How To Cook Salmon In A Mouthwatering Garlic Butter Cream Sauce!
Deliciously seasoned, pan seared salmon filets — juicy and tender on the inside with perfect crisp edges. Smothered in a gorgeous garlic butter sauce with a hint of white wine and lemon juice, you won’t believe how easy, fast and simple it is to cook salmon this way!
Fresh salmon is full of healthy nutrients and takes only minutes to cook, making it the perfect weeknight meal. The entire family loves this — the sauce alone is to die for!
HOW TO COOK SALMON
A good salmon recipe should be easy to make, using ingredients that compliment and enhance the natural flavours of fresh salmon. When buying salmon, look for filets with a bright colour and fresh sea smell. Fresh salmon should be firm to touch with a shiny appearance.
For this recipe, the best way to cook salmon:
- You can use either skin on or skinless fillets.
- Remove salmon from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before cooking to bring them close to room temperature.
- Pat dry with paper towel to allow the edges to crisp evenly while cooking.
- Heat oil in a large skillet before adding your fillets and make sure your pan is nice and hot.
- Season just before cooking to prevent drawing out moisture and drying out your fish.
- Sear your fillets flesh-side down first (skin-side up) for 4-5 minutes each side, depending on thickness.
HOW LONG TO COOK SALMON
When cooking salmon, notice the colour along the sides of the fillets slowly begin to change to a paler colour, from the bottom where the fish is touching the pan up to the centre.
Once the colour has moved up to the centre, it’s time to flip! What you’ll get is a tender, juicy and crispy fillet.
HOW TO COOK GARLIC BUTTER SAUCE FOR SALMON
Leave the juices in the pan after searing your fillets…that’s where all of the flavour is! Melt the butter, cook your garlic until fragrant — about one minute to prevent burning while allowing the garlic to release flavour.
If using wine, use a dry white wine to cook with. Something like a Pinot Gris or Sauv Blanc or Sémillon. Simmer it down slightly while scraping any bits off of the bottom of the pan.
For a non-wine version, substitute with a low sodium, good quality chicken broth (or stock).
Once the wine (or stock) has been reduced to half, reduce heat to low-medium heat, add the cream and bring to a gentle simmer, while stirring occasionally.
After adding your parmesan cheese, taste test and season with salt and pepper, if needed. We use fresh chopped parsley to garnish our fish, but you can also use dill, tarragon, oregano or cilantro.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH SALMON
Pasta, rice or mashed potatoes are some favourite sides. Don’t forget a slice of Garlic bread to mop up that creamy sauce!
To keep it low in carbs (or Keto), serve with buttery cauliflower mash, steamed or roasted veggies, zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice.
Adapted from our Creamy Garlic Shrimp.
MORE SALMON RECIPES
Firecracker Salmon Recipe
Creamy Salmon Piccata
Seared Salmon with Avocado Tomato Salsa
Creamy Garlic Butter Tuscan Salmon
Creamed Spinach Stuffed Salmon
How To Cook Salmon with Creamy Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 21 oz (600 g) salmon filets skin on or off
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine* or chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups reduced fat cream**
- 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Instructions
- Heat oil a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season salmon with salt, pepper and garlic powder all over. Sear in the hot pan, flesh-side down first, for 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your liking. Once cooked, remove from the pan and set aside.
- Melt the butter in the same skillet. Sauté garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Pour in the white wine or broth; allow to reduce to half while scraping any bits off of the bottom of the pan.
- Reduce heat to low-medium heat, add the cream and bring to a gentle simmer, while stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
- Add the parmesan cheese and allow sauce to gently simmer for a further minute or so until the cheese melts and sauce thickens.
- Add the salmon back into the pan, sprinkle with parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste test sauce and adjust salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve over pasta, rice or steamed veg.
Andra says
Fabulous sauce!! We even dressed our salad with it! Thanks!!
Robin F says
This was delicious! I think you could even add some lump crab to it.
Jenny says
Lovely recipe husband wanted more. What else can you say!!
Evelynmaria Arriaza says
Hola Karina!
Hope you’re staying safe during these crazy times. Your recipes are defiantly keeping my family together, so that’s why when my mom found a pack of frozen tilapia in the fridge I came straight here for some good ideas. You don’t have specific tilapia recipe, you mainly use salmon which the rest of my family loves but my mom finds too fishy, so I was wondering if there was any sauces/recipes on your blog that would pair well with the tilapia. I bet anything would be yummy and but I thought I would ask a pro!
Oh and by the way, your chocolate cake is TO DIE FOR, new favorite in our home!!
Thank You
Much Love and Virtual Hugs
Vickie Arney says
This is delicious. I just made it again because we loved it so much. It’s fairly easy but the taste is divine. My husband said it’s one of the best dishes I’ve ever made and better than anything he’s ever eaten in a restaurant. It’s definitely a keeper and one I will surely make again.
Alex Voucher says
I do like how easy dinner is with these. Just put your veggies of choice and chicken in a pan and pour over top! In 50 minutes everything was done and I only had one pan to wash. I do love garlic sauces but this one is not a favorite of mine.
Michele D says
I am a college student so I am working here with minimal ingredients. I subbed out the wine with veggie broth (didn’t have any chicken broth). I also had no heavy cream so I used milk and used the (1cup milk to 2tbs cornstarch). I also added spinach for my depleted iron. Had this with steamed veggies. With what I had to make it with, really really good dinner!
Mallory says
Is the nutritional facts for one serving?
Karina says
Yes, those are per serving.
Cristina says
I made this recipe tonight and I was only able to taste the sauce because the kids finished everything! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe ^-^
Lola Pablo says
Love salmon with creamy butter sauce!
Tracey says
Really enjoyed this sauce with the salmon, will definitely make this on a regular basis. Used the chicken stock version as I had no white wine.
Hasnain says
It simply looks delicious, I am a big fan of sea food and I would love to taste that salmon..
Lo says
I love , love, love this recipe! The first time I made this recipe the garlic burned when I tried making the sauce in the same pan that I cooked the salmon in. But the second time I made this recipe, I cooked the sauce in a separate saucepan and it was incredible! So flavorful and rich.
Jane Caldwell says
Katrina!! I just made the Creamy Butter Garlic Salmon and it was AMAZING!! So simple and quick to make but you feel like an expert chef when you serve it! I love your recipes….thanks again for another great recipe that did not disappoint!
Marjorie says
Fabulous
Haydee says
Just made this and O-M-G! Amazing!!!! Switched out a couple of things like white wine for chicken broth but still so so good! Big thumbs up! Will def be making again.
Mark K says
This recipe sounds and looks great, can’t wait to make it. But I noticed in your comments you said white wine and lemon juice. Where’s the lemon juice in the recipe?
Alicia says
You garnish with your parsley and lemon after the salmon is added to your cream sauce