Garlic Butter Salmon (Printable)
Pan-seared salmon in a rich garlic butter sauce with lemon and fresh herbs. Ready in 25 minutes.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Fish
01 - 4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each), skin-on, pin bones removed
→ Garlic Butter Sauce
02 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
05 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
06 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
07 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
08 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Garnish
09 - Lemon wedges, for serving
10 - Additional chopped fresh parsley (optional)
# Steps:
01 - Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides evenly with salt and pepper.
02 - Set a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and allow it to melt until slightly foamy.
03 - Place the salmon fillets skin-side down in the hot butter. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the skin turns crispy and the fish is nearly cooked through.
04 - Carefully flip each fillet. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the minced garlic to the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 additional minutes, continuously spooning the melted garlic butter over the fillets.
05 - Pour in the lemon juice and sprinkle the lemon zest over the fillets. Swirl the pan to combine all the flavors. Remove from heat and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
06 - Transfer the salmon to warm plates and spoon the pan sauce over each fillet. Serve immediately alongside lemon wedges and additional parsley if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The garlic butter sauce practically makes itself while the salmon cooks, so you get a luxurious meal with almost no effort.
- It feels fancy enough for guests but honest enough for a Tuesday night in your sweatpants.
02 -
- If the salmon is still cold from the fridge when it hits the pan, the butter will burn before the fish cooks through, so let it sit out for fifteen minutes first.
- A splash of white wine added right alongside the lemon juice turns the pan drippings into something you will want to drink with a spoon.
03 -
- Use a fish spatula if you have one because its thin blade slides under delicate fillets without tearing the skin, and that crispy skin is the whole point.
- Baste aggressively during those last two minutes because every spoonful of foaming garlic butter over the top is flavor you cannot get any other way.