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Lemon Butter Garlic Salmon with only a handful of ingredients, with maximum taste and minimal clean up!
The next time you’ll think of salmon, you’re going to think of this easy salmon recipe! It’s bright, buttery, tender and absolutely delicious. Enjoy it as a quick weeknight meal or put it together for a dinner party when you want to make something elegant and fancy.
Why This Recipe Works
With just under 30 minutes of total time, this Lemon Butter Garlic Salmon has to be one of the quickest weeknight dinner recipes ever. You’ll just need a few pantry staples and 10 minutes of hands-on time to come up with this flaky, savory and delicious meal that you can team up with pretty much anything!
Best of all, cleanup is a breeze with this one!
Ingredients
- Salmon: I used about a 2-pound cut of salmon here. You can choose to use salmon with its skin-on or off- it doesn’t matter. The skin is super easy to remove after the salmon has cooked.
- Butter: For the rich, flavorful base of the sauce. Use unsalted or salted butter- whatever you prefer.
- Lemon: You’ll need the juice of a lemon, and some lemon slices for that extra citrusy flavor. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is the best, but the bottled variety can work in a pinch if you can’t find fresh lemons.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic, teamed up with the lemon, is a match made in heaven. Garlic powder can work too, but the flavor of fresh garlic is unbeatable.
- Brown sugar: Just a bit, for that caramel-like sweetness and flavor.
- Seasonings: I kept it simple and just used some salt and pepper. You can try using other seasonings too.
- Herbs: I used a mix of dill and parsley for that pop of color and some freshness. You can try using other herbs too.
Note: please see recipe card at the bottom for list of full ingredients and measurements
How To Make Lemon Butter Garlic Salmon
If you love sheet pan meals, try my garlic herb chicken and sweet potatoes, one pan honey mustard chicken and potatoes or one pan Asian chicken and rice.
- Prepare garlic butter: In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the chopped garlic. Cook this over medium-low for a minute and turn off the heat. Add lemon juice and brown sugar.
- Arrange salmon: Place the salmon on the prepared baking sheet with the foil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Coat and prep: Pour the lemon butter over the salmon and use a spoon or a bristle brush to ensure it is entirely covered in the butter. Sprinkle the chopped herbs and arrange the lemon slices.
- Bake, broil and serve: Fold the packet to seal the salmon and pop it in the oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes, carefully open the foil and pop it back in again, using the broil setting, for just about 2-3 minutes. Garnish and serve.
Pair this buttery garlic lemon asparagus with a starchy side like garlicky herb red potato salad or crispy garlic baked potato wedges and a veggie like garlic green beans with Parmesan or some simple lemon garlic asparagus.
I also love teaming up this salmon dish with some rice like black beans and rice or some classic fried rice to make it a filling meal. If you’re looking for a low carb version, try my cilantro lime cauliflower rice.
Recipe FAQ’s
You can, but I wouldn’t recommend that. Salmon is a delicate fish and cooking it uncovered can strip away all the moisture, leaving it dry.
Depending on the thickness of the salmon, it can take anywhere between 12-15 minutes to cook through.
Check the salmon at the 12 minute mark. If it flakes easily at the touch of a fork, it is cooked and ready to be served. Poke the fish at the thickest part. If you feel any resistance or toughness, you may want to bake it for a few more minutes.
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Lemon Butter Garlic Salmon
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice or juice of 1 lemon – adjust to your tastes
- 5 large garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar optional
- 2 pound side of salmon 1kg
- 1 pinch sea salt to taste
- 1 pinch cracked pepper to taste, optional
- lemon slices
- 2 tablespoons parsley fresh chopped, divided
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
Instructions
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 375°F | 190°C. Line a baking tray / sheet with a large piece of foil, big enough to fold over and seal to create a packet (or 2 long pieces of foil over lapping each other lengthways to create your salmon packet, depending on the width of you fillet).
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low-medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (1 minute). Turn off heat; whisk in the lemon juice and brown sugar.
- Place the salmon onto lined baking tray | sheet. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the lemon butter over the salmon, and using a spoon, spread evenly over the salmon. Sprinkle with parsley and dill. Arrange lemon slices over the salmon. Fold the sides of the foil over the salmon to cover and completely seal the packet closed.
- Bake until cooked through (about 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish and your preference of doneness). Open the foil, being careful of any escaping steam, and grill / broil under the grill / broiler for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Garnish with extra parsley if desired and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Very tasty. I was even able to win over my dad (and he doesn’t normally like salmon). I will say it is very helpful to have a digital thermometer, salmon fillets can be so thick in the center and thin at the edges where it can be a challenge to cook. If your fillets are like that I’d recommend cutting the thinner parts off and cooking them separately. Next time I will make it with the brown sugar. Like Carol I served it with a salad as well as fresh squeezed orange juice and it made for a very satisfying meal that wasn’t too heavy on the stomach and no energy crash. Someone else asked about removing the lemon slices and I should clarify that sliced lemons are mostly decorative in recipes like this and I’d actually recommend omitting them, they’re easy to burn. The dish looks beautiful without them anyway.
Love this recipe. I made it tonight and it was a big hit with my guest
Simple but delicious! My favorite salmon recipe.
So I made this lemon butter garlic salmon for my in-laws who were visiting over the long weekend. And I have to say this was a HIT! <3
I got so many compliments on the fish. I made 2 big fillets for 10 of us at home.
I did tweak the recipe here and there but for the most part, I followed what the recipe called for.
Thank you!! This recipe was bomb!!
Delicious 😋
I make this salmon recipe every week.
Thank you for such a great recipe.
Do you remove the lemon slices before broiling?
I made this as directed (without the sugar), except I was feeling lazy so I melted the butter in a glass measuring dish in the microwave, and added garlic powder instead of the fresh. I baked the fish uncovered instead of wrapping it and later broiling it. Easy, moist and delicious – and I’d wager that doing things exactly your way would have put it over the top. Served it with salad, mashed potatoes and asparagus. Thanks for a great weeknight recipe that’s good enough for company!