Pan-Seared Lemon Butter Salmon

square feature image of lemon butter salmon no cottage cheese.

5 from 14 votes

Pan-Seared Lemon Butter Salmon

This easy and impressive Pan-Seared Lemon Butter Salmon is full of fresh flavors. You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make a rich, savory main dish that pairs well with a quick cucumber salad.

Prep Time35

Total Time55

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cucumber salad, lemon butter salmon

Servings: servings

Calories: 212kcal

Author: Tara Teaspoon

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

• Ask the fishmonger to skin your salmon so you don't have to do it at home. You can certainly make this with skin-on salmon, but it doesn't need it.

Nutrition