Easy Baked Salmon with Lemon Butter Cream Sauce

Easy Baked Salmon Lemon Butter Cream Sauce is a quick and easy dinner recipe! The sauce is so good, you’ll be drinking the sauce straight out of the pan.

The kind of recipe perfect for busy weeknights when you don’t have time to cook. This baked salmon with an incredible lemon butter cream sauce comes together so easily, you’ll be shocked it was made at home!

EASY SALMON RECIPE

If you’ve had our Easy Salmon Piccata or our Easy Honey Garlic Salmon, you’d know how much we love an easy salmon recipe. Well, this easy baked salmon is no different!

A truly effortless 15 minute recipe, this salmon is baked first with garlic, lemon and optional white wine, then drizzled with a crazy good sauce straight into the pan. The natural pan juices released from the fish while baking, mix through the cream sauce to create one hell of a salmon dish!

Using minimal ingredients that you likely already have in your kitchen, you’ll have the most tender salmon fillets drowning in a creamy, lemon butter sauce on a plate in minutes.

OVEN BAKED SALMON

When salmon is cooked in the oven, it doesn’t get that sexy, brightly seared orange colour with crispy edges. What you do get, is tender salmon just about falling apart with each forkful. The only thing salmon needs is a good amount of flavour rubbed all over it before baking and of course, a magic sauce to drizzle over it when it’s done.

That’s where our easy baked salmon recipe comes in. You’ll love the generous amount of creamy sauce that you’ll simply have to mop up with a couple of slices of our Artisan Bread, Soft Dinner Rolls or Cheesy Garlic Bread. Pour over plain rice or Creamy Mashed Potato!

What you need: 

• Salmon fillets – middle pieces roughly the same size and thickness are the best for even cooking.
• White wine – can be omitted or subbed for dijon mustard. Wine adds that restaurant flavour.
• Garlic – just because.
• Cream – use heavy cream (or thickened cream) if you can. You can also use half and half (an American product using half milk and half cream).
• Butter – more flavour!
• Lemon – is salmon’s best friend.

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WHAT TEMP TO BAKE SALMON

Bake your salmon, uncovered, at 425°F (220°C) on the middle shelf of your oven.

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Check the thickest part of your salmon fillets with a fork. Once the flesh easily flakes and softly falls apart, it’s ready!

You can also use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness. The USDA recommends a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (61°C). For an accurate reading, insert thermometer into the thickest part of the salmon.

LEFTOVERS

Refrigerate for up to three days in an airtight container. Gently reheat in the microwave.

MORE BAKED SALMON RECIPES

Crispy Garlic Parmesan Salmon
Honey Garlic Butter Salmon In Foil
Lemon Baked Salmon with Asparagus

Easy Salmon Recipe Lemon Butter Sauce

Author: Karina

Tender Baked Salmon with a silky smooth Lemon Butter Cream Sauce is a quick and easy dinner recipe! You will be drinking the sauce straight out of the pan, it is so good! A salmon recipe perfect for busy weeknights when you don't have time to cook.

4.95 from 103 votes

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Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 25 minutes mins

Serves: 4 serves

Ingredients

USMetric

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
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt to season
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cracked pepper to season

CREAM SAUCE:

• ▢ ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ▢ 2 teaspoons garlic minced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons dry white wine can sub with 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ ½ 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

HOW LONG TO BAKE SALMON

Bake for 4 - 6 minutes per ½-inch (1 cm) thickness of fillet. Baking time depends on the thickness of your salmon fillets.

• MEDIUM: 4 minutes PER ½-inch.
• WELL DONE: 6 minutes per ½-inch.

HOW TO KNOW WHEN SALMON IS READY

Check the thickest part of your salmon fillets with a fork. When the flesh easily flakes or softly falls apart, it's done.

You can also use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness. The USDA recommends a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (61°C), which should be taken inside the the thickest part of the salmon.

Leftovers

Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Gently reheat in the microwave.

Nutrition

Calories: 496kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 158mg | Sodium: 232mg | Potassium: 908mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 946IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg

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