High-Protein Creamy Spinach Salmon
Low carb • Sugar-free seared salmon on creamy spinach — 25 minutes, four servings
This is high-protein creamy spinach salmon, not a flour-thickened skillet dinner. Salmon sears gold, then sits on wilted spinach in a garlic cream sauce, like the stacked fillets in the photo. Twenty-five minutes. No flour, no sugar.
Four servings. Pat the salmon dry. Wet fish will not brown.
Why you’ll love this plate
- 38g protein per serving — salmon is the plate
- 3g net carbs — cream and spinach, not flour sauce
- About 25 minutes, one skillet
- Gold crust, creamy spinach bed, like the photo
- No boxed mix, no sugar
- The sauce coats a spoon if you simmer, not boil
Health notes
- Protein: High. Salmon carries the plate.
- Lower carb than cream-of-spinach dinners: No flour. Close to keto-zero at 3g net.
- Four servings: Macros are per fillet stack, not the whole pan.
- Flour slurry or sweet glaze will jump the carbs. Thicken with a simmer.
Key element — sear first, then the cream spinach
Pale salmon stays wet. Pat the fillets dry, season, and sear skin-side or presentation-side until gold. Pull them. Wilt spinach in the same pan, add cream and garlic, then return the salmon so the crust stays crisp, like the photo.
Ingredients
Salmon (4 servings)
- 4 salmon fillets, about 5 to 6 oz each
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 oz fresh spinach
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, plus more for the top
- Salt
- Pinch of chili flake, optional
Swaps
- Frozen spinach: Thaw and squeeze dry, about 3/4 cup packed.
- Trout: Same size fillets if you are out of salmon.
- Flour or sweet glaze: Skip them. That is how carbs jump.
Instructions
| 1 | Season. Pat salmon dry. Salt and pepper both sides. |
| 2 | Sear. Heat butter and oil on medium-high. Sear salmon 3 to 4 minutes per side until gold. Pull to a plate. |
| 3 | Spinach. Lower heat. Cook garlic 30 seconds. Add spinach and wilt 1 to 2 minutes. |
| 4 | Sauce. Add cream and Parmesan. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes until it coats a spoon. |
| 5 | Stack. Spoon spinach into 4 piles. Set a fillet on each, like the photo. One stack is one serving. |
Pro tips
- Pat the salmon dry. Wet fish steams instead of browning.
- Do not boil the cream. A hard boil can split it.
- Squeeze frozen spinach dry. Extra water thins the sauce.
- Leave the crust alone. Flip once.
- Serve at once. The crust softens if it sits in the sauce too long.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Per serving (1 of 4) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 420 |
| Protein | 38g |
| Net carbohydrates | 3g |
| Total carbohydrates | 4g |
| Fiber | 1g |
| Total fat | 28g |
| Sodium | 280mg |
Estimates with salmon, spinach, cream, and Parmesan. Flour or a sweet glaze will raise carbs. This is a high-protein, lower-carb skillet, close to keto-zero.
Variations
Lemon
Finish with 1 tsp lemon zest and a squeeze of juice.
Sun-dried tomato
Chop 2 Tbsp no-sugar sun-dried tomatoes into the sauce.
Mushroom
Sauté 1 cup sliced mushrooms before the spinach.
Cajun
Dust the salmon with a pinch of Cajun spice before the sear.
Storage
| Method | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eat now | Best | While the crust is still crisp |
| Refrigerator | Up to 2 days | Reheat low so the cream does not split |
| Freezer | Not ideal | Cream sauce weeps after thaw |
FAQ
Test your knowledge
5 quick questions about this salmon
1. Protein per serving?
2. Net carbs per serving?
3. How many servings on the plate?
4. Why sear the salmon first?
5. Why skip flour and sweet glaze?
