Description
This Easy Lemon Butter Baked Salmon is a quick and simple weeknight dinner that delivers flaky, tender salmon with a tangy, rich butter sauce. Ready in under 25 minutes with minimal ingredients, it’s perfect for busy nights when you want something comforting and healthy.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz / 170g each)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (56g), melted
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (45ml, about 1 large lemon)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (3g)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (1g)
- Optional: 2 tablespoons fresh dill or parsley, chopped
- Optional: lemon slices for baking
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Place fillets skin-side down in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Optionally, arrange thin lemon slices underneath each fillet.
- In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, fresh lemon juice, and minced garlic until smooth.
- Drizzle the butter mixture evenly over each salmon fillet.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until salmon flakes easily with a fork and internal temperature reaches 125°F (52°C) for medium or 130°F (54°C) for medium-well.
- Optional: Broil for 1-2 minutes for a browned top, watching carefully.
- Let salmon rest for 2 minutes. Spoon pan sauce over fillets before serving.
- Garnish with fresh dill or parsley if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Pat salmon dry to avoid steaming. Use room temperature butter for even mixing. Don’t overbake; salmon continues cooking after removal. For dairy-free, use vegan butter or olive oil. For a lower-fat version, reduce butter to 2 tablespoons.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 fillet with sauce
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 380
- Fat: 26
- Saturated Fat: 14
- Carbohydrates: 2
- Protein: 34
Keywords: lemon butter salmon, baked salmon, easy salmon recipe, weeknight dinner, healthy salmon, quick salmon dinner