Pan-Seared Salmon with Macadamia Pesto
- Gluten-Free
- Dairy-Free
- Paleo
- Low Carb
- Keto
- Whole30
- Pescatarian
I think we can all agree that pesto on anything is pretty much amazing. I have honestly never met anyone who doesn’t like pesto. And I know people who don’t like chocolate. I know, it’s hard to believe. But, back to the subject at hand: pesto. Fresh basil, savory nuts, tangy lemon, and a kick of garlic. It’s simply irresistible. Fair warning, this macadamia nut pesto is so good that you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful.
This pesto is seriously delicious on or in any dish, but I especially love it on top of a nice salmon fillet. The good news is that you will probably have leftover pesto as this recipe makes quite a bit. Any leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for about a week and used on all sorts of things! It is great on pasta, chicken breasts, pizza, or even scrambled eggs!
If you are allergic to macadamia nuts or can’t find them, they can easily be swapped for another low fiber nut like cashews or pine nuts. Raw macadamia nuts are great to buy in bulk online. This pesto will be pretty thick in consistency, which is great for this recipe or as a pizza sauce. If you’d like a thinner pesto, it can be thinned with more olive oil or by adding some water.
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Pan-Seared Salmon with Macadamia Pesto
- Gluten-Free
- Dairy-Free
- Paleo
- Low Carb
- Keto
- Whole30
- Pescatarian
Ingredients
Macadamia Pesto
- 1 cup raw macadamia nuts
- 3 cups basil loosely packed
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Pan-Seared Salmon
- 1.5 lb wild-caught salmon
- 2 Tbsp butter or ghee
- 2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
Macadamia Pesto
- Using a food processor, blend macadamia nuts, basil, garlic, lemon juice, sea salt, and pepper together until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Continue blending and slowly drizzle in the olive oil from the top until everything is well blended.
Pan-Seared Salmon
- Remove the fillets from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking.
- Rinse the fillets under cold water and pat completely dry with paper towels. Make sure they're really dry or you won't get that nice crunchy crispy layer on the outside when you cook them.
- Sprinkle both sides of the fillets with sea salt.
- Melt butter or ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- When the pan is hot, add the fillets and cook for approximately 4 minutes per side for fillets that are 3/4-inch thick. Adjust cooking time based on thickness of the fillets.
- Remove to plates and top with macadamia nut pesto and a few basil leaves for garnish. Serve immediately.
- Enjoy!
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xx Kit
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