Lemon Garlic Butter Salmon (Print Version)

Seared salmon fillets in a luscious lemon garlic butter sauce with fresh parsley and zesty lemon.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each), skin-on or skinless

→ Aromatics

02 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
03 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

→ Sauce

04 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - Juice and zest of 1 large lemon (about 3 tablespoons juice)

→ Seasoning

07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
09 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Garnish

10 - Lemon slices, for serving
11 - Extra parsley, for garnish

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add salmon fillets skin-side down (if using skin-on). Sear for 4 to 5 minutes until golden and crispy.
03 - Flip fillets and add butter, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes to the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, spooning melted butter over the salmon as it cooks.
04 - Pour in lemon juice and zest. Let simmer for 1 to 2 more minutes, until salmon is just cooked through and sauce is fragrant.
05 - Remove from heat. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and garnish with lemon slices. Serve immediately, spooning extra sauce over each fillet.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in the same pan while the salmon finishes cooking, no extra dishes required.
  • It tastes like you spent forty dollars at a restaurant when you really just stood at your stove for fifteen minutes.
02 -
  • Overcooked salmon is dry salmon, pull it when the center still has a faint trace of translucency.
  • Cold salmon straight from the fridge will cook unevenly, let it sit out for fifteen minutes first.
03 -
  • Press the salmon gently with your spatula during the first minute of searing, full contact with the pan means better browning.
  • If your garlic threatens to burn, splash in a tablespoon of water, it will steam and save everything.

Go Back