Garlic Butter Salmon Fillet (Printable Version)

Pan-seared salmon in a luscious garlic butter sauce with lemon and parsley, ready in 25 minutes.

# Ingredient List:

→ Fish

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

→ Garlic Butter Sauce

02 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
05 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
06 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
07 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Optional Garnish

08 - Lemon wedges
09 - Additional fresh parsley

# How to Make:

01 - Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foamy. Place the salmon fillets skin-side down (if using skin-on) and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the bottom develops a golden crust and the flesh becomes mostly opaque.
03 - Carefully flip each fillet. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, minced garlic, and lemon zest to the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, continuously spooning the melted garlic butter over the salmon to baste it.
04 - Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the fillets and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Remove from heat once the salmon flakes easily when tested with a fork.
05 - Transfer the salmon to serving plates and spoon the pan sauce over each fillet. Garnish with lemon wedges and extra parsley if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The butter acts as both a cooking fat and a sauce, meaning you get richness without extra work.
  • It goes from fridge to plate in under half an hour, which makes it faster than ordering takeout.
02 -
  • If the salmon is wet when it hits the pan it will steam instead of sear and you will never get that golden crust.
  • Carryover heat keeps cooking the fish after you remove it from the stove, so pull it slightly before you think it is done.
03 -
  • Press the salmon gently in the center with your finger and if it springs back with just a little give it is perfectly done.
  • The garlic can go from golden to bitter in thirty seconds so stay right by the pan once you add it.

Go Back