Garlic Butter Salmon
A quick salmon dinner with bright lemon and a silky butter pan sauce, ready in under 20 minutes.
This is the salmon we cook when the day got away from us. The fillets sear in a hot pan while a nutty garlic butter comes together alongside, and a squeeze of lemon at the end keeps the richness in check. Nothing about it is fussy, but it plates like something you would order out.
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How to make Garlic Butter Salmon
Ingredients
Quantities scale automatically. Cooking times stay the same.
For the salmon
For the garlic butter
Equipment
- Large heavy skillet
- Fish spatula
- Microplane or fine grater
Method
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1
Dry and season
Pat the salmon completely dry with paper towel, then season both sides with the salt and pepper. A dry surface is the whole trick to crisp skin.
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2
Sear skin-side down
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until it shimmers. Lay the fillets in skin-side down, press each one flat for five seconds, and leave them alone for 5-6 minutes until the skin releases easily.
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3
Flip and finish
Turn the fillets and cook 2-3 minutes more, until the centre reaches 125F / 52C for medium. Move them to a warm plate.
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4
Build the pan sauce
Lower the heat to medium. Add the butter and sliced garlic to the same pan and swirl for 60-90 seconds, until the garlic is pale gold and the butter smells nutty. Do not let the garlic brown or it turns bitter.
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5
Finish with lemon
Pull the pan off the heat and stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley and chilli flakes. The sauce will loosen and turn glossy.
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6
Serve
Spoon the garlic butter over the fillets and serve straight away, with greens or rice to catch the sauce.
Cook’s tips
- Take the salmon out of the fridge 15 minutes ahead so it cooks evenly from edge to centre.
- If your fillets are skinless, sear the presentation side first and shave a minute off each side.
- An instant-read thermometer removes the guesswork: 125F / 52C for medium, 130F / 54C for medium-well.
Variations
- Swap the parsley for dill and add a spoon of capers for a piccata feel.
- Add a splash of dry white wine to the pan before the lemon and let it reduce by half.
- Use the same garlic butter on trout, cod or thick halibut steaks.
Storage and make-ahead
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a covered pan over low heat, or flake cold into a salad rather than microwaving, which dries the fish out.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 412 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 34 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3 g |
| Fat | 29 g |
| Fibre | 0 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Sodium | 380 mg |
Nutrition is estimated from ingredient averages and will vary with brands and portioning.
