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Salmon just got fancy.
This Baked Salmon with Lemon Butter Cream Sauce is creamy, dreamy, and ready in 30. Flaky fish, zingy lemon, a kiss of garlic—and that buttery sauce? Let’s just say… your fork won’t get a break
Perfect for weeknights when you want something elegant without the effort.
Let’s Talk About This Saucey Situation
This salmon isn’t just baked—it’s bathed in a silky, lemony, garlicky cream sauce that clings to every flaky bite. The butter brings the richness, the lemon adds that bright zing, and the garlic? Well, it does what garlic does best. The best part? It all comes together in one pan, in under 30 minutes. Elegant enough for date night, easy enough for Tuesdays.
Your Creamy Salmon Starter Pack
A short, dreamy ingredient list that brings big flavor to the table. You probably have most of it in your kitchen already—just grab some salmon and let the magic happen.
- Salmon fillets: Skin-on or skinless, your call. Just make sure they’re fresh and thick enough to stay juicy.
- Garlic: Don’t hold back—this sauce lives for garlic.
- Lemon juice: For that bright, tangy kick that cuts through the cream.
- Heavy cream: The base of our silky sauce. No shortcuts here.
- Butter: Adds richness and depth. Brown it slightly for bonus flavor.
- White wine: Adds a restaurant-style finish (or swap with chicken broth).
- Fresh parsley: A sprinkle on top makes everything pop.
Note: Please see Recipe Card at the bottom for full list of ingredients and measurements.
Bring the Heat
Golden salmon, creamy sauce, one pan. This recipe keeps it simple, but delivers big on flavor.
- Preheat and Prep. Heat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and lightly grease a baking dish. Easy start, big payoff.
- Mix and Rub. Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl, mix lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and white wine. Rub that goodness all over the salmon and place it in the baking dish. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Bake It Beautiful. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the salmon is perfectly opaque and flakes with a fork.
- Start the Sauce. While the salmon is baking, melt butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant—about 30 seconds of pure kitchen bliss.
- Wine + Cream = Magic. Pour in the wine and let it simmer for 2–3 minutes until just reduced. Add the cream and let it bubble until slightly thickened.
- Finish the Sauce. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and fresh parsley.
- Sauce It Up. Pour that dreamy sauce over the baked salmon, letting it mingle with the natural pan juices.
- Serve and Swoon. Plate it up, spoon over extra sauce, and enjoy every zesty, buttery bite.
Serve It Up Right
This salmon is a main character, but every star needs a good supporting cast. Spoon it over a bed of creamy Mashed Potatoes to catch every drop of that dreamy sauce. Keep it light with Cheesy Garlic Roasted Asparagus or a crisp green salad.
Feeling indulgent? Try it with Chili Garlic Butter Pasta and don’t look back.
FAQs
Absolutely! Just make sure to thaw it completely and pat it dry before cooking. No one likes soggy salmon.
Chicken broth works great, or even a splash of extra lemon juice if you like it zingy.
It should flake easily with a fork and be opaque all the way through. Internal temp? 145°F (63°C) if you’re using a thermometer.
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Easy Salmon Recipe Lemon Butter Sauce
Ingredients
EASY SALMON:
- 4 skinless salmon fillets
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine optional – can sub with 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt to season
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper to season
CREAM SAUCE:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine can sub with 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup cream heavy, whipping or thickened
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped, divided
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425°F (220°C). Lightly grease a baking dish.
- Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and wine together in a small bowl. Rub salmon with the mixture and arrange in baking dish. Season with a good pinch of salt and pepper.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until salmon is opaque throughout.
- While salmon is baking, melt butter in a small pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds).
- Pour in the wine and let cook for 2-3 minutes until just starting to reduce. Add in cream and cook until sauce thickens slightly.
- Take off the heat and stir through lemon juice and parsley.
- Pour the sauce over the cooked salmon in the dish to mix through the natural pan juices released from the salmon while baking.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- MEDIUM: 4 minutes PER 1/2-inch.
- WELL DONE: 6 minutes per 1/2-inch.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks delicious, I love salmon and often looking for new recipes to try.
Christmas Eve will be spent with my side of the family and having a chilled dinner and drinks at my sisters.
Christmas Day we spend with my in laws and again have a chilled lunch and drinks.
We have a very close family and I get along with my in-laws really well so looking forward to it ?
This looks so yummy! Hubby finally likes salmon so I can actually try making this once I can stand up long enough to cook.
Christmas eve will be spent with my adult children and their friends, listening to them play their instruments and board games. Christmas day will be spent with my brother’s family, hopefully I will be able to use just a cane to walk by then. This will be the first holiday in a very long time that I will spend without pain or pain killers. 🙂
Merry Christmas to you and yours. THANK YOU so much for posting all these lovely recipes .This Salmon looks so mouth watering I can already taste it.I wish now I was cooking salmon for Christmas instead of turkey. YUMMY!
How yummy! A friend and I will make a day of it on Christmas Eve. We will attend a service at church, take ourselves to lunch, see the new “CATS” movie (I love Dame Judi Dench), get a gingerbread milkshake and then drive around & look at lights. And get to sleep in on Christmas morning.
Easy recipe to make. Delicious. Goes so well with the Buttery Sautéed Green Beans!!!
Looks like an easy and versatile dish that could be loved by a lot of family’s
my husband & I always have fish for 1st of January – this looks so amazing – I’m thinking this will be what I’ll be doing as well, thanks for sharing
This looks mouthwatering!!!
This recipe looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it! All your recipes I’ve tried in the past have been so good I have no doubt that this one will also be good. I plan to spend Christmas cooking up a storm for my husband and friends.
I cannot wait to try the sauce!!!