Description
Salmon with garlic lemon butter sauce brings restaurant-quality flavor straight to your dinner table with minimal effort. Creamy, zesty sauce drizzled over perfectly seared fish makes weeknight meals feel like a special treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Salmon Ingredients:
- 4 salmon fillets
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Sauce Ingredients:
- ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon honey
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Garnish:
- Lemon slices
Instructions
- Generously season each 6-ounce salmon fillet with salt and freshly ground black pepper, ensuring even coverage across the entire surface.
- Warm 2 teaspoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until the surface shimmers and looks slightly rippled.
- Carefully place seasoned salmon fillets into the hot skillet, cooking for exactly 4-5 minutes on the first side until a golden-brown crust develops.
- Flip the salmon and continue cooking for an additional 4-5 minutes, ensuring the internal temperature reaches 145°F for perfectly cooked fish.
- Transfer salmon to a clean serving plate, leaving behind the delicious pan drippings.
- Reduce skillet heat to medium and add 2 minced garlic cloves, sautéing for 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- Pour ¼ cup chicken broth and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice into the skillet, scraping any browned bits from the pan bottom.
- Add 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon diced butter and ½ teaspoon honey, stirring continuously until the butter completely melts and the sauce slightly thickens.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley, allowing the herbs to release their bright flavor into the sauce.
- Drizzle the warm garlic lemon butter sauce directly over your salmon fillets, ensuring each piece gets an even coating.
- Optional: Garnish with fresh lemon slices for an extra pop of citrus brightness.
Notes
- Salt and pepper the salmon generously for maximum flavor, ensuring even coverage on both sides.
- Choose fresh, high-quality salmon with firm flesh and a bright color for the best taste and texture.
- Use a meat thermometer to check salmon doneness, aiming for an internal temperature of 145°F for perfectly cooked fish.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute butter with olive oil or coconut oil, and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-18 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 315 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg