Pan Seared Salmon With Garlic Butter (Printer-friendly)

Crispy salmon fillets with a luscious garlic butter sauce, ready in just 22 minutes for an elegant dinner at home.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 4 (6 oz) skin-on salmon fillets

→ For Cooking

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - Salt, to taste
04 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garlic Butter Sauce

05 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
06 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
08 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

→ To Serve

09 - Lemon wedges, for garnish

# How To Make It:

01 - Pat salmon fillets completely dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, ensuring even coverage.
02 - Pour olive oil into a large nonstick skillet and set over medium-high heat. Allow the oil to shimmer and become thoroughly hot before adding fish.
03 - Carefully place salmon fillets in the hot skillet, skin-side down. Press gently with a spatula to ensure full contact with the pan. Cook for 4–5 minutes until the skin is crispy and golden.
04 - Turn the fillets carefully and cook for another 3–4 minutes until the salmon is cooked through and beautifully golden on the second side. Transfer to a serving plate and tent loosely with foil to keep warm.
05 - Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same skillet and let it melt completely. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly until fragrant but not browned.
06 - Stir in lemon juice and chopped fresh parsley. Remove from heat immediately to prevent garlic from burning.
07 - Spoon the aromatic garlic butter sauce generously over each salmon fillet. Serve immediately with fresh lemon wedges on the side.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • You get that crispy, restaurant quality skin without any fancy techniques or equipment
  • The entire dish comes together in just over 20 minutes, perfect for hectic weeknights
  • The garlic butter sauce transforms simple salmon into something elegant enough for company
02 -
  • Dry the salmon thoroughly before cooking, any moisture on the surface will prevent proper searing and make the skin soggy
  • Don't move the fillets once they're in the pan, the skin releases naturally when it's properly crisped
  • Let the butter sauce foam in the pan, this indicates the water content has evaporated and flavors have concentrated
03 -
  • Room temperature salmon cooks more evenly, so take it out of the fridge 15 minutes before cooking
  • Invest in a good fish spatula, the thin, flexible metal blade makes flipping delicate fillets foolproof
  • Finish under the broiler for 1 minute if you prefer extra crispy skin on both sides

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