Salmon with Dill Butter (Printable)
Tender salmon fillets baked to perfection and topped with fragrant dill butter—an elegant, easy main course.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Fish
01 - 4 salmon fillets (6 ounces each), skin-on or skinless
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
→ Dill Butter
04 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
05 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
06 - 1 garlic clove, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
→ Garnish
09 - Lemon wedges
10 - Extra fresh dill
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease with oil.
02 - Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Arrange skin-side down on prepared baking sheet.
03 - Drizzle fillets with olive oil and season generously with salt and black pepper.
04 - In a small bowl, combine softened butter, dill, minced garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix until well blended.
05 - Spread a generous spoonful of dill butter over each salmon fillet, reserving some for finishing.
06 - Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Adjust timing based on fillet thickness.
07 - Transfer to serving plates immediately. Top with remaining dill butter and garnish with lemon wedges and fresh dill.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dill butter melts into the warm salmon creating little pools of flavor that seep into every bite, transforming an ordinary weeknight dinner into something restaurant-worthy without any fuss.
- Its the perfect balance between impressive and effortless, giving you a dish that looks like you spent hours in the kitchen when really you had time to pour yourself a glass of wine and relax.
02 -
- Overcooking salmon is the most common mistake, so start checking for doneness at the 12-minute mark by gently pressing the top of the fillet it should yield slightly but still feel slightly firm in the center.
- Letting the salmon sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before cooking helps it cook more evenly, a trick I only learned after years of putting cold fillets directly into the hot oven.
03 -
- For the most even cooking, look for salmon fillets that are thicker at one end and place the thinner ends toward the outer edges of your baking sheet where the heat is less intense.
- A sprinkle of flaky sea salt just before serving creates little bursts of flavor and a subtle crunch that elevates the entire dish from great to memorable.