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Easy One-Pan Garlic Butter Salmon – Best 20-Minute Dinner

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This Easy One-Pan Garlic Butter Salmon is the ultimate quick and delicious dinner, ready in under 20 minutes with simple ingredients. Perfect for busy weeknights, it features crispy-skinned salmon in a rich, tangy garlic butter sauce that tastes like a restaurant-quality meal without the fuss.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each), skin-on
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 large lemon (juiced and sliced)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)
  • Red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

  1. Prep the salmon: Take salmon fillets out of the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Pat them very dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.
  2. Slice the garlic and lemon: Peel 6 cloves of garlic and slice them thinly (about 1/8-inch thick). Cut the lemon in half; slice one half into thin rounds (4-5 slices) and juice the other half into a small bowl.
  3. Heat the pan: Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Swirl the pan as the butter melts until hot but not smoking.
  4. Sear the salmon: Place salmon fillets in the pan, skin-side down. Press down gently with a spatula for a few seconds. Cook without moving for 4-5 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Carefully flip each fillet and cook for another 2-3 minutes, depending on thickness, until just cooked through.
  5. Make the garlic butter sauce: After flipping the salmon, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and sliced garlic to the pan around the fillets. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally, until garlic is fragrant and just starting to turn golden. Add lemon slices, nestling them between fillets. Squeeze the reserved lemon juice over everything. Let it bubble for 30 seconds, then remove from heat.
  6. Finish and serve: Spoon the garlic butter sauce over the salmon fillets. Garnish with fresh parsley and a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired. Serve immediately with lemon slices on the side.

Notes

For best results, let salmon sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before cooking and pat dry thoroughly for crispy skin. Don’t overcrowd the pan; cook in batches if needed. If garlic browns too fast, reduce heat to medium. Salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork. Leftover butter sauce is great on rice, vegetables, or bread.

Nutrition

Keywords: garlic butter salmon, one-pan salmon, easy salmon recipe, 20-minute dinner, weeknight dinner, healthy salmon, crispy skin salmon

Find it online: https://lenatable.com/easy-one-pan-garlic-butter-salmon-best-20-minute-dinner/