Garlic Butter Salmon Fillets (Printer-friendly)

Pan-seared salmon fillets finished with a fragrant garlic butter and lemon sauce, ready in 25 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Fish

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

→ Garlic Butter Sauce

02 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 lemon, zested and juiced
05 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
06 - 1 tbsp olive oil
07 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

08 - Lemon wedges, for serving
09 - Additional chopped parsley, optional

# How-To Guide:

01 - Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place salmon fillets skin-side down and sear for 4-5 minutes until the skin turns crispy and the fillet is nearly cooked through.
03 - Flip salmon and cook for another 2-3 minutes until it reaches your preferred doneness. Remove from the skillet and set aside on a warm plate.
04 - In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium and add the butter. Once melted, add minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to let it brown.
05 - Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and half of the chopped parsley. Let the sauce simmer for 30 seconds to bring the flavors together.
06 - Return salmon to the skillet and spoon the garlic butter sauce over the fillets. Cook for 1 more minute so the flavors meld and the fish is evenly coated.
07 - Transfer salmon to serving plates, drizzle with any remaining sauce from the pan, and garnish with fresh lemon wedges and the remaining parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The garlic butter sauce comes together in the same pan, which means every bit of flavorful goodness gets spooned right back over the fish.
  • It looks and tastes like a weekend dinner but fits perfectly into a chaotic weeknight schedule.
02 -
  • If the butter browns too quickly when making the sauce, your heat is too high and you will end up with a bitter taste instead of a mellow one.
  • Letting the salmon rest for a minute after removing it from the pan keeps the juices inside where they belong rather than spilling onto the plate.
03 -
  • Press down lightly on each fillet right after placing it in the pan to ensure full contact with the hot surface for an even golden crust.
  • Use a microplane for the lemon zest because the finer the particles, the more they dissolve into the butter and distribute flavor in every single bite.

Return