Garlic Butter Pan-Seared Salmon (Printable)
Pan-seared salmon fillets draped in a rich garlic butter and lemon sauce for an elegant weeknight main.
# What You'll Need:
→ Fish
01 - 4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each), skin on or off
→ Garlic Butter Sauce
02 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 lemon, zested and juiced
05 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
06 - 1 tbsp olive oil
07 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
08 - Lemon wedges, for serving
09 - Additional chopped parsley, optional
# How To Make It:
01 - Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place salmon fillets skin-side down and sear for 4-5 minutes until the skin is crispy and the fillet is nearly cooked through.
03 - Flip salmon and cook for another 2-3 minutes until just cooked to your preferred doneness. Remove from the skillet and set aside on a warm plate.
04 - In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium and add the butter, allowing it to melt gently. Add minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to let it brown.
05 - Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and half of the chopped parsley. Let the sauce simmer for 30 seconds to bring the flavors together.
06 - Return the salmon fillets to the skillet and spoon the garlic butter sauce generously over each piece. Cook for 1 more minute so the flavors meld.
07 - Transfer the salmon to serving plates, drizzle with any remaining sauce from the pan, and garnish with fresh lemon wedges and the remaining chopped parsley.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The garlic butter sauce comes together in the same pan, so you get maximum flavor with almost zero cleanup.
- It transforms a simple piece of fish into something that tastes like it came from a restaurant with cloth napkins and a wine list.
02 -
- Dry salmon is non negotiable because any moisture on the surface will steam the fish instead of searing it, leaving you with a sad pale exterior.
- Watch the garlic like a hawk because butter plus high heat plus garlic can go from golden and fragrant to bitter and burnt in under thirty seconds.
03 -
- Take salmon out of the fridge fifteen minutes before cooking so it comes closer to room temperature, which helps it cook evenly from edge to center.
- Baste the salmon continuously with the garlic butter using a spoon during the final minute, because this is what gives it that lacquered, restaurant quality finish.