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    Home » Recipes » Seafood Recipes

    Pistachio Encrusted Salmon Recipe

    Published: Mar 18, 2019 · Modified: Jun 25, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley

    693 shares
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    5 from 14 votes
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    Pistachio Encrusted Salmon – healthy and delicious restaurant style dish

    Sharing a meal with friends and family makes life better. And I’m always looking for something new to make, something to impress my guests not only with a delicious meal but a beautifully presented meal. My Pistachio Encrusted Salmon is a restaurant style dish your guests won’t soon forget!

    served with spinach and a sundried tomato pesto

    The old saying is “we eat with our eyes”  and that my friends is the truth! No matter how good a dish may taste, if the appearance is less than stellar, the flavors will not be appreciated. So as you prepare your holiday feast, keep that in mind.

    salmon with a sundried tomato sauce

    Salmon has never been one of my favorite dishes, so when I prepare it, I challenge myself to make it flavorful and beautiful so that I don’t mind eating it. Although I will admit since I started using Pacific Northwest Salmon I’ve been enjoying salmon a lot more these days.

    sundried tomato sauce and spinach

    I hope you enjoy my Pistachio Encrusted Salmon served on a bed of wilted spinach tossed with a sun-dried tomato pesto, it really is a delicious restaurant style dish.

    salmon with a sundried tomato sauce

    If you like this recipe you might also enjoy these dishes:

    • Mediterranean Style Salmon
    • Blackened Salmon Salad
    • Stuffed Salmon with Cream Cheese and Crabmeat
    • Cedar Planked Salmon

    Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

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    sundried tomato sauce and spinach
    Print Recipe Save Saved!
    5 from 14 votes

    Table of Contents:

    • Pistachio Encrusted Salmon
      • Ingredients
        • Sundried Tomato Pesto
        • Salmon
      • Instructions
        • Sundried Tomato Pesto
        • Salmon
      • Notes
      • Nutrition

    Pistachio Encrusted Salmon

    When you want to turn dinner into a culinary experience try my Pistachio Crusted Salmon.  It’s easy to make and is definitely a wow!
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time20 minutes mins
    Total Time35 minutes mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 514kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Ingredients

    Sundried Tomato Pesto

    • 1 cup reconstituted sundried tomatoes
    • ¼ cup pine nuts
    • 3 tablespoon Extra Virgin olive oil
    • 1 clove garlic -peeled
    • 1 tbs grated romano cheese

    Salmon

    • 4 8 oz salmon fillets
    • 1 cup pistachio’s
    • 3 tablespoon cooking oil
    • 12 oz baby spinach leaves
    US Customary – Metric
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    Instructions

    Sundried Tomato Pesto

    • reconstitute the sundried tomatoes in warm water
    • In the bowl of your food processor, add the sundried tomatoes, garlic clove, grated cheese and pine nuts. Pulse until fully blended and finely chopped.
    • Add the olive oil, and pulse until well blended*

    Salmon

    • pulse pistachio’s in a food processor until chopped with some finely ground
    • brush the salmon lightly with olive oil
    • Press salmon into pistachio’s, covering topside of fillet completely, continue till all four fillets have been finished.
    • Heat skillet over medium-high heat and add just enough cooking oil to saute the salmon
    • Gently place salmon, nut side down and sear for about 2 minutes, until nuts have browned.
    • Very gently turn salmon over and repeat the process.
    • Place salmon in a baking dish with a little water and place in 350-degree oven for 15 minutes. (replace any nuts that may have fallen off, making a nice top layer of pistachio’s on the fillet)
    • While salmon is finishing cooking, place 4 tablespoons of sundried pesto into a saucepan and warm gently ( add a little more coconut oil if the mixture is not loose enough)
    • Right before serving toss sundried pesto mixture with spinach leaves coating very well, until spinach begins to wilt.
    • Divide spinach between 4 plates and top with salmon fillet.
    • Serve immediately

    Notes

    * sundried pesto should almost be the consistency of a salad dressing when you toss it with the spinach

    Nutrition

    Calories: 514kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 152mg | Potassium: 1777mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 8295IU | Vitamin C: 35.8mg | Calcium: 161mg | Iron: 6.6mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

    Now that was one delicious piece of salmon and it looked as good as it tasted! Whether you’re entertaining or just turning a family meal into a special event, everyone’s going to love this salmon!

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    About Chef Dennis

    Picture of Chef Dennis

    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

    Reader Interactions

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    1. Ricci

      March 19, 2019 at 11:41 pm

      I have been on such a salmon kick lately! I need to try this recipe soon!

      Reply
    2. Lisa Marie Heath

      March 19, 2019 at 10:50 pm

      I have been CRAVING salmon lately – and this looks so good! Sharing this recipe with my boyfriend so he can make it for my birthday dinner this Friday!

      Reply
    3. Heather

      March 19, 2019 at 10:43 pm

      I’m not sure why I never thought to put pistachios on salmon. Those are two of my favorite foods!

      Reply
    4. Terri Steffes

      March 19, 2019 at 9:16 pm

      5 stars
      We’ve made this and love it. Your recipe is similar to the one we tried. Delicious! We do find that fresh salmon, if it is truly fresh, is our favorite way to make it.

      Reply
    5. Lian Wright

      March 19, 2019 at 8:20 pm

      This dish looks amazing! It is so elegant, and I love a good salmon recipe. It would be great to serve on a stay-at-home date night meal.

      Reply
    6. Melanie

      March 19, 2019 at 7:01 pm

      My husband doesn’t like salmon, so I do not cook it very often. I am a big salmon fan, though! i love the sound of this recipe.

      Reply
    7. Pam

      March 19, 2019 at 7:00 pm

      I have been wanting to eat more salmon lately since I heard it was good for your Vitamin D levels. This looks like an awesome way to prepare it.

      Reply
    8. Ashley

      March 19, 2019 at 6:11 pm

      I’ve always enjoyed a good salmon dish. I’ll need to try this out, I think it would be good for our Keto diet.

      Reply
    9. Jenn@Engineermommy

      March 19, 2019 at 5:38 pm

      I love and eat a ton of salmon. I am always looking for new ways to prepare it. I also love pistachios and will definitely try this. It looks tasty!

      Reply
    10. Lisa

      March 19, 2019 at 5:35 pm

      This looks amazing. I’m a big fan of salmon and I love pistachios. The combo sounds incredible.

      Reply
    11. MELANIE EDJOURIAN

      March 19, 2019 at 4:16 pm

      This sounds like a lovely tasty and healthy recipe. Might help encourage me to eat more salmon too as I don’t eat it very often.

      Reply
    12. Amber Myers

      March 19, 2019 at 11:28 am

      Oo this would make a tasty meal. I know my mom really enjoys her salmon, so I’ll have to show this to her for sure.

      Reply
    13. Tashena

      March 19, 2019 at 11:22 am

      5 stars
      This recipe looks so flavorful. Love the combination of the two flavors. Looking forward to giving this a try.

      Reply
    14. Jeanette

      March 19, 2019 at 10:02 am

      I am always looking for a healthy lean protein that’s got a lot of flavor. This definitely fits that bill. Cannot wait to try it.

      Reply
    15. candy

      March 19, 2019 at 9:00 am

      We miss catching our own fresh salmon when we lived in Alaska. This is a delicious and perfect healthy dish. The taste would be wonderful.

      Reply
    16. Bec

      October 27, 2016 at 6:25 am

      I can’t believe salmon is not a favorite for you, but I guess that’s a blessing for us, if that’s the reason you invented this amazing pistachio crust – thanks heaps!

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        October 27, 2016 at 8:48 am

        Thanks Bec! It was always my mission to get myself to enjoy salmon more!

        Reply
    17. Marilyn

      September 23, 2016 at 11:17 am

      5 stars
      Looks really good – just a minor note, the recipe calls for 4 salmon filets, but says it serves 2.

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        September 23, 2016 at 11:19 am

        Thanks for seeing that Marilyn, I just changed to a different recipe box on my blog and I’m seeing a few minor glitches on some of the recipes.

        Reply
    18. Gwen @SimplyHealthyFamily

      March 25, 2013 at 7:29 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Dennis, I just wanted to let you know that I made this last night and it was wonderful, even the kiddos liked it! SCORE! ;]

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis

        March 25, 2013 at 8:38 pm

        thanks for letting me know Gwen, I’m happy to hear your family enjoyed it!

        Reply
    19. Carrie's Experimental Kitchen

      January 11, 2013 at 6:46 am

      Good morning~I have featured this recipe on my blog for my weekly seafood round-up and have also linked this recipe to your original post so that my readers will be forwarded to your site. Thank you for allowing me to share! Here is the link: http://carriesexperimentalkitchen.blogspot.com/2013/01/seafood-frenzy-friday-week-44.html

      Reply
    20. David Crowley

      December 10, 2012 at 12:09 pm

      Looks great Chef Dennis! I was just looking for a new salmon recipe this weekend. Too late for this time (I made it pan seared with an olive-lemon relish, via Barbara Lynch’s Stir cookbook). I will save this for next time!

      Reply
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