Garlic Salmon Baked Dish (Printable View)

Tender salmon fillets baked with garlic butter and fresh herbs for a delicious and healthy meal.

# Ingredient List:

→ Fish

01 - 4 salmon fillets (6 oz each), skinless or skin-on

→ Garlic Butter Sauce

02 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
03 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
06 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
07 - 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
08 - ½ teaspoon salt
09 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Garnish

10 - Lemon wedges
11 - Extra chopped parsley

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
02 - Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels and place them skin-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, chopped parsley, salt, and black pepper.
04 - Spoon the garlic butter sauce evenly over the salmon fillets.
05 - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the salmon is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
06 - Remove from the oven, garnish with extra parsley and lemon wedges, and serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It takes barely 25 minutes from start to finish, which means weeknight dinner without the stress.
  • The garlic butter sauce is so good you'll find yourself making extra just to have it in the fridge.
  • Naturally gluten-free and pescatarian without feeling like you're missing anything.
02 -
  • Don't skip drying the salmon—I learned this the hard way by serving soggy fillets that made me question my entire cooking ability.
  • Watch the clock after 12 minutes because overcooked salmon becomes dry and disappointing, but the window where it's perfect is wider than you'd think.
  • Fresh lemon zest makes this recipe, not lemon juice alone—the oils in the zest add flavor that juice can't touch.
03 -
  • Make the sauce ahead of time and store it in the fridge—you can spoon it over salmon whenever you need dinner, and it also works beautifully on vegetables or white fish.
  • If dairy-free is your thing, use all olive oil instead of butter and you'll barely notice the difference, except your skin will feel slightly less guilty.
  • Don't crowd the pan with salmon—they need space to cook evenly, so if you're feeding more people, work in batches.

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