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One Skillet Salmon with Lemon Orzo

One skillet salmon with lemon orzo featuring crispy skin-on fillets resting over creamy, parmesan-streaked orzo. Garlic-toasted orzo simmers in chicken broth, then finishes with wilted spinach and juicy cherry tomatoes for an easy Mediterranean weeknight salmon dinner.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

salmon fillets (6 oz each), skin-on
  • 4 salmon fillets skin-on
salt, pepper, and smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika to taste
olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
garlic
  • 3 garlic minced cloves
orzo pasta
  • 1.5 cup orzo pasta uncooked
chicken broth
  • 3 cup chicken broth
cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
baby spinach
  • 2 cup baby spinach
Parmesan cheese
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese grated
lemon juice and zest
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
garnish
  • 0.25 cup fresh dill for garnish
  • 1 lemon slices for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sear the salmon
  1. Season the salmon with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, place salmon skin-side down, and sear for 4-5 minutes until the skin is crispy.
  2. Flip the salmon and cook for 2 minutes more. Remove the fillets to a plate and keep the skillet hot.
Cook the lemon orzo
  1. In the same skillet, cook the minced garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the orzo and toast for 1 minute.
  2. Pour in the chicken broth and bring it to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the orzo is almost tender.
Finish the orzo and warm the salmon
  1. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, baby spinach, Parmesan, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Cook until the spinach wilts and the orzo looks creamy.
  2. Nestle the salmon fillets into the orzo, skin-side up. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes until the salmon is just heated through.
Serve
  1. Garnish with fresh dill and lemon slices. Serve the salmon and creamy lemon orzo directly from the skillet.

Notes

For best texture, keep salmon skin-side down until it looks deeply golden and releases easily from the pan. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; rewarm gently so the salmon stays tender. Freezing is not recommended due to the spinach and orzo texture. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat Parmesan while keeping the lemon zest and lemon juice the same.