Marry Me Salmon Recipe • 5★

Updated March 19, 2026

Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot.

A take on Marry Me Chicken, this dish is the weeknight fish you cook for your future life partner. Perfectly seared salmon bathed in a creamy sun-dried tomato gravy is anchored by the familiar one-two punch of dried oregano and crushed red pepper. By cooking the fish mostly on the skin side, then gently poaching the flesh side in sauce, you get shattering skin yielding to plush salmon. Bottled clam juice, readily available at the grocery store, gives the creamy red sauce a seafood taste. Serve with crusty, fluffy Italian bread or your favorite pasta tossed with a dribble of oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes.

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2 salmon fillets, preferably skin-on (10 ounces total)

Kosher salt and black pepper

¼ cup thinly sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, plus 2 tablespoons oil from the jar

½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano, plus more to taste

½ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice (1 cup)

½ cup heavy cream

Fresh basil leaves, for serving (optional)

Step 1Pat the salmon dry and lightly sprinkle salt and pepper all over.

Pat the salmon dry and lightly sprinkle salt and pepper all over.

Step 2Heat a medium nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high, then add 1 tablespoon of oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes.

Heat a medium nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high, then add 1 tablespoon of oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes.

Step 3Sear the salmon skin side down until the skin is browned and crisp, and the flesh is opaque about three-quarters of the way up, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce the heat if the skin starts to burn. Transfer to a plate skin side up. (The fish will finish cooking in the sauce later.)

Sear the salmon skin side down until the skin is browned and crisp, and the flesh is opaque about three-quarters of the way up, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce the heat if the skin starts to burn. Transfer to a plate skin side up. (The fish will finish cooking in the sauce later.)

Step 4Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion to the skillet and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened considerably, 5 to 7 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion to the skillet and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened considerably, 5 to 7 minutes.

Step 5Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil to the skillet. Add the oregano and crushed red pepper, stirring for a few seconds to bloom them and open up their flavors. Add the tomato paste and stir frequently until a shade darker in color, about 3 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil to the skillet. Add the oregano and crushed red pepper, stirring for a few seconds to bloom them and open up their flavors. Add the tomato paste and stir frequently until a shade darker in color, about 3 minutes.

Step 6Add the clam juice and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the cream and sun-dried tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt, pepper, oregano and crushed red pepper as desired.

Add the clam juice and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the cream and sun-dried tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt, pepper, oregano and crushed red pepper as desired.

Step 7Return the salmon to the skillet flesh side down, without getting sauce on the crispy skin, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the salmon is cooked through, about 1 minute. It will continue to cook as it sits. To serve, top with basil leaves, if using.

Return the salmon to the skillet flesh side down, without getting sauce on the crispy skin, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the salmon is cooked through, about 1 minute. It will continue to cook as it sits. To serve, top with basil leaves, if using.

If you don't like sun-dried tomatoes, your best bet would probably be to choose a salmon recipe that is not centered around a sun-dried tomato sauce; NYT has plenty.

If you're a fan of Better Than Bouillon bases, then you might want to keep their Lobster base on hand for recipes that call for clam juice/fish stock. I rely on it when/if I don't have bottled clam juice. (They used to have a clam base that I liked but it was discontinued.)

@MarcRock Hi Marc, fish or chicken stock work in a pinch. You won’t get that rich seafood taste, but the sauce will still be delicious. Enjoy, Eric

He said yes! Delicious-will make again.

This recipe is now my absolute favorite recipe as of late. Because of this recipe I now keep a bottle of clam juice in my fridge and a jar of sun-dried tomatoes as well as heavy cream (always.) Truthfully this is a perfect t meal and the aftertaste stays long after the last bite and becomes a happy memory waiting to made again and again. Thank you Eric Kim for your brilliant addition to my recipe box.

Fabulous—this recipe certainly lives up to its name! Only sub I made is instead of heavy cream used a mix of light cream with crème fraiche since that’s what I had in refrigerator. Delicious flavor pop will cook again for guests.

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026573-marry-me-salmon