Description
This easy garlic butter salmon is a quick and flavorful dinner perfect for beginners. Juicy, pan-seared salmon fillets are coated in a rich, buttery garlic sauce with hints of lemon and parsley. Ready in under 30 minutes, it’s a restaurant-quality meal that’s simple enough for weeknights yet impressive for guests.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 boneless, skinless salmon fillets (4–5 oz each)
- ¼ cup (40g) plain flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 6 tablespoons (90g) unsalted butter, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- ½ cup (120ml) vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely diced
- 1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- Prepare the salmon: Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. In a shallow dish, mix the flour, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Lightly coat each fillet in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
- Sear the salmon: Heat olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, place the salmon fillets in the pan and cook for about three minutes, or until a golden crust forms on the bottom. Carefully flip the fillets and cook for another two minutes. Add one tablespoon of butter and baste the salmon with the melted butter for about a minute until the fillets are just cooked through. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
- Make the garlic butter sauce: Reduce the heat to medium and add the diced garlic to the pan. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring frequently, until fragrant but not browned. Pour in the vegetable stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Combine the sauce: Add the remaining butter, whisking continuously until it melts and emulsifies with the stock. Stir in the fresh parsley and season with additional salt and black pepper if desired. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes until it thickens slightly.
- Finish the dish: Return the salmon fillets to the pan and spoon the garlic butter sauce over them. Allow the fillets to warm through for another minute before removing from heat.
- Serve and enjoy: Plate the salmon with a generous drizzle of garlic butter sauce and a lemon wedge on the side. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top before serving.
Notes
- For extra crispiness, use skin-on salmon and start cooking with the skin-side down first.
- If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of extra stock to loosen it.
- Fresh garlic is recommended, but if using garlic paste, use half the amount as it has a stronger flavor.
- To make this a complete meal, serve with roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, or rice to soak up the delicious sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pan-Seared
- Cuisine: American, Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salmon fillet with sauce
- Calories: 343 kcal
- Sugar: 0.06g
- Sodium: 384mg
- Fat: 24.33g
- Saturated Fat: 12.16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9.17g
- Trans Fat: 0.74g
- Carbohydrates: 4.79g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 25.51g
- Cholesterol: 101mg