This easy and impressive Pan-Seared Lemon Butter Salmon is full of fresh flavors. You’ll only need a few ingredients to make a rich, savory main dish, and I’ll give you all the best tips for a foolproof sear. Serve with a quick cucumber salad, or your favorite side.
I just can't get enough fresh fish! I especially enjoy seafood recipes that look as good as they taste, like my Easy Coconut Curry Fish and Blackened Salmon Tacos.
Why you'll love this recipe
There's so much to love about this recipe:
- Easy and impressive: First of all, this salmon looks impressive but is actually very easy to make. It's a great recipe for beginners.
- Quick recipe: The salmon fillets are ready in less than an hour, making them perfect for both weeknight dinners or weekend entertaining.
- Minimal ingredients: You'll only need butter, olive oil, and garlic to sear the salmon. It's simply seasoned with salt and pepper, fresh herbs, and lemon slices - that's it!
I also like more simple seafood recipes that are cooked with butter for great flavor, like this Baked Lemon Butter Fish.
Never underestimate the power of a butter sauce! This recipe also uses a butter sauce to highlight the flavor of pan-seared salmon. It's so good I included it in my first cookbook Live Life Deliciously.
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Ingredients and substitutions
With just a few ingredients, you'll be on your way to delicious salmon. Here are a couple of tips to help gather what you'll need. See recipe card for quantities.
- Fats: I melt the butter, with some olive oil in the pan, to help prevent the butter from burning.
- Minced garlic clove: Flavor the fats.
- Boneless, skinless salmon fillets: I recommend using 4-ounce fillets.
- Kosher salt and pepper: A needed flavor boost for rich salmon.
- Sliced lemon
- Minced herbs: Any mix of fresh parsley, chives, and/or dill for the butter sauce and garnish.
- Cottage cheese: I knew I wanted a creamy topping for my pan-seared salmon, and cottage cheese was the perfect addition. It's optional.
Cucumber salad
- English cucumber: Use a mandolin to slice it thin.
- Grape tomatoes: Red or heirloom, sliced in half.
- Red onion: The lemon juice dressing mellows the piquant onion.
- Dressing: Use fresh lemon juice, salt, olive oil, and fresh herbs.
Hint: Ask the fishmonger to remove the skin for you so that you don't have to do it at home!
How to make lemon butter salmon
Oh my goodness, this is a great way to make salmon on the stove, and I couldn't be happier with the combo of butter, garlic, and lemon. These three main ingredients are my perfect seasoning for pan-seared salmon.
Get familiar with the recipe with this step-by-step photo tutorial.
- Step: Melt butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil and the minced garlic together over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
- Step: Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper and place them in the hot butter.
- Step: Sauté until the bottom is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the fillets over and cook until salmon is just cooked through, another 1 to 2 minutes. Then transfer fillets to a serving platter.
- Step: Add sliced lemons and 3 tablespoons minced herbs to the skillet and cook about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat.
- Step: Drizzle the lemons and herbed butter over the salmon. Top each fillet with a dollop of cottage cheese, if desired, and garnish with extra herbs.
- Step: Serve with a delicious cucumber salad or other favorite side dishes.
- Step 1: Season salmon with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Step 2: Cook in the butter, oil and garlic in your pan.
- Step 3: Turn filets over after 3 to 4 minutes and cook on the other side, then remove from pan.
- Step 4: Cook the lemon slices and herbs in the butter sauce to finish.
- Step 5: Combine the salad ingredients at the beginning of your prep.
- Step 6: Tossing lemon juice and herbs with the salad seasons it perfectly.
Tara's top tips
- I pan-fry my salmon without the skin. The extra fat from the skins doesn't add to the dish, so I generally remove the skins at home, or have the fishmonger remove them before purchase. However, you can cook the fillets with the skins on and easily remove them after cooking.
- Before seasoning with salt and pepper, it's important to pat the fillets until very dry. Dry fillets will sear more easily.
- Salmon tastes best when it is just barely cooked through. To avoid overcooking, use a meat thermometer to test for doneness. Salmon should register 125°F internally.
- I added tons of herbs to this lemon butter salmon because I wanted depth of flavor. Add the herbs at the end of cooking so the flavor bursts, but doesn't cook away.
Serve a salad with lemon butter salmon.
I love the fresh combination of cucumber and tomatoes for a salad with salmon. It is crunchy, juicy and tangy all at once.
The tangy flavors of the tomatoes and the dressing cut the richness of the salmon just perfectly.
The salad comes together in just minutes, and is even better if it sits for a few extra moments.
Equipment
Be sure to use a large (12-inch) non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet. I prefer to use a cast iron skillet because it is naturally non-stick and heats very evenly.
Meat thermometer - to check the salmon temperature.
Tongs or a fish spatula - to gently flip and move the salmon.
Mandolin - for slicing the cucumber into even slices.
Variations
For a creamy finish I add a dollop of cottage cheese to the salmon. You can get the same delicious results with other creamy condiments such as creme fraiche, plain Greek yogurt, or ricotta.
What to serve with salmon with lemon garlic butter
I love pairing salmon with flavorful veggies. Try these simple sides:
Storage
Refrigerate: Store leftover salmon separate from the cucumber salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The cucumber salad will last about a day in the fridge.
Reheat instructions: I prefer to eat the lemon butter salmon chilled from the fridge rather than reheating it. It is delicious cold, on a salad or flaked into a sandwich, or on avocado toast.
FAQ
The easiest way to know when salmon is done is to use a meat thermometer. It should be at least 125°F internally.
You can also tell the salmon is done by its color and texture. Fresh fillets have a brighter, deeper coral color. Once cooked, they will take on a softer, muted coral color. You can also test for doneness by gently pulling on one corner of the fish with a fork. Done salmon will flake off easily and have a firm texture.
Just make sure to heat the butter and oil before adding the fish to the pan. This is key to preventing it from sticking.
Dry salmon is the result of overcooked fish. Follow the recipe guidelines for pan temperature (medium-high) and length of cook time per side. For extra insurance, test the fillets with a meat thermometer and remove them from the pan once they are just cooked.
Food (usually meat or veggies) is seared when it is cooked at high heat in a little oil or butter to prevent sticking. The outside of the food will cook quickly and usually forms a flavorful golden crust that seals the flavor and juices inside. In regards to salmon, searing is a great cooking method because it helps to prevent drying out.
More easy seafood recipes
When I need seafood fast, these are my favorite go-to dishes:
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📖 Recipe
Pan-Seared Lemon Butter Salmon
Ingredients
Cucumber salad
- ¾ English cucumber
- 1 cup grape tomatoes (sliced in half)
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Fresh herbs from salmon (below)
Butter salmon
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 6 4-ounce boneless, skinless salmon fillets
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 2 lemons (sliced)
- ¼ cup minced herbs (any mix of parsley, chives, or dill, plus more for garnish)
- 1½ cups cottage cheese
Instructions
Make the salad:
- Slice cucumber into thin slices (use a mandolin if you have one) and toss with tomatoes and red onion.
- Juice one lemon and season with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil and drizzle over cucumbers. Add 1 tablespoon of the minced herbs and toss salad together. Set aside.
Make the salmon:
- In a large (12-inch) non-stick or cast iron skillet, over medium-high heat, melt butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil and garlic together. Season salmon with salt and pepper and add to the hot butter. Sauté until the bottom is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes, and turn fillets over. Cook another 1 to 2 minutes until salmon is just cooked through, or cooked to your desired doneness. Salmon should register 125°F internally on a meat thermometer.
- Transfer to a serving platter. Add lemon slices and 3 tablespoons herbs to the skillet and let cook about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat.
- Serve lemons and herb butter from the skillet, with salmon and cucumber salad. Top salmon with a dollop of cottage cheese if desired. Garnish salad and salmon with extra herbs if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Alfie says
Hi! Wondering what you heat the oven for in this recipe under step 1?
Tara says
Oh my goodness! You don't! I had that in there from my original edit of the recipe and then I retested and didn't use the oven. Thanks for catching, I fixed it. You're awesome to send a comment.
Mia says
This Salmon looks so very good! Must try!
Mow says
Adding lemon will give the fish a nice zest - great idea!
Emily says
Lemon butter sounds like such a delicious combination of flavours! I have to give this a try one of these days, it would be delicious, I imagine.
Michelle says
What a great salmon recipe, this sounds like! Lemon and fish always go so well together, so this sounds like the perfect combo of flavours for it.
Stephanie says
This was such a great salmon recipe to use up some fillets we had in the freezer. The lemon flavors are perfect for these hot Texas days we have this week!
Beth says
This is so good. I love the aromatics with it, and the simple salad to go along with it is perfect.
Kimberley Asante says
This lemon butter salmon recipe looks like a great weeknight dinner option. The cucumber salad adds a nice fresh contrast to the richness of the fish.
Catalina says
Just made this tonight and it was absolutely perfect! The lemon butter sauce added such a bright, fresh flavor, and the salmon had a beautiful crispy edge!
Karletta says
Nutritious and delicious. Fresh, wholesome ingredients that are good for your body and your tastebuds!
Melanie E says
I will admit when it comes to cooking salmon I am pretty inexperienced. This sounds like a great dish for me to start with and one that both my husband and I would enjoy. It would be perfect with the cucumber salad!
SONIA SEIVWRIGHT says
This made me hungry. So fresh and crunchy — I can almost taste it. I love the idea of adding cottage cheese on top, too. I never thought of that, but now I’m curious to try it.
Nayna Kanabar says
Healthy, delicious and perfectly made . This would be a great dish to serve with a side salad and a glass of wine