Salmon escabeche is a vibrant and tangy dish that brings together the rich, buttery flavor of salmon with a zesty marinade of vinegar, olive oil, and aromatic herbs. In my version, the fish is topped with black olives, roasted red peppers, and fresh dill.
This is a dream dish for prepping in advance (the salmon soaks up the marinade for a couple hours before serving!), which is why I absolutely love it for dinner parties and easy entertaining.
This would make a great main dish for a Mediterranean or Spanish-themed meal (for an equally gorgeous low-and-slow baked fish, try salt-encrusted whole sea bass!) and is delicious on its own or served on crusty bread. Enjoy with your favorite vegetable side dishes, potatoes, or a big green salad.
If you love salmon as much as I do, be sure to try my Marry Me Salmon, Oven-Baked Salmon with Rice, or easy Salmon Cakes next. Or check out all of our quick and easy seafood recipes!
Ingredients
- Fresh salmon, skin-on: be sure to use a high-quality piece of fish. Frozen is okay, but it needs to be thawed completely and patted dry well with paper towels to ensure it sears well in the pan.
- Flour dredge: all-purpose flour (can use gluten-free substitute if needed), kosher salt, lemon zest, garlic powder, and sumac.
- Oil and vinegar marinade: extra virgin olive oil (pick something nutty!), red wine vinegar, thinly sliced shallot, and a serrano chile
- For serving: black or Kalamata olives, chopped roasted red peppers, fresh dill, and sliced artisan bread — I like sourdough here!
Ingredient Substitutions
- Vinegar: I love red wine vinegar, but you can use white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, or even apple cider vinegar in its place. Stick to lighter vinegars and avoid balsamic, which would overpower the other ingredients.
- Fresh herbs: I recommend sticking with fresh herbs, not dried, but you can substitute dill with fresh cilantro, parsley, or basil.
- Olives: While pitted black or Kalamata olives are my go-to, green olives are fantastic too. Try Castelvetrano olives next! Not a fan of olives? Capers will achieve a similar briny flavor!
Directions For Making Fish Escabeche
Just a quick note that if you don’t want to use salmon, you can use other fish such as red snapper, sole, black cod, or even shrimp! (Though if you have a whole red snapper, try my baked Provencal-style whole fish next!)
- Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. You’ll rub this dredge onto the flesh side of the fish. Be sure to press down into even layer. Cover tightly with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate the salmon for about 2 hours. When ready to cook, remove the plastic wrap and shake off excess flour.
- Make the marinade. This is a combination of olive oil, red wine vinegar, thinly sliced shallots, and sliced serrano pepper (though you can use any chile you like!).
- Pan fry the salmon. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Once hot, add the salmon flesh side down and cook undisturbed for 4 minutes. Use a fish spatula and tongs to carefully flip the fish, then cook for an additional 3 minutes. Transfer to a large plate or baking dish.
- Pour the marinade on top. Salmon escabeche should sit out on the counter for a couple hours before serving the salmon can soak up the marinade. Just before serving, add olives, roasted red peppers, and fresh dill. Enjoy on its own or served with crusty bread!
Ari’s Best Tips!
- You definitely want to use fresh, high-quality salmon for this recipe! The salmon is seared on a stovetop, but then left medium in the center (perfect for curing and absorbing the marinade!).
- Don’t overcook the fish. You really want the texture of the salmon to flake easily and almost melt in your mouth. If using wild salmon, you can cook the fish for 1 minute less on the first side as many wild Alaskan salmon varieties (or similar) tend to be thinner than farmed salmon.
Make-Ahead, Leftovers, & Storage
Salmon escabeche is the perfect make-ahead seafood dinner — it’s gotta cure in the marinade for at least 2 hours before serving, though longer is okay too. Just be sure that if you make it a day in advance that you store it covered in a fridge until ready to serve, then allow it to sit out at room temperature before enjoying.
Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in a fridge for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe. The salmon has a buttery texture because of the oil and vinegar marinade, and it doesn’t lend well to freezing and thawing.
Serving Suggestions
My favorite way to enjoy escabeche is smashed onto thick slices of crusty sourdough bread! You can use any bread you like, but sourdough is my favorite.
In addition to fresh herbs, olives, and roasted peppers, here’s a few ideas for serving:
- Extra sliced peppers for added heat.
- Before adding the salmon to the bread, you could add sliced avocado or mashed white beans, both of which keep you full for a while.
- For a slightly sweet flavor, add some chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the olive mixture when topping.
- If enjoying as a larger meal, consider serving with a side salad, crispy roasted potatoes, rice or quinoa, and your favorite vegetable side dishes.
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Easy Make-Ahead Salmon Escabeche with Olives
Equipment
Ingredients
For the fish:
- 1½ lbs salmon fillet skin-on
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, can substitute with a gluten-free flour, if needed
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp lemon, zested, about 1 lemon
- ½ tsp granulated garlic
- ½ tsp sumac
For the marinade:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 serrano chile, very thinly sliced
For serving:
- ½ cup black or kalamata olives, sliced
- ¼ cup roasted red peppers chopped
- Fresh dill, for garnish
- Crusty bread, sliced and toasted
Instructions
- Make the dredge. In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp flour, 2 tsp kosher salt, 2 tsp lemon zest, ½ tsp garlic, and ½ tsp sumac, then whisk to combine.
- Dry the salmon. Pat salmon dry on both sides, then place on a plate or tray. Pour flour mixture on top of the fish, pressing gently onto the salmon, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, make the marinade. Combine ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, sliced shallots, and sliced serrano pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk, then set aside.
- Cook the salmon. When ready, preheat a large skillet over high heat. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Shake any excess flour off of salmon, then sear flesh side down for 4 minutes, undisturbed. Carefully flip the fish using a fish spatula, then sear skin side down for an additional 3 minutes. Transfer salmon to a bowl or dish with deep sides, then immediately pour the marinade on top. If eating that day, leave fish on counter to cure for at least 2 hours. If serving the next day, cover fish and place in refrigerator overnight. Salmon is best when served at room temperature, so make sure to bring it out 1-2 hours before serving.
- Garnish, then serve. To serve, pour ½ cup sliced olives and ¼ cup roasted red peppers on top, then garnish with fresh dill. Can be eaten as is or smashed on top of sliced, toasted bread.
Notes
- The flavor of fish escabeche intensifies the longer it sits — we recommend serving it the next day after resting in a refrigerator overnight.
- You can substitute the serrano pepper with a spicier chile if you like more heat. Alternatively, you can omit the pepper altogether if you want a more mild flavor.
- If you don’t have fresh dill, oregano or cilantro also work well.
- Other types of seafood for escabeche: red snapper, sole, or black cod! Shrimp works well too.
Nutrition
Photography by: Jo Harding.
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