinach or fresh parsley and even sear with capers and scallions. Serve with your favorite salad, or fluffy white or brown rice.
If you’re looking for another pan salmon, be sure to check out our Perfect Crispy Skin Salmon, and our Easy Miso Glazed Salmon.
Table of Contents
Ingredients you need for this one pan-seared salmon with burst cherry tomatoes recipe
- Salmon
- Olive oil
- Yellow and red burst cherry tomatoes
- Shallot, or onion
- Garlic cloves
- Thyme
- Lemon zest
- Lemon juice
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Step To Make this Salmon
Step 1:
In a nonstick skillet, or cast iron skillet with one tablespoon of hot oil, sear salmon with the salmon skin-side down to begin, season with salt and pepper on all sides as you sear.
Step 2:
Cook on medium heat until crispy, about 3-4 minutes on each side and flip with a fish spatula until the flesh side has a golden crust. Remove your salmon, excess oil (keep a little drizzle), and set your salmon aside covered on paper towels.
Step 3: Make your tomato mixture
Next, add your tomatoes with the remaining oil. Sear until bursted and has a little bit of char. You want some bursted to make the sauce, and some that stay whole, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 4:
Then add in your shallots and garlic and sear with the tomatoes and sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Next, add in a sprig of thyme and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well until everything is incorporated.
Step 5:
Add back in your salmon and heat it through for another 5-6 minutes until fully cooked (around 125-135 degrees). Top and serve with fresh lemon juice and thyme.
Tips, Tricks and Substitutions
What temperature should I remove my salmon at?
Remove your salmon with it a tad bit underdone with how you like it when you do your first sear, because we will finish cooking at the end. I remove at around 115 degrees and then when I add it back in when heating and finishing, I will remove at 120-130 degrees, depending on your preference.
Why are we adding the garlic and shallots after the tomatoes?
Normally I would sear and bloom the garlic and shallots first, but in this case, since the tomatoes need more time than the garlic and shallots, I add them in after. This allows them to not brown and burn as quickly while still getting the full flavors.
Can I sub for any fish, like a white fish or shrimp?
Absolutely! You can follow the same method here, with searing or grilling your fish/shrimp and removing accordingly, cooking your tomatoes and finishing it all together.
What if I can’t find burst cherry tomatoes?
You can sub for any small tomato available. It doesn’t need to be burst or cherry, you can use grape tomatoes, heirloom baby tomatoes, anything you have access to!
Some ideas & inspiration to serve with this salmon tomato recipe:
- Little Gem Caesar Salad with Panko Breadcrumbs
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Sweet Corn, Parmesan & Mascarpone Risotto with Basil Oil
Looking for more salmon recipes?
If you do make this One Pan Seared Salmon recipe (first of all, thank you!!), be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram and through social media so I can be sure to see what you’re making! If you’d like to stay in touch and get the latest to your inbox, sign up for our Newsletter here as well!
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Updated from July 2021
One Pan Seared Salmon with Burst Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
For Your Seared Salmon
- 3 salmon fillets, 1-1/4 inch thick
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil, such as avocado oil or vegetable oil
- 1/2 pint yellow burst cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 pint red burst cherry tomatoes
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 sprig thyme, and more for garnish
- 1/2 lemon zest
- juice of 1 lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a nonstick skillet with 1 tablespoon of neutral oil, sear your salmon with the skin side up to begin, season with salt and pepper on all sides as you sear.
- Cook on medium-high heat until crispy, about 3-4 minutes on each side and flip with a fish spatula. Remove your salmon, excess oil (keep a little drizzle), and set your salmon aside covered. *Note: remove your salmon with it a tad bit underdone with how you like it, because we will finish cooking at the end, I remove at around 115 degrees.
- Next, add your tomatoes with the remaining oil. Sear until bursted and has a little bit of char. You want some bursted to make the sauce, and some that stay whole, about 15-20 minutes.
- Then add in your shallots and garlic and sear with the tomatoes and sauce. Season with salt and pepper.*Note: You don’t want to add garlic and shallots first first with the tomatoes or else they will burn too quick.
- Next, add in a sprig of thyme and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well until everything is incorporated.
- Add back in your salmon and heat it through for another 5-6 minutes until fully cooked (around 125-135 degrees). Top and serve with fresh lemon juice and thyme.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Super yummy! Don’t start your sear with skin side up though!! Flakes of the salmon will burn onto your pan and leave the top of the fish looking like cat food. Sear with skin side down for 3-4 minutes, flip, turn off the flame, and let the residual heat cook the top.
Love this recipe. Served it with asparagus for a delightful dinner. Easy recipe to make. The flavors of the tomatoes and shallots caramelized together with the salmon was perfection.
Hi Donna, thank you so much for your review! So happy you enjoyed! 🙂
This was fabulous! Easy, fast, could be a weeknight dinner because of the few ingredients and limited to one pan. We had potato puffs and a salad and we were stuffed for the rest of the night. I did make one variation. Just before adding the salmon back into the pan, I added some half and half (I am sure light cream would have been even better but you have to sacrifice some places). I brought that to a simmer and then added the salmon. I spooned the sauce over the salmon as it reheated. This was so good I am going to try it with chicken cutlets.
Hi John, so happy to hear you loved this recipe! Thank you for your review!
The term burst tomatoes refers to the method of cooking/roasting a cherry tomato until it “bursts”, releasing their amazing flavor. I don’t think there a variety of tomato called Burst (at least not according the the internet :-)). That said, this is a delicious recipe!
This was Delish!!
I had a couple of big salmon filets with skin, no scallions but plenty of red, yellow and orange cherry tomatoes. I added the garlic and at the end topped it with flat leaf parsley and cooked ir a little more. It was cooked to perfection and the cherry tomatoes were so tasty. I will make this again.
I meant to type I had no shallots
Great recipe, made it ip over some bisamiti rice for my wife. She liked it very much. I added mushrooms went well.
Thank for this one
So happy you and your wife enjoyed! Thanks for your review!
This looks LOVELY! I’m thinking about serving it at a dinner party in a week.
QUESTION: Can I make the burst tomatoes earlier in the day? I don’t/won’t have time to do it with 12 guests.
TIA.