Lemon Garlic Butter Salmon (Print Page)

Salmon fillets baked with lemon garlic butter and tender asparagus for a simple, flavorful dinner.

# What You Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 4 skinless salmon fillets, 6 oz each

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 lb fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
03 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Sauce & Seasonings

04 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
05 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 lemon, zested and juiced
08 - 1 teaspoon salt
09 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
10 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Garnish

11 - Lemon slices, for serving

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
02 - Place salmon fillets on one side of the baking sheet and arrange asparagus spears on the other side.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, olive oil, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if using.
04 - Drizzle the lemon garlic butter mixture evenly over the salmon and asparagus. Gently toss asparagus to coat evenly.
05 - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until salmon flakes easily with a fork and asparagus is tender-crisp.
06 - Sprinkle chopped parsley over the salmon and asparagus. Serve with lemon slices.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when you actually spent fifteen minutes doing almost nothing.
  • The lemon garlic butter is so good you'll find yourself scraping it off the pan with bread.
  • Salmon cooks so quickly that it's impossible to ruin, which means more confidence and fewer kitchen disasters.
02 -
  • Don't skip arranging the salmon and asparagus on opposite sides of the pan—asparagus releases water and will make the salmon soggy if they're too close together.
  • Check the salmon at 12 minutes because ovens vary wildly, and overcooked salmon is the only real mistake you can make here.
03 -
  • If you want a golden, crispy top on the salmon, broil it for 1 to 2 minutes right at the end—watch it closely because it goes from golden to burnt quickly.
  • Green beans or broccoli work beautifully in place of asparagus if that's what you have, though you might need to add a minute or two to the cooking time.

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