Lemon Garlic Butter Salmon (Printable)
Tender salmon in lemon garlic butter with roasted asparagus delivers vibrant, healthy flavors in under 30 minutes.
# Ingredient List:
→ For the Salmon
01 - 4 (6 oz) skinless salmon fillets
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce
04 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
07 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
08 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
09 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
→ For the Asparagus
10 - 1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed
11 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup.
02 - Arrange the asparagus on one side of the baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat evenly.
03 - Pat the salmon fillets dry and place them on the other side of the baking sheet. Drizzle each fillet with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, thyme, and red pepper flakes if using.
05 - Spoon the lemon garlic butter mixture evenly over the salmon fillets.
06 - Roast in the preheated oven for 15–18 minutes, or until the salmon is just opaque and flakes easily with a fork, and the asparagus is tender-crisp.
07 - Remove from the oven. Garnish with extra lemon slices and parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It transforms ordinary salmon into something that feels like it came from a restaurant kitchen with almost zero effort
- The entire meal cooks on one sheet pan so cleanup takes literally minutes
02 -
- Overcooked salmon is sad salmon so pull it when it is just barely opaque throughout
- The butter sauce might separate slightly but that is totally normal and still tastes incredible
03 -
- Room temperature salmon cooks more evenly so take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before roasting
- Use a microplane for the lemon zest to avoid any bitter white pith