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    Home » Recipes » Dinner

    Cast Iron Salmon with Creamy Schug

    Published: Jul 26, 2021 · Modified: Apr 20, 2024 by Krista Stechman · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

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    cast iron salmon with creamy schug and seared lemons

    If you want fresh and flavorful, Cast Iron Salmon with Creamy Schug should be on your dinner menu! Crisp juicy salmon topped with a garlic herb coconut milk sauce.

    If you like the flavors in this juicy salmon recipe, my Chimichurri Salmon recipe is right up your alley!

    Cast Iron Salmon topped with creamy schug sauce and cilantro.

    Using a cast iron skillet makes the salmon nice and crispy on the outside and super juicy on the inside. The sauce is a pretty traditional schug sauce that's mixed with coconut milk to make it creamy, a bit more mellow and a little sweet.

    Salmon is a favorite choice for dinner here. A few easy salmon recipes are Asian Salmon, Air Fryer Salmon and Salmon Bowls.

    Jump to:
    • What is Schug?
    • What kind of salmon to buy
    • Ingredients for Cast Iron Salmon with Creamy Schug
    • Tips for the best Salmon with Creamy Schug
    • How to cook salmon in a cast iron skillet
    • Cast Iron Salmon with Creamy Schug

    What is Schug?

    Schug is a sauce loaded with herbs, spices, garlic and jalapenos. It is of Middle Eastern origin and is a very popular condiment. It can be spelled zhug or s'hug as well. This particular schug is a green schug and it contains jalapenos, cilantro, parsley, garlic, salt, cardamom, cumin, caraway seeds, lemon juice and olive oil. It is extremely delicious and honestly I'd put it on just about anything!

    a bowl of creamy coconut schug sauce with parsley on top and lemons on the side

    I love schug on chicken shawarma and I use it on my Eggplant Shawarma! It's perfectly spicy, garlicky and super fresh. A warning though, if you don't like spicy either tone down the amount of peppers or use a sweeter pepper. It's not traditionally mixed with coconut milk but it does make for a delicious sauce and tones down the spiciness a bit.

    What kind of salmon to buy

    FRESH salmon is what kind of salmon you should buy. When it comes to fish, fresh is best. Find a local grocery store that you can trust and purchase the salmon there. Usually I buy Atlantic salmon that has already been cut into fillets, about 6-7oz each. If you prefer King or Sockeye salmon then use what you prefer.

    If you've never bough fresh salmon before there are a couple things you want to look for. Make sure the salmon looks and smells fresh. Don't be afraid to smell the salmon before you buy it. I do it all the time! There's nothing worse than coming home and opening a package of rotten fish. It should smell like the ocean or the water, not fishy and not foul.

    The flesh should be an reddish orange. Make sure the salmon is not slimy and doesn't have a milky look to it. It should also be slightly firm, if they salmon is mushy stay away.

    crispy seared salmon in a creamy green schug sauce with seared lemons

    Ingredients for Cast Iron Salmon with Creamy Schug

    • Fresh Salmon
    • Fresh Jalapenos
    • Cilantro
    • Parsley
    • Garlic Cloves
    • Caraway Seed
    • Cumin
    • Cardamom
    • Kosher Salt
    • Black Pepper
    • Olive Oil
    • Brown Sugar
    • Lemon Juice
    • Coconut Milk
    crispy salmon in a cast iron skillet with cream schug sauce, seared lemons and a bowl of schug to the side

    Tips for the best Salmon with Creamy Schug

    • Use the freshest salmon available to you.
    • Use high heat and let the cast iron warm up for 3-4 minutes before adding any oil. Getting the skillet extremely hot will ensure a crisp outer crust.
    • Once you add oil to the skillet, let it stand about 15 seconds before adding salmon.
    • After placing salmon in the cast iron skillet DO NOT MOVE it until it's time to flip it over. Moving the salmon around will ruin the sear.
    • Cook the salmon for 3 minutes per side to cook to medium.
    • The schug can be made up to 7 days in advance. Add the coconut milk right before adding it to the salmon.
    cast iron salmon with creamy schug and a roasted lemon

    How to cook salmon in a cast iron skillet

    Cooking salmon in a cast iron skillet is one of my favorite ways of preparing salmon. Cast iron gives the salmon such a nice crisp crust.

    Heat the skillet over high heat for 3-4 minutes until the entire skillet is very hot. Add the oil to the pan then wait another 30 seconds for the oil to heat.

    Season one side of the salmon then place the salmon seasoned side down into the cast iron skillet. It's very important not to move the salmon after placing it in the skillet.

    After placing the salmon in the pan, season the side that is face up. Sear the salmon for 3 minutes until you have a nice crisp crust.

    Salmon in a cast iron skillet with a creamy coconut schug sauce and roasted lemons

    Turn the salmon over and sear the second side for an additional 3 minutes. Three minutes per side will cook the salmon to medium, depending on the thickness.

    Use a digital meat thermometer to take the temperature. You're looking for an internal temp of 135°F. This is how you sear salmon in a cast iron skillet and get a beautiful crispy crust.

    crispy salmon in a cast iron skillet with cream schug sauce, seared lemons and a bowl of schug to the side
    Cast Iron Salmon topped with creamy schug sauce and cilantro.

    Cast Iron Salmon with Creamy Schug

    Krista Stechman
    A healthy, fresh and flavorful dinner. Seared salmon with an herby sauce that has a little kick
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course dinner
    Cuisine asian fusion, middle eastern
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 393 kcal

    Equipment

    • food processor

    Ingredients
      

    Making the Creamy Schug

    • 3 fresh jalapenos tops cut off, seeds left in
    • 1 cup fresh cilantro bottom inch of stems ripped off
    • 1 cup fresh parsley bottom inch of stems ripped off
    • 1 clove garlic peeled
    • ½ teaspoon caraway seeds toasted
    • ½ teaspoon cumin
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice fresh squeezed
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 13.5 oz coconut milk in a can
    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

    For the Salmon

    • 4-7 oz salmon fillets
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ tsp black pepper

    Instructions
     

    Making the schug

    • Preheat the oven to 400°F and put the caraway seeds on a baking sheet
    • Toast the caraway seeds in the oven for 3 minutes
    • Cut the tops off the jalapenos and place them in the food processor with the cilantro, parsley, garlic, caraway seeds, cumin, salt, cardamom, lemon juice and olive oil
      jalapenos, parsley, cilantro, lemons, coconut milk, cumin, salt and caraway seeds
    • Blend on low until well combined but still a little chunky. About 20 seconds
    • Pour the schug into a medium sized sauce pot and add the coconut milk and brown sugar. Heat until it comes to a simmer then turn off immediately
      creamy schug sauce in a bowl topped with parsley

    Searing the salmon

    • Heat your cast iron skillet over high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the olive oil and let sit for 15 seconds
    • Season the salmon and place the seasoned side down into the pan, do not move it. Season the side that is facing up
    • After 3 minutes flip the salmon over. Sear for an additional 3 minutes then add the creamy schug into the pan and serve immediately. Enjoy!
      a skillet with salmon, sauce and microgreens

    Notes

    Use a digital meat thermometer. Insert thermometer to the center of the salmon. 135°F will give you a medium piece of salmon. 
    Cast iron pan needs to be very hot before adding salmon to sear. 
    If you'd like to sear lemon slices and add them to the salmon they make a nice addition.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 393kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 8gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 909mgPotassium: 497mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1663IUVitamin C: 36mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 5mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Niamh Aspell

      July 28, 2021 at 6:50 am

      5 stars
      This was so delicious and easy to make! I made a few changes because I couldn't get all the ingredients (limes for lemon, cayenne pepper for jalapenos, dried parsley instead of fresh) but it was still really tasty. I loved the tips for cooking in a cast-iron skillet.

      Reply
      • admin

        July 28, 2021 at 1:08 pm

        Good!! I'm so glad it worked with the changes too! Thanks for trying it!

        Reply
    2. nicole triebe

      July 26, 2021 at 5:50 am

      5 stars
      Such a flavorful salmon dish!! My whole family loved it!

      Reply
      • admin

        July 26, 2021 at 12:43 pm

        Good!! I'm so glad!

        Reply
    5 from 4 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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