Garlic Butter Salmon Fillet (Printer-Friendly)

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

# What You'll Need:

→ Fish

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

→ Garlic Butter Sauce

02 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 4 cloves garlic, 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 It:

01 - Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels and 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 is golden and the flesh is mostly opaque.
03 - Carefully flip the fillets. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, minced garlic, and lemon zest to the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 more 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 when the salmon flakes easily with a fork.
05 - Transfer the salmon to warm plates and spoon the pan sauce over each fillet. Garnish with lemon wedges and extra parsley if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The garlic butter sauce practically makes itself while the salmon cooks, so you get a rich pan sauce without any extra work.
  • It goes from fridge to plate in under thirty minutes, which makes it a genuine weeknight hero.
  • Cleanup is just one pan, a spatula, and a cutting board.
02 -
  • Wet salmon will not brown properly, so take the extra thirty seconds to pat it bone-dry before seasoning.
  • Overcooked salmon turns chalky and dry inside, so pull the pan off the heat when the center still has a hint of translucence.
03 -
  • A splash of dry white wine added with the garlic creates a layer of acidity that makes the whole dish taste more complex with zero extra effort.
  • Let the skillet get fully hot before the salmon goes in, because a cold pan is the fastest path to sticking.

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