Baked Salmon Lemon Garlic Butter (Printable)

Flaky salmon fillets with zesty lemon-garlic butter, ready in 25 minutes for a healthy, elegant meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 salmon fillets (about 5 ounces each), skin-on or skinless

→ Marinade & Seasoning

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 teaspoon salt
07 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
08 - 1 teaspoon dried dill or 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

→ Garnish (optional)

09 - Lemon slices
10 - Fresh parsley, chopped

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or lightly grease it with cooking spray.
02 - Place the salmon fillets on the prepared tray, arranging them skin-side down if they have skin.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, melted butter, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and dill until well combined.
04 - Spoon or brush the marinade mixture evenly over each salmon fillet, ensuring they are thoroughly coated.
05 - Arrange fresh lemon slices on top of each fillet if desired for extra citrus presentation and flavor.
06 - Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and is just cooked through to your desired doneness.
07 - Remove from the oven, garnish with freshly chopped parsley, and serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Fifteen minutes in the oven delivers restaurant-quality results without the fuss or fancy techniques
  • The lemon-garlic butter creates this incredible caramelized crust that people think took you hours to perfect
02 -
  • Overcooking salmon is the one mistake that turns this elegant dish into something dry and disappointing—pull it from the oven when it still looks slightly underdone in the center
  • Patting the salmon dry with paper towels before applying the marinade makes a surprising difference in how well the seasoning sticks
03 -
  • If your salmon fillets vary in thickness, remove the thinner ones a few minutes early so nothing dries out
  • Room temperature salmon cooks more evenly than cold straight-from-the-fridge fillets

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