Garlic Butter Pan-Seared Salmon (Printable)

Pan-seared salmon fillets coated in a rich garlic butter sauce with lemon and parsley, ready in 25 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each), skin-on or skinless

→ Garlic Butter Sauce

02 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
04 - Juice of 1/2 lemon
05 - Zest of 1/2 lemon
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Optional Garnishes

09 - Lemon wedges
10 - Extra chopped parsley

# How-To Steps:

01 - Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.
02 - Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter begins foaming, place the salmon fillets skin-side down. Sear for 4–5 minutes until a golden crust forms, then carefully flip and cook for another 2–3 minutes until nearly cooked through. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
03 - Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring to prevent browning.
04 - Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and chopped parsley. Simmer for 30 seconds to allow the flavors to meld together.
05 - Return the salmon to the skillet and spoon the garlic butter sauce generously over each fillet. Cook for 1–2 more minutes until the salmon is heated through and fully coated. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • The garlic butter sauce is the kind of thing you will want to drizzle over everything, from crusty bread to steamed green beans.
  • It looks like you spent an hour cooking but the whole thing comes together in under thirty minutes.
  • Cleanup is minimal since everything happens in one skillet, which means more time enjoying dinner and less time scrubbing.
02 -
  • Dry salmon is the secret to a good sear, so do not skip the paper towel step even if you are in a hurry.
  • Garlic can go from fragrant to bitter in seconds, so pull the pan off the heat the moment you smell that sweet, toasty aroma.
03 -
  • Take the salmon out of the fridge fifteen minutes before cooking so it comes closer to room temperature, which helps it cook more evenly throughout.
  • Baste the fish continuously with the sauce during that final minute in the pan because it builds layers of flavor that a single pour simply cannot match.

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