Garlic Butter Salmon

Name: Garlic Butter Salmon
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 lbs salmon fillets, skin-on; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground; 2 tbsp olive oil; 4 tbsp unsalted butter; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice; 1 tsp lemon zest; 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped; 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped; 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes; 1 lemon lemon slices, for garnish

Tender salmon fillets pan-seared to perfection and basted in a rich garlic butter sauce. This elegant yet simple dish delivers restaurant-quality flavor with minimal effort, making it perfect for both weeknight dinners and special occasions.

25 minEasyServes 4380 cal/serving

AmericanDinnerStovetopPescatarianHigh ProteinKetoLow CarbHalal-friendlyLow-SodiumPork-FreeAlcohol-FreeCorn-Free

Ingredients

2 lbs salmon fillets, skin-on
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 lemon lemon slices, for garnish

Instructions

1

Pat the 2 lbs skin-on salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper.
2

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
3

Place the salmon in the skillet, skin-side down. Cook without moving for 4-5 minutes, until the skin is crispy.
4

Reduce heat to medium, carefully flip the salmon, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, depending on thickness. The internal temperature should reach 145°F (63°C) for fully cooked salmon, or 125°F (52°C) for medium-rare.
5

Remove salmon from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
6

In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and add 4 tbsp unsalted butter. Once melted, add 4 minced garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
7

Stir in 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest, and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute.
8

Return the salmon to the skillet, spoon the garlic butter sauce over the fillets, and cook for another minute to warm through.
9

Sprinkle with 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill and 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro.
10

Serve immediately with 1 lemon for garnish lemon slices and extra sauce spooned over the top.

Questions

Can I make Garlic Butter Salmon dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in this entry is 4 tbsp unsalted butter. Swap the butter for olive oil where it melts, or a plant-based block butter where it is creamed. The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

How long does Garlic Butter Salmon keep?

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within two days (seafood turns fast). Reheat gently on the stovetop.

Can I halve or double Garlic Butter Salmon?

Yes. As written it serves 4. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. When doubling on the stovetop, use your widest pan or work in two batches so the food sears instead of steaming.

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,504 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.