Baked Salmon Dill Butter (Print Version)

Succulent salmon fillets baked and topped with aromatic dill butter for fresh, elegant flavors.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 skinless salmon fillets, 6 oz (170 g) each
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - ½ tsp kosher salt
04 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
05 - 1 lemon, sliced

→ Dill Butter

06 - 4 tbsp (¼ cup) unsalted butter, softened
07 - 2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
08 - 1 tsp lemon zest
09 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
10 - ¼ tsp salt

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
02 - Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels and place skin-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
03 - Drizzle olive oil over the fillets, then season evenly with kosher salt and black pepper.
04 - Place a lemon slice on each fillet and bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes until salmon flakes easily with a fork.
05 - In a small bowl, combine softened butter, chopped dill, lemon zest, minced garlic, and salt; mash together until smooth.
06 - Remove salmon from oven and immediately spread a generous dollop of dill butter on each fillet, allowing it to melt over the hot fish.
07 - Serve immediately, optionally garnished with extra dill or lemon wedges.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours cooking when you actually spent fifteen minutes in the oven.
  • The dill butter does all the heavy lifting—no complicated sauces or fussy techniques required.
  • Salmon cooks so quickly that even if you're not confident in the kitchen, you can't really mess this up.
02 -
  • Salmon continues cooking after it comes out of the oven, so remove it when it looks like it has just a hair more time—that carryover cooking is what keeps it tender.
  • Room-temperature butter is essential; if yours is still cold and hard, run a warm spoon over it or set it out while the oven preheats.
03 -
  • Invest in a good microplane zester if you don't have one; it changes how citrus zest tastes and how evenly it distributes.
  • If you're cooking for guests, you can make the dill butter an hour or two ahead and keep it in the fridge, then let it soften while the salmon bakes.

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