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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 is a ‘from lips to hips” rich sauce recipe, but…. it’s delicious! I added a little grated nutmeg when I stirred in the lemon juice just before serving.
DELISH! I prepared this dish for dinner tonight and it was really easy and amazingly fast to cook. I have 4 kids and 2 of them are super picky but they ALL enjoyed it! It took around 12 minutes for the salmon to reach 170’F and it was perfect. I replaced the white wine with a combo of chicken broth and spicy mustard– taste was awesome! I’m going to cook it again this weekend : )
Super yummy and so easy to make. I used light cream and cooked my salon for 12 minutes as hubby and I like it well done. This will be a regular for us 🙂
Made this dish for my partner and he was in love!!! Was a smash hit! Tried it the Dijon mustard way, but will use white wine next time. Can’t wait to cook for my guests. Thanks Karina!
This was ‘to-die-for’ delicious !! I paired it with confetti rice (rice cooked with minced veggies). https://imgur.com/a/Rac226j
I used a 5oz slice of salmon, with half the sauce since I’m cooking for 1.
Didn’t have parsley, swapped in some Italian seasoning.
I grated half a clove of garlic for the baking, minced the rest for the sauce, and thickened the half&half with about 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch.
The salmon wasn’t quite up to temp after 11 minutes, so I poured the sauce over, and baked for another 4-5 minutes.
Licked the plate clean – the cats never had a chance 😋
Made this last evening using left over salmon fillets. I made the sauce and then warmed the fish in it. This sauce is very good. I recommend garnishing with a little fresh parsley. It will dress it up a little. Well done. .
We eat a lot of fish and I’m always looking for something new to try. Made this tonight and its a keeper for sure. I do have a question though, in the ingredients for the BAKED SALMON you say to divide the lemon juice but no where could I see what the reason for it was or where to use it other than when mixing it altogether — all or half?
You are right, so did you just use the one tablespoon then.
Sounds delicious great for Christmas Eve.
Merry Christmas to you and your family
Can not wait too try baked salmon with lemon butter cream sauce this looks amazing maybe even try it with family on Christmas Day enjoying each other’s company Talking and cherishing every minute we are so thankful and blessed thank you, Lynda
This was fabulous! We eat salmon once a week and this has really amp’d up our salmon dish!
Thank you!
I recently became a Salmon convert, lol, I truly believe it’s in the way it’s cooked. This Christmas season will feature this recipe mainly because of the yummy sauce! Thanks for another wonderful recipe.