One-Pot Salmon And Rice Recipe
If this recipe for one-pot salmon and rice had you at "one-pot," then we have a feeling that you are going to be very excited when you actually prepare and taste this high-performing creation. This dish, in fact, juxtaposes pot-roasted salmon filets with the dreamiest lemon-scented rice that's topped with zucchini slices which absorb a little of every wonderful flavor in the pot. And if you have the ingredients and are ready to start now, then how about this? You can be dining on this treasure in as little as 40 minutes — perhaps even sooner if you're using pre-minced garlic as recipe developer and private practice registered dietician Kristen Carli does, and if you've pre-sliced your zucchini.
"I love a one-pan meal for weeknights," Carli notes regarding the inspiration for this one-dish meal. "This way you can feed a family with minimal dish cleanup." And as a recipe developer, this one-pot salmon and rice recipe also has Carli's vote for a hearty but healthy dinner. So without wasting any time, let's get started!
Gather your ingredients to prepare this one-pot salmon and rice recipe
For Carli's one-pot salmon and rice recipe, you'll need a number of ingredients for the rice that you might already have in your kitchen. Gather 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, 2 cups of white rice, 2 cups of chicken broth, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter. As mentioned earlier, the rice is topped with half-moon zucchini slices (the equivalent of one zucchini), over which six salmon filets will cook and release their delicate juices. When everything has finished cooking together, you'll need ¼ cup of parsley and ¼ cup of chopped cilantro for a sprinkle of fresh, bright flavor. This recipe may seem to call for quite a few ingredients, but the finished product is worth it.
The first step will give your kitchen a heavenly scent that'll transport you to Tuscany
This first step, which is heating the olive oil and garlic until fragrant, is a quick one — and it's important to keep that in mind, because it involves heating garlic on your stove. If you've ever done that before, then you already know that things can go from perfectly aromatic to crispy bits of garlic char in a matter of seconds. So make sure you're using a sturdy, deep skillet over nothing higher than a medium flame. But even if you were to use a lower flame than that, this whole step wouldn't take you more than a quick minute, after which you should briefly turn off the flame, and move immediately to the next step.
Cook the rice
This is the step where your rice will come together as the perfect bed for pot-roasted zucchini slices and salmon filets. Add the rice, chicken broth, lemon juice, the first teaspoon of salt, and the first ½ teaspoon of pepper to the skillet. Cover the skillet with its lid, and turn the flame back up to low-medium. Set a timer for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, look under the lid to see if the broth has been absorbed. If so, it's time to add the butter. Stir it in as it melts, and then turn off the flame for the moment.
Add the salmon and zucchini, and assemble your dish for cooking
You're two mini steps away from being able to set this and forget it — albeit for 10 minutes, but hey, you can certainly use that time to chop the parsley and cilantro, which you'll be using in the final step. Mini step number one is to arrange the zucchini slices on top of your fragrant lemon-garlic rice. Mini step number two is to top with your salmon filets in a single layer. Sprinkle on the remaining teaspoon of salt and the remaining ½ teaspoon of pepper, cover with the lid, and bring the heat back up to low-medium, and set another timer for 10 minutes.
When the timer goes off, remove the skillet from the heat
The first part of this step is to remove the skillet from the heat. Although you'll be removing the skillet from the heat, you'll still want to keep the skillet covered with its lid. Keeping it covered will allow the flavors to combine further. After five minutes, you will uncover the lid, and sprinkle the dish liberally with your chopped parsley and chopped cilantro.
That's it! Your dish will look so professional and delicious, you are now ready to serve your salmon and rice to your family or guests. Kick back, and enjoy.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 cups white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon pepper, divided
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 zucchini, cut into half-moons
- 6 salmon filets
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- In a large skillet with a lid, heat the olive oil and minced garlic over a low to medium heat until fragrant.
- Add the rice, chicken broth, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper.
- Cover the skillet with the lid, and cook on low-medium for 15 minutes or until the broth is absorbed.
- Remove the lid, and stir in the unsalted butter to melt and combine.
- Place the sliced zucchini in a layer over the rice, then place the salmon filets over the zucchini. Sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.
- Cover with the lid, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat source, and allow to rest for 5 minutes, still covered.
- Uncover, sprinkle with the parsley and cilantro, and serve.
| Calories per Serving | 1,190 |
| Total Fat | 64.9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 16.7 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.2 g |
| Cholesterol | 235.5 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 57.2 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.6 g |
| Total Sugars | 2.3 g |
| Sodium | 1,129.7 mg |
| Protein | 88.0 g |
