Quick Look at this One Pan Salmon and Orzo Recipe
- Ready In: 35 minutes!
- Serves: 4
- Main Ingredients: salmon fillets, orzo, tomatoes, spinach, broth, and Boursin spreadable cheese!
- Protein: 45g/serving
- Main ingredients: salmon, orzo, spinach, tomatoes, broth, Boursin cheese
- Best For: easy weeknight dinner
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Why You’ll Want to Make This Again
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Salmon Fillets – love using fresh skin-on salmon fillets for the best flavor. If using frozen salmon, be sure to fully thaw before cooking.
- Orzo – a quick cooking pasta that looks a lot like rice. Make this dish gluten-free by grabbing some of DeLallo’s gluten-free orzo!
- Boursin Cheese – this add that creaminess we all love!
- Cherry Tomatoes + Spinach – fresh ingredients that add nutrients plus a pop of color, but feel free to omit if you aren’t a fan.
How To Make Creamy Salmon Orzo
Step 1 – Sear salmon fillets (skin-side up), flip, and finish in the oven.
Step 2 – Remove salmon and sauté the tomatoes and onion.
Salmon Skin
We used salmon with the skin-on and when the fillets were removed from our braiser after baking the skin fell right off. Depending on the type of pan used, it will probably happen for you to. The skin can be discarded.
Step 3 – Add broth, orzo, and salt; bring to a simmer.
Step 4 – Add spinach and Boursin cheese; mix to melt the cheese.
Step 5 – Nestle the salmon back in the pan and simmer a few more minutes until fully cooked.
Erin’s Testing Tips: What We Learned
- Prep some of the later ingredients while the salmon cooks in the oven – we love efficiency!
- Orzo Texture Troubleshooting: keep some broth handy! Orzo pasta loves to soak up all the broth.
- Occasionally mix the orzo (scraping the bottom of the pan) while it simmers and add splashes of broth, if needed.
- We tested it using up to 3 cups of broth instead of 2 3/4 – worked just fine! It feels a little more “soupy” at first but the orzo will soak up that liquid eventually.
Best Ways To Serve This Boursin Salmon Pasta
This salmon dish is great with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan on top and maybe some chopped basil. It is a complete meal and doesn’t require a side dish, but if you are looking for more veggies (who isn’t)… enjoy with a side of the best steamed broccoli or easy air fryer asparagus.
Recipe Variations
Feel free to leave out the spinach and/or tomatoes. It was tested and still delicious! Option to add diced bell pepper, mushrooms, or chopped pieces of asparagus with the tomatoes or in place of the tomatoes during that step.
Salmon Orzo FAQs
Feel free to use DeLallo’s gluten-free orzo, to make it gluten-free but testing has not been done on other types of pasta. Broth amounts and cook times would vary.
Possibly, but we have not tested it. Orzo looks like rice but is actually pasta.
Keep some extra broth handy. The orzo loves to soak up all the broth, so if it starts to get a little dry or sticky simply add some splashes of broth and it will become creamy again.
Yes — fully thaw and pat dry before cooking for best texture and proper searing, but use fresh if at all possible for best results.
Other Simple Orzo Recipes You Might Like
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Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets, 4-6oz each, approx. 1 inch thick
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- ⅓ cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 2 ¾ cups chicken broth, more as needed to thin sauce
- 1 ½ cups orzo
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 5.3 ounces Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs Spreadable Cheese
- 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped (more, if desired)
Optional Garnish:
- parmesan cheese, freshly shredded
Instructions
- Prep Oven: Preheat to 415℉.
- Prep Salmon: Pat 4 salmon fillets dry with paper towel and season with kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Sear Salmon: Bring a large skillet or braiser to a medium-high heat (something oven safe with high sides). Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on the bottom. Once hot (flick water in the pan and it should sizzle), add the salmon fillets with the skin-side up. Sear for about 3-4 minutes.
- Bake: Flip salmon over and move the whole skillet to the oven to bake for 8-10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 140-145℉. Remove the salmon from the pan (the skin may come off – that's okay) and set aside on a plate (discard skin).
- Sauté: Bring the skillet back to a medium heat and add 1 pint cherry tomatoes. Move around the pan for 1 minute. Add the diced onion and 1 teaspoon garlic. Sauté for 1-2 minutes or until softened.
- Cook Pasta: Add 2 ¾ cups chicken broth, 1 ½ cups orzo, and 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt to the pan; mix to combine. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the orzo is almost fully cooked (be sure to scrape the bottom and stir frequently to prevent sticking while it cooks – add splashes of broth, if needed).
- Cheese + Spinach: Turn down the heat slightly, smash the tomatoes with the back of a fork, add 5.3 ounces Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs Spreadable Cheese and chopped spinach to the pan. Mix to combine and let the cheese melt. Place the salmon back on top and let cook on a medium-low heat until the orzo is fully cooked.
- Serve: Enjoy immediately with some parmesan cheese on top!
Notes
- Gluten-Free: use a gluten-free orzo pasta – cook times may vary.
- Dairy-Free: Boursin also makes a dairy-free spreadable cheese option!
- Chicken Broth: be sure to keep some chicken broth handy while the orzo cooks. You may need to add splashes as the pasta soaks it up.
- Storage: leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Veggie Option: my kids don’t always love the chopped spinach vibe so if you want to skip the spinach, I would serve with some easy steamed broccoli instead.
Linda says
My husband and I made this over the weekend – it was the most amazing salmon dish we have ever eaten! Highly recommend – easy and extremely flavourful. The only change I made was that I skipped the step of putting the salmon in the oven and just cooked it on the stove top on both sides till almost cooked through. Worked fine – I didn’t see the point of putting the oven on for 10 minutes, but that’s just me. An amazing recipe – will be looking at more on your site for sure! Thanks!
Erin Jensen says
yay! Thanks, Linda! And yes, cooking the salmon on the stovetop vs. oven – totally personal preference! So glad you loved this one 🙂
BLM says
This recipe was delicious! Definitely adding to the weekly rotation!
Michelle says
Our go to salmon recipe.
Erin Jensen says
Thanks, Michelle!!
Robin says
This recipe is so decadent, great Sunday night meal that feels elevated but is quick to put together
Erin Jensen says
Yay! So glad to hear that, Robin!
R says
This was such a hit!! Amazing flavors, and it’s even doable on a weeknight because it only requires one pan! Definitely going to make again and again!
(Side note- the end of step 3 and beginning of 4 are repeated directions (typo) but this recipe was so easy to follow!!)
Erin Jensen says
Thank you so much – so glad you liked it! Oh and thank you for pointing that out – we will fix asap! 🙂
Sherry R says
Made this tonight – it was excellent! I recommend you stir the orzo pretty frequently (not occasionally) to prevent sticking. I’ll be adding this to the rotation for special guests!
Erin Jensen says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Sherry!
Bridget says
This dinner was absolutely delicious and was so easy to make!