Garlic Butter Salmon Fillets (Printable)
Pan-seared salmon fillets in a rich garlic butter sauce with lemon and parsley. Ready in 25 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Fish
01 - 4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each), skin-on, pin bones removed
→ Garlic Butter Sauce
02 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
05 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
06 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
07 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
08 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Garnish
09 - Lemon wedges, for serving
10 - Extra chopped fresh parsley
# How To Make:
01 - Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides evenly with salt and pepper.
02 - Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and allow it to melt until slightly foamy.
03 - Place the salmon fillets skin-side down in the hot skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the skin turns crispy and the fish is nearly cooked through.
04 - Carefully flip the salmon fillets. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the minced garlic to the pan. Cook for 2-3 more minutes, continuously spooning the melted garlic butter over the fillets.
05 - Add the lemon juice and lemon zest to the skillet, swirling to combine with the pan juices. Remove from heat and sprinkle generously with chopped fresh parsley.
06 - Transfer the salmon to serving plates and spoon the garlic butter sauce from the pan over each fillet. Garnish with lemon wedges and additional parsley as desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The garlic butter sauce practically makes itself right in the pan, so you get an elegant meal with almost zero extra effort.
- It cooks in under fifteen minutes, which means even your most chaotic evenings can end with something that feels special.
02 -
- If the butter starts browning too fast or smells nutty before the fish is done, lower the heat immediately because burnt garlic will ruin the entire sauce.
- Carryover heat keeps cooking the salmon after you take it off the stove, so pull it when the center still looks slightly translucent.
03 -
- A fish spatula with its thin flexible blade slides under delicate fillets without tearing the crust you worked hard to build.
- Press the garlic right before it goes in the pan because pre minced garlic sitting around loses its heat and sweetness fast.